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ust before graduating from Western Washington University in 2012, Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight—known respectively as Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches—formed the electronic duo ODESZA. The self-released debut album, Summer’s Gone, dropped that same year and earned them no small amount of plaudits in the underground EDM world. Going the DIY route early on, whether it was by design or not, worked out well for Mills and Knight. They were on their way. From 2014’s beloved sophomore effort In Return, ODESZA has been working with indies Ninja Tune and Counter, and then, from last year’s exceptional A Moment Apart, their own Foreign Family Collective label. The progress has been swift and impressive. Less than a month after the release of In Return, ODESZA hit 30 million Soundcloud plays, and the RAC remix of “Say My Name” earned a Grammy nomination. Something was clearly happening—this wasn’t your typical EDM project destined to burn bright in clubland glory before disappearing into the vinyl bins of nostalgiafueled history. No, these guys have been on an upward trajectory since leaving school. A Moment Apart upped the ante further still. Debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the record saw ODESZA receive two additional Grammy nominations (for the album, and for the recording “Line of Sight”). A Moment Apart is also notable for the plethora of incredible contributions, from artists as respected as Regina Spektor, Leon Bridges, Naomi Wild, RY X, Kelsey Bulkin, WYNNE and more. Sound-wise too, the album saw the duo take another forward step. Lush and symphonic, and simultaneously moody and relaxing, A Moment Apart could be film score, and yet the songs work beautifully by themselves. The album tracks fit together and follow a narrative, yet they also work independently. The giant climax in the recent ODESZA story came in April when they performed on the Coachella Festival main stage, second only to headliner Eminem. The two weekends saw the group put in visually and aurally gorgeous sets, complete with drones and a killer light show. It’s not always easy for an electronic act to put on a show that fills such an enormous stage in front of so many thousands of people, but ODESZA nailed it. There’s no telling what ODESZA can achieve at this point. The sky is the limit. They’re still edgy enough to retain a “cool” factor with the underground EDM community. Meanwhile, they’ve found a way to squeeze out some mainstream success and pop credibility. That’s a potent combination, and these two men have found a way to achieve it on their own terms. Not long after the conclusion of Coachella, we spoke to Mills and Knight about that festival, A Moment Apart, and more… Music Connection: After having performed in one of the festival’s tents in 2015, how do you feel your 2018 Coachella main stage appearances went? Harrison Mills: Really well. We were scared out of our minds before we walked out there. We had been prepping for that show for four
36 June 2018
musicconnection.com
ODE Six Years Together, A Moment Apart By Brett Callwood PORTRAIT PHOTOS: ERIC TRA LIVE PHOTOS: JULIAN BAJSELo
