Rachel Mason Debuts ‘Das Ram’ Show With DJ Set From Legendary Rodney on The Roq

Rachel Mason to release ‘Tigers in the Dark’ single

Debut performance with Rodney on The Roq DJ set

“A Spellbinding Singer” – New York Music Daily

“A voice part Emmylou Harris and part Yoko Ono” – New York Times

“Equally indebted to the Who’s Quadrophenia and the Steve Reich opera The Cave, with video and music interacting in fluid, complex ways“ – VICE“Soothsayer, harlequin, medicine woman” – Deli Magazine

“One of the most creative forces in the world, continuing her multidisciplinary pursuits that are never strictly committed to one singular medium” – Impose Magazine

Tapping into folk and art rock, it’s tempting to draw comparisons to both Kate Bush and Paul Giovanni’s earthy soundtrack for The Wicker Man, but this is all Mason, her persona leaving an indelible impression on the listener” – PopMatters

Renowned performance artist and musician Rachel Mason will premiere the new video ‘Tigers in the Dark’ (directed by Matthew Spiegelman) during a live performance called ‘Enter Das Ram’ on June 18 at LTD Los Angeles gallery.

Located on Sunset Boulevard in the gallery, which was formerly the site of the 1970s legendary Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco, L.A.’s mainstay during the glam rock era, fave hangout of many rock stars, and site where Iggy Pop’s infamous concert climaxed with him slashing his chest with a knife. Rachel Mason’s performance will incorporate Dennis Hoekstra’s installation, a virtual reincarnation of the English Disco.

A very close friend of David Bowie, best known for launching his career and those of Iggy Pop, Depeche Mode, Blondie and countless glam rock legends, “Rodney Bingenheimer a.k.a. “Rodney on the Roq” himself will be supporting this release with a DJ set as part of this event.

In scripts, sculpture, rock operas, performances and songs spanning over a decade, Mason has created imagined worlds where animals, objects, mythological creatures and all forms of non-human entities have taken shape through her body and voice. Her shows wrap the audience in fantastical narratives which interweave musical, theatrical and narrative elements into unexpected operatic journeys.

The video is being released in advance of the forthcoming single ‘Tigers in the Dark’, the first track from the ‘Das Ram’ song cycle. This song is written from the voice of a hybrid animal-human, expressing the idea that the only place where real life happens is on the stage. The fictional “reality” of human existence is pure fiction and the stage is the place where anything real can happen – the creative dimension where “real life” exists.

‘Das Ram’ is the first complete set of songs written and performed with Mason’s longtime creative partner Jeff Hassay. An artist, writer and publisher, who also co-runs an art gallery, Hassay recorded, mixed and produced these tracks at his studio in Los Feliz. He has previously worked with Jonathan Richman (Modern Lovers), Jennifer Herrema (Royal Trux, Black Bananas), Avi Buffalo, Chris Cohen (Deerhoof), and Carolyn Penny Packer (Bouquet).

Hailing from Los Angeles, Rachel recently returning home after spending the last 10 years in New York city. There, she represented as an active element on the city’s arts scene a visual artist, songwriter and performer.

Rachel Mason has recorded 13 full-length albums and three operas, including her most recent unique rock opera feature film The Lives of Hamilton Fish, which toured the world in 2015 and was released this month on VOD. Her work has garnered press attention from the likes of Vice, Interview Magazine, The New York Times, Artforum, LA Weekly, The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, Art in America, and Flash Art.

Watch ‘The Lives Of Hamilton Fish’ Trailer:

She has shared stages, toured and collaborated with numerous artists, including Sharon Von Etten, Jennifer Herrema (RTX), Phosphorescent, Davendra Banhardt, Prince Rama, Light Asylum, Josephine Foster, Diane Cluck, and Excepter. She has alsoexhibited sculpture, video and performance art at many of the country’s leading art galleries.

Doors for Rachel Mason’s June 18 performance open at 7pm with the performance slated to begin at 8pm.

Listen:
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/vice/rachel-mason-nightmare
https://soundcloud.com/rachelannmason/sets/the-lives-of-hamilton-fish