To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of influential record label Kranky, Public Records & Pioneer Works are excited to present an ecstatic lineup of artists associated with the label, as part of DURATIONS, a festival that explores sound as an intentional act of connection.

Now in its third year, the festival aims to provide a hotbed of sonic discovery with a line up of electronic and experimental artists and guest speakers for a series of live and club performances that push boundaries in music and philosophy.

Windy + Carl

Windy + Carl are innovators from Dearborn, Michigan, who have torn through the scene since 1993 with their innovative approach to ambient music. Drumless, hypnotic drones are derived from guitar via usage of delay, reverb, and E-Bow, rather than synthesizers. The minimalist, husband-wife duo pushed forward other ‘80s dream pop and shoegaze acts such as Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins.

Niecy Blues

Niecy Blues, aka Janise Robinson, produces floating, ghostly R+B; see: KeiyaA, Raveena, Moses Sumney. Meditative, delicate, and intentional, Robinson crafts deeply-intimate, utterly simple — sometimes just looped vocal improvisations and plucking strings — ambient gospel influenced by her religious childhood in Oklahoma.

Pan American

Chicago-based Pan American is an experimental electronic folk music ensemble and alter ego of Mark Nelson, vocalist and guitarist for the band Labradford, who first began recording under the name in 1997. Nelson combines field recordings and solo lap steel guitar instrumentals to produce an emotive, romantic minimalist approach to indie Americana. For Durations, he performs live with Michael Grigoni.

Michael Grigoni

Michael Grigoni is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in dobro, lap steel guitar, and pedal steel guitar. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he now lives in Durham, North Carolina. His music combines electric and acoustic textures, field recordings, and dense layering techniques to produce “cinematic pastoral” depictions of the American South. NPR Music included his album Slow Machines among its top ten albums of February 2020.

MJ Guider

MJ Guider is the alias of Melissa Guion, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and radio DJ from New Orleans. Deep layers of droney shoegaze and heavy echo combine into sultry, darkwave dream pop backgrounded by mesmerizing soundscapes.