COYLE — Ambient folk artist Brenda Xu will perform Saturday during the latest edition of the Concerts in the Woods series.
After releasing her first full-length record, “A Little Illusion,” about seven years ago, Xu relocated from her hometown of San Diego to Seattle where, in 2014, she released her third album, “For The Winter.”
The backing players for this concert will be drummer Ben Kent and violinist Yun-En Liu.
Xu — pronounced “shoo” — will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center, 923 Hazel Point Road.
Admission to the all-ages shows is by donation.
Complimentary cookies and coffee will be offered at intermission.
“We will be exploring the outer limits of folk music today with something which this artist calls ambient folk,” said Norm Johnson, Coyle Concerts founder.
“Ambient music is defined as a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm.”
Ambient music, Johnson continued, is described as “atmospheric, visual, or unobtrusive.”
“Other terms sometimes used to describe ambient music are background, furniture, minimalist or experimental,” he said.
“Brian Eno is recognized as one of its pioneers and incorporates the use of electronic, synthesized sounds. The addendum of ‘folk’ suggests that Brenda Xu’s music is performed using traditional acoustic instruments such as guitar, drums, violin and, of course, voice.”
Long before the term ambient was applied to a style of music, French pianist and composer, Erik Satie, began exploring that aspect of sound, Johnson said.
Satie, who died in 1925, “is most remembered for his 3 Gymnopédies which are frequently referred to as minimalist and defied the classical tradition of his time,” Johnson said.
“Brenda Xu’s work carries on that inventive spirit in her contemporary compositions.”
About Xu
Xu has been building a steady following since her arrival on the Seattle music scene a few years ago, according to her biography.
The momentum she created with the release “For The Winter” led to two successful western U.S. tours and a recent feature in the MTV show “Awkward.”
Compared to artists such as Cat Power, Daughter and Aimee Mann, Xu’s sound has been described as “treading the delicate line between washed-out ambient tones and carefully crafted acoustic arrangements.”
She currently is working on her fourth album and plans to tour the U.S. and Europe this year.
The community center is located at the southern tip of the Toandos Peninsula and is operated by the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation District with help from area residents.
For more information about Xu, visit brendaxu.com. For more about the center, see www.coyleconcerts.com.
