These days, it's hard to disappear. Like Sting, the National Security Agency is watching every move you make, while your phone chirps out every check-in and banal thought you have, not to mention nothing you 'delete' online ever really gets deleted -- there's always a backup somewhere. Let's not even get into the vulnerability of "The Cloud."
With a new album called How To Run Away, few understand the power of intentional anonymity like Slow Magic. Self-described as your "imaginary best friend," the paper fox/cat mask is as much a tribute to Chris Sievey and Deadmau5 as it is a reflection of a society so connected, yet so out of touch. Plus, Slow Magic (few people know his real name, and if they do, they aren't telling) uses live drums, to better help you focus on what's in front of you. The idea of losing yourself carries into the (mostly) lyric-less yatter - you can find almost any narrative in this bouncing soul, but whatever identity you discover is certain to be ecstatic.
"With all my songs I'm trying to represent something beautiful in the world," Slow Magic tells us when we call him up. When asking how he feels being known, yet unknown, he admitted the project certainly has its challenges, especially with handling ego.
"Let's just say I do a lot of wardrobe changes when need be," Slow Magic says. "The whole thing about it is it does force me to be a little bit humble. And that's good."
More important than his identity is his aesthetic. A few of his songs off his album ∆ are just symbols like ☾ or ◯. Magic says this choice comes from a desire to keep his music universal, devoid of the blemishes of language. It helps that there aren't many English lyrics in his tracks, either, which helps him remain relevant across the many European festivals he's headlined.
Slow Magic // Girls - Live On Tour from SneakyBoy on Vimeo.
As you can clearly see in the video for "Girls," Slow Magic has a way of uniquely engaging his audience that many laptop heroes and other EDM artists don't seem to grasp. It's all the more impressive that Mr. Magic can do it without revealing any sordid details about his life.
Eventually, someone will probably hack Slow Magic's laptop or release his name to the public and his name will become as synonymous with his music as Joel Zimmerman. Hopefully not, but don't count on it if Jennifer Whoever isn't safe. But, for the moment, it's nice to know that amongst every selfie-taking narcissist clogging up Instagram, there are people making beautiful art without the same need for recognition.
Slow Magic is scheduled to play Crescent Ballroom on Sunday, September 14.
Troy Farah is who he says he is on Twitter.
Find any show in Metro Phoenix via our extensive online concert calendar.
9 Tips for Using A Fake ID To Get Into A Show 10 Classic Punk Records That Actually Kind of Suck The 10 Coolest, Scariest, Freakiest Songs About Heroin The 30 Most Disturbing Songs of All Time
Like Up on the Sun on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest local music news and conversation.
