Dissolving Film: "A Shimmering Dreamscape of Transcendent Energies" (Taylor Alxndr + Diaspoura + Jamee Cornelia + Sanguine @ The Bakery) by Erin Davis

Effervescent and vivacious, Atlanta’s local hub for DIY artistic expression bubbled with the creative mingling of artists Taylor Alxndr, Diaspoura, Sanguine, and Jamee Cornelia, as they came together to present a transformative performance. The performance served as a kick off for the Southern tour of DIY duo Talyor Alxndr and Diaspoura, including stops in Athens, New Orleans, Columbia, Charlotte, Charleston, Asheville, and Durham.

The performance opened with Sanguine’s set, an ode to impassioned love. Her sweet, bedroom pop beats were enchanting and beguiling, her beats alluding to Lantix influences. Sanguine’s smooth tonality intermingled with a sad soulfulness that made for an excellent pairing with the upbeat melodies of the music. Jamee Cornelia’s energetic set, on the other hand, infected the space with a contagious exuberance that had the crowd bouncing and screaming along with them. Cornelia expertly captured the energy of the crowd and spat it back out ten-fold, their pounding basses and raw lyricism hyping the space.

Diaspoura captured the entire room in the beauty of her music in the next set; her music possessed a psychedelic quality, her voice like a shimmering mirage washing over the crowd. The room was immersed in the smooth rive of her voice, swept away to Diaspoura’s eclectic kingdom of fantasy. Though her music possess an experimental, dreamy quality, Diaspoura's lyricism is laced with contemporary criticism on society, politically charged, and expresses commentary on realities affecting minorities today.

Taylor Alxndr finished off the show with a set as performative as it was experiential; they painted the room in their energy, a vibrant and shifting kaleidoscope. Alxndr’s combination of sound and video art expressed a synth pop aesthetic akin to that of the best of the 80’s. Focused on the ideas of perception and presentation, Alxndr explored the way we relate to ourselves and others via social media, which is slowly consuming our lives. Alxndr visualized this concept by capturing a holographic, intangible quality to their visuals by utilizing the dramatic colors of a projector cast over her form throughout the performance.

Brimming with fantasy, passion, and introspective commentary, the combination of these unique energies and styles came together to create an experience told through a distinctly DIY, individualistic lens that made for stunning performances.