It’s been almost 15 years since the masked musician known only as Slow Magic first appeared on the electronic music scene. In 2012, the Vermont mystery man dropped Triangle, a chillwave masterpiece that thrust the unknown producer onto the international stage. A deal with Sony imprint Downtown Re cords, a tour with English electronica artist Gold Panda, ODESZA remixes and high-profile gigs at Coachella followed as Slow Magic’s reputation grew despite his hidden identity. Even in an era of masked EDM stars like Daft Punk and Deadmau5, Slow Magic intrigued audiences in concert. Face obscured behind a glowing, multicolored animal mask, he performs dreamy, pop-infused electronica, often playing along on a live drum kit with wild abandon. The enigma persists, as Slow Magic has released his sixth LP, Emotion Engine, on indie label Seeking Blue. To celebrate the album and kick off a North American tour, he plays a maybe-hometown gig at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington this Saturday, August 15 — though the notion of a hometown show for an anonymous musician is itself something of an enigma. “I think the mask still serves its original purpose,” Slow Magic told Seven Days in a recent phone call from his home somewhere in Vermont — where, exactly, he lives is yet another mystery. “But the expectations I have for it are now different.” He said originally started wearing the mask after being asked to play his first show as his Slow Magic persona. “I’d played drums in bands for years, but [Slow Magic] was a different sort of project,” he explained. “I wanted to set it apart from my personal life, even though it’s the most personal art project I’ve ever done, which is kind of funny. But it was also aesthetic — I just thought another regular kind of dude on stage was sort of boring, really.” A friend made the prototype mask with cardboard and paint; the most recent iteration has built-in LED lights. “It’s not too comfortable to wear, to be honest,” Slow Magic admitted. While the mask was originally more of a stage prop than an actual veil between the artist and the world, its purpose has evolved. Or rather, the music industry around Slow Magic evolved, as artists are increasingly expected to operate as influencers, producing as much content as possible around their music. “Fourteen years ago, the way artists communicated with fans was very different,” he said. “Now, everything is so much more personal, even intrusive. The mask helps me maintain a sense of privacy. And onstage, it helps me feel like I’m inhabiting a character or giving a sort of theatrical performance.” Living in Vermont — a state to which musicians such as Neko Case and Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker have relocated, in part, because they can remain largely anonymous — certainly helps Slow Magic maintain a partition between his private and professional lives. “My wife and I considered moving to LA at one point, just because that’s where the industry is,” he admitted. ” But we both grew up in small towns, and she has family in Vermont. It’s beautiful here and quiet when you want it, so I love it.” Slow Magic is excited to debut his new record in front of a home crowd, both to play in front of friends and family before he sets out on tour, and to show off his latest sounds. Over the course of his career, he’s displayed a penchant for introducing new sonic elements with each successive release. Emotion Engine is no exception. Perhaps Slow Magic’s biggest departure from his initial sound, the new record features collaborations with the likes of LA singer-songwriter Artemis Orion and New York City shoegazer A Beacon School. Those contributions and others give Emotion Engine a decidedly indie-rock flavor. “I kind of dipped out of the electronic world a little on this record,” he said. “There’s an embracing of guitar and live instruments that I don’t typically use. I was taking inspiration from all the indie rock I grew up listening to. I didn’t really know about EDM as a kid; I only heard that sort of music in video games.” Those same early 2000s games that helped form Slow Magic’s love of electronic music also play a big role in the sonic terrain of his new LP. “At some point, the theme of the album became this sort of video game world, and exploring nostalgia for those sounds,” he explained. “I definitely pulled a few ideas from the breakbeats and samples in old Playstation games.” Fittingly, the new album comes with a companion video game created by Slow Magic himself. Fans can play as Slow Magic, operating an avatar of the musician as he navigates his room, looking for inspiration — there’s an “inspiration” life meter in the top corner of the screen. Players can choose to snack, watch TV or even play drums. They can also play a keyboard that allows for a MIDI connection, so players can create their own loops in-game. “The game was an idea long in the making,” he said. “It started out as a little neat idea I had, and evolved into a fully playable game.” To Slow Magic, the game hits close to home. If players don’t remember to take a break from making music, whether that’s watching TV or taking a nap, the inspiration bar will empty. He says that’s not an accident. “It’s all pretty meta, honestly, but the game is a good reminder to me, honestly, [that] breaks are important,” he said. “You can’t always be creative.” The post Vermont’s Slow Magic Releases ‘Emotion Engine’ appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less