Yheti describes what he does as “an ever morphing detailed sound sculpture that plays with the ears of those open to the more experimental, surreal, low end heavy side of electronic music.” That’s from his own camp, and it undersells the origin story a little. Tyler Holler grew up in Piqua, Ohio playing drums and piano as a teenager, ended up in a metal band, then found Aphex Twin and Squarepusher on the internet and rerouted his entire life. The Sleight of Sound Tour stops at Buffalo Iron Works on Saturday, September 5, with his brother Toadface and special guest Flintwick.
About the Show
The Sleight of Sound Tour is structured as an extended two-hour back-to-back AV set, with Yheti and Toadface each running their own visuals live from the stage, the whole thing built to move as one continuous show. New music is being released throughout the 25-plus-date U.S. run, which stretches from late August through December.
Yheti’s performances explore what he calls “sound, technology, psychology and how it all interacts with the complex human condition” — a framing that lands differently once you know his history. His signature studio technique, which he calls “flowering the beat,” involves building multiple drum patterns over a single bassline so nothing repeats inside a track. The album Everything New Was Old, 20 reworks of catalog material designed to progress from sunset aesthetics through early morning sunrise, is what he calls his magnum opus. His touring resume includes sets at Wakaan, Camp Bisco, Sonic Bloom, Okeechobee, and Backwoods. He describes pulling from every genre he encounters: “I try to take what I appreciate from every genre and pull that into mine.”
Toadface is Holler’s actual brother and the show’s counterweight. Where Yheti leans toward the cerebral, Toadface is direct about his purpose: “I think my music is indicative of trying to make people have fun & be happy.” His LP Bugs for Breakfast via the Wakaan label has logged nearly 2 million streams. The two have also recorded together as The Trifinity alongside Mt. Analogue, releasing The Grand Awakening in 2019. Flintwick rounds out the Buffalo bill as special guest.
Venue & Logistics
Buffalo Iron Works is at 49 Illinois St. in Buffalo — an 18-plus show on the western New York underground circuit that pulls serious electronic bookings. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets are $24.50. Buy tickets