The fast turnover of SXSW showcases usually favors acts with a low maintenance set-up. But Brooklyn-based Michna brought out a mixing table with three built-in tv monitors, a projector and screen, another mixing table, as well as a saxophone, trombone, and drum kit. Fortunately, Michna didn't forget the lasers either.
The multimedia show provided some insight into Michna's diverse influences, interweaving clips of Yo! MTV Raps, video games, and Oceanic flight safety videos. (Other cited influences include vanilla soymilk, fish eye lenses, and Hasselhof.) The visuals were mixed live with the music and were apparently interactive---they handed out a joystick to someone in the crowd who played an old school Nintendo racing game during one of the songs.
Adrian Michna brought along live band members Giancarlo Colaianni, Steve Bryant, and Duey FM to his spot in the Anticon/Ghostly International showcase. The live instrumentation, especially the horns, were a seamless complement to the electronic component. When these live elements were absent, however, the songs could wander into what sounded like a more conventional dj mix. But at it's best, Michna's music is an appealing mash up of sounds that reminded me of The Album Leaf with a dose of hip hop and some flavor from Michna's former hometown, Miami. If you too like classic nintendo, soymilk, and green lasers, check out "Swiss Glide" on Michna's MySpace page.
