I’m a big fan of Suburban Sound Syndicate, their members, and the events they throw. From the moment I entered their realm of presentation back in July 2024, I’ve felt at home at their events. There’s something different about the way this organization operates. Maybe it’s the way they carry themselves. Possibly it’s how welcoming they are to all who enter their atmosphere. Likely it has something to do with the vibrant and colorful personalities and the lovely and intelligent conversations they’re always willing to have. Definitely it’s their unwavering support for one another and purposeful intent in building a healthier community. Through and through, without a doubt, it’s the way they do things. How their multitude of members and associations all combine assets and efforts to ensure the highest tier of production and entertainment is represented within the suburbs outside Chicago.
I could go on and on celebrating this Syndicate, but I’d be better suited spending our time highlighting what’s got me most excited about the upcoming Syndicate Sound Session 013. Beatbox aficionados Honeycomb and J-Rose Loops, along with a cast of electronically laced artists each with their own unique styles and original presentations, will combine forces for the Syndicate’s most ambitious event yet to date. When you find yourself at a Syndicate Event, you’re sure to dance and commiserate. Come along with me, Bear Swiftly, the Electro Scribe, as I detail my own perspective on some of what is set to occur at Durty Nellies, in Palatine, IL, on November 1.
I love the way Suburban Sound Syndicate curates their lineups. They have a habit of showcasing elite talent gathered from near and far. Big name headliners supported by hungry up-and-comers all proudly displaying original presentations to tantalize and titillate eager onlookers. Music from their hearts straight to our ears. Yeeeeee buddy, the kind of stuff that makes you feel good and gets you going, “WHOA, NELLY!” Maybe we should say, “WHOA DURTY NELLIES, TRIPLE-S HAS GOT IT GOING ON!” We’ll workshop it. Maybe it fits, maybe it ships, maybe it sticks, maybe it doesn’t, but without a doubt, 3S has got a formula for success and they are working it. GET IT LADIES AND GENTS!!!!
The headliner for this event is Honeycomb, an elite beatboxing maestro, and I am beyond myself that he’s coming to my neck of the woods. Or rather, suburbs. If he were to be performing in a woodland setting, that would absolutely be dope as fuck.
I discovered Honeycomb’s Omegle content through social media feeds a couple of years back and immediately began admiring his improvisational prowess. Dude has got this raw form of organic interaction where he’s just hanging out until another user enters the chat. Challenger? Contributor. For those that don’t know what Omegle is, and hey, I’m still kind of unfamiliar with it myself, it’s a free online chat website. Users are randomly paired with each other in anonymous one-on-one chat sessions where sometimes magic happens. With Honeycomb, these kinds of moments are assured. Insured? No, that’s not right, it’s ensured.
Imagine you’re drifting through random chat rooms looking for someone cool to interact with when all of a sudden this handsome mad lad shows up. A glowing face with a lustrous and bountiful head of hair, his calm and bright spectacled eyes scanning your visage, gracing your screen. He’s got microphones, effects pads, along with looping modules and more creative tech scattered about his creator’s station. He greets you with a kind and gentle, “What’s up, how are you doing?”. You answer in kind, ask a question or make a statement about his setup or appearance, and he softly touches a few pads. He’s about to take whatever words just exited your mouth and create an improvised musical anomaly you’ve been blessed with witnessing. Yea, now you understand why I’m a fan of this dude. He’s balling out with elite beatboxing techniques, and doing it his own way. What a vibe, and he’ll be taking the main stage at Durty Nellies by storm on November 1.
On the outside patio, I’m thrilled that J-Rose Loops is also coming to Illinois. I discovered J-Rose Loops thanks to my wonderful friend Michael Clougherty, the owner and operator of Cerebral Concepts, at the inaugural edition of Secret Dreams. After Lucid and Portal stage performances finished one night, we’re walking and talking while Mikey’s introducing me to his plethora of groovy colleagues and friends. We end up in this oversized tent where Frick-Frack Blackjack is taking place while J-Rose is laying down some delicious tones. He kind of reminded me of a lounge singer in that moment. As I enter, he starts a fresh loop where he records a couple of sounds straight from his vocal chords and sets forth a new looping sequence. Then he starts singing over it. Fresh and fun, it was a treat to witness. I’ve crossed paths with him a couple of times at festivals across the country, and he’s a kind and gentle personality. A snazzy dresser, too! Super excited that the Syndicate has enlisted his talents as part of this event.
Beside these two superstars, this event will feature plenty of other standouts. Here’s the list, in no particular order of appearance: bass music duo Oddly Eazy, 3-piece live electronic band Chachuba, the incredible beatboxer/emcee/producer, Carnage The Executioner (aka Terrell X), Nebulas, the vivid and vibrant violin infused bass duo Manthom Phenace (I freaking love these fellas), and the inimitable ONE. The outside patio stage will feature the talents of Sister Stone, Zombie Manana, Yuri, and joined by the instrumental electronic infuser, August Sky.
I recently enjoyed a conversation with August Sky, aka Nicholos August Hopp, of which I’ll share some portions concerning his musical project, and what he seeks to share with others. Among the things I respect the most about Suburban Sound Syndicate is each one of their members has a set of personal tenets that guides their lives. That includes social issues that are near and dear to their hearts.
For myself, it’s mental health. In my opinion, mental health is at the core of many of the struggles people across the world face. When I examine problems that beleaguer our societies, I notice a consistent trend. When a person’s mind is distressed and unhappy, it makes everything they do, from interactions and ambitions undertaken, a struggle to endure. You never know who’s battling anxiety, depression, chemical imbalances, or other internal ailments of the like. Nick largely agrees with my sentiments, and we met on a Saturday at Emricson Park, in Woodstock, IL, to lend our support to the NAMI organization (National Alliance on Mental Illness). I’ve long been a supporter of their causes, and we walked together just shy of two miles to raise awareness for those who suffer from afflictions that assault the psyche.
Nick plays electric guitar and keyboard and couples that with electronic beats in crafting engaging live symphonies. He also produces his own visual sequences which he supplies VJs with to align during his presentations, however they see fit. Collaboration is the highest order of respect, and audial and visual creatives combining their talents is a wonderful spectacle to behold. I complimented him on how he packages and presents his many talents. He had this to say in response.
“I want this project to be a celebration of life through my eyes and ears… For about the past three years, I’ve taken audio recorders and cameras with me across the world. Experiencing new cultures, understanding myself better through random occurrences, meeting people from all over the world, so you can hear that stuff in my music.”
He continued and told me a story about a track that he produced that further cemented his point. “There’s a song called ‘Batad Bop’ that I wrote. I was in the middle of the northern Phillipines mountains. There was a wedding happening where it was joining two different villages. They partied until sunrise… like 4 o’clock in the morning. I thought it would be really cool to capture that auditorily. I’m sleeping in this little wood hut, I get my audio recorder out, and I open this door. You can hear the [creaking] of this door opening. I got that all on audio. Every time that I play ‘Batad Bop’, I’m teleported back to that exact moment. I can hear that door, I can feel exactly where I was, where the wedding was in relation to where I was. That’s the power of creation. I’m trying to create a celebration of life through my eyes and ears.”
I extrapolate that sampling sounds from his globetrotting experiences and infusing them into his music kind of creates a timestamp that conveys the emotion of the moment. What the moment means to him, sharing it to his audience. “Yea, it is such a perceptual endeavor based off the eye of the beholder. I would imagine that other people probably get something else from it than what I do. That’s the beauty of art.”
I’ve really enjoyed interacting with members of Suburban Sound Syndicate. Simply put, they’re good people and their hearts are in the right place. I asked Nick for some insight into his own personal relationship with the Syndicate, and he celebrated the friendships he’s created, going as far back as the days of Cairo Ale House. He reflected on an open mic performance and a conversation he had with Josh Denson several years ago before Suburban Sound Syndicate’s conception.
“On that open mic night (at Cairo Ale House), Josh Denson said that he wanted to create something. His gears were turning about something big in his mind (the vision of Suburban Sound Syndicate). Unfortunately, Cairo ended. I got reached out to from Josh when he wanted to throw one of his first [events], Syndicate Sound Session 002. Josh, Ricky, Tony, Akemi, Eddie, Dustin, all these people, they really are doing something good. They’re bringing community to the forefront in places that aren’t local to the Chicago hub. Because of these events that they are curating, and I’m thankful to be part of, some of my biggest opportunities have come from that. The reason why I’m starting to get on festival lineups is because I played a Suburban Sound Syndicate show and people were there. They reached out to me afterward. [It] has transpired into so many relationships and opportunities for me, that all can be accredited to Suburban Sound Syndicate. Them believing in my vision. I fucking owe a lot to them.”
Nick’s evolution as an artist into August Sky, and his words, demonstrate the importance and benefit of having a supportive community. We each are on individual journeys, but that doesn’t mean we go it alone. That’s among my favorite part of Suburban Sound Syndicate events. They celebrate community by giving people a place and platform to try new things and show off their talents. They actively encourage their audience to show up and show off. Some in the audience even make the jump from spectator to contributor.
That’s why you see fire, dance, and flow artistry from groups like Celestial Ember Collective. That’s why they invite artists like Tom Loranz, The Whimsical Libra, Dakota Rogers, and Megan Nolte to come and live paint alongside the action on stage. That’s why they encourage vendors like WeMakeThings3D, Galactic Roots Eclectic, The Obsidian Frog, and HW’s 3D Printing to set up tables to show and sell their wares. They’re building a better community, and there’s an open invitation to everyone to be part of it.
If you have a skill or talent you want to share, head on over to Suburban Sound Syndicate’s website, sign up for their newsletter, and you’ll receive an email with details for how you can get involved. Or come to one of their events, hang out, and have a conversation with one of the homies. They’ll steer you in the right direction.
Needless to say, Syndicate Sound Session 013 is set to be a baller occasion. Wait, wait, wait… Broooo, I almost forgot to mention, 3S is throwing a costume contest for this edition. It is the day after Halloween after all, costumes make a ton of sense, and there is a prize pool valued at $1000. “Oh, word?” Word. 3S wants you to get fresh in a fit of your choice and swing through and do what you do. Dance, commiserate with friends and community, and look darn fine doing it. First place gets $500 whilst second and third place will be awarded $250 each to spend with vendors. Yiggity yiggity yaaaaaaassss!!!! There are sure to be some added bonuses, incentives, and surprises, but you’ll have to show up to find out about that.
Tickets are still available, and they’re currently on tier 3. You can buy them on the Syndicate’s website and save yourself 10% versus what you’ll pay once they run out. “50 bucks at the door, little man. Put that shit, in their hand!” Commit to a great time, grab your tickets today, and get yourself ready to party hardy in the suburbs with one of the coolest and most caring factions of homies anywhere across the universe.
This is Bear Swiftly, the Electro Scribe, signing off. Sayonara all you samurai.
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
