Like a musical journey: Futuristic Caveman brings ambient electronic music to Winter Haven
WINTER HAVEN – It's like a musical journey on a “spaceship, and we don’t have a clue as to where we’re going.”
That’s how Futuristic Caveman describes his approximately hour-long performance, “Mind Awaken,” taking his audience on a synthesizer-filled, sonically ambient excursion in Theatre Winter Haven’s new 75-person Ghostlight Lounge.
Beginning at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Futuristic Cavemen – Chris Holland – takes over the controls of analog synthesizers for a “Music Awaken Ambient Concert.” Basically, ambient electronic music consists mostly of gentle, melodically smooth music with no persistent beat, used to create or enhance a mood, atmosphere or state of mind – oftentimes used in movie soundtracks.
From Las Vegas, where he’s based, Holland, 32, said he travels across the United States to bring his synthetically smooth stylings for ambient and other music fans. With an influence from ambient pioneers such as Japanese electronic music composer Kitaro and English musician, composer, record producer and visual artist Brian Eno, he says the audience can expect a night of “thick, analog kind of things; that’s my jam.”
To do that, Futuristic Caveman puts together sounds reminiscent of the era of classic synthesizer albums released in the mid-1970s and 1980s, but with a modern approach. He says his music is a “transportive sonic experience” featuring performances of meditative, slowly evolving ambient instrumental themes.
“It’s just me onstage, surrounded by all my synthesizers,” he said.
While performing as Futuristic Caveman, don’t expect to see what resembles a person onstage. Rather, Holland will be dressed incognito, hidden behind an all-black, hood-covered, goggled, gasmask-looking face covering and heavy leather coat, looking like he’s more ready for a scene from “Mad Max” than performing a musical concert. That concert consists of original ambient tracks from his latest release, “410” from 2022, made up of recorded live sessions. He’ll also perform songs from his one full studio album, 2020’s “I,” featuring the singles “Hudson Keel” “Savannah” and “1229.”
There will also be tracks played from his next studio album, “What Out There?” to be released later this year. All of his performances are played solo – just Caveman and his keyboards.
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“I wear the costume so there are no other factors disrupting the music. I even have clocks on stage, so I don’t spend too much time on a theme,” said Holland, who also cites Greek composer, keyboardist, pianist and music producer Yanni as an influence.
Holland said his Winter Haven show is a “film date” for future video releases and precedes a full U.S. tour later this year.
Dan Chesnicka, Theatre Winter Haven producing director, said the Ghostlight Lounge has been open about a year. He said its premise is a “laboratory” to bring in a variety of different artists who want to showcase their talents, and Futuristic Caveman fits the “different" bill.
“We want to offer a diversity of entertainment that can’t be found anywhere else,” he said.
If you go
WHAT: Futuristic Caveman
WHEN: 8:30 p.m., March 9
WHERE: Theatre Winter Haven Gaslight Lounge, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd.
COST: $20
INFO: www.theatrewinterhaven.com; 863-294-7469
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Futuristic Caveman brings ambient electronic music to Winter Haven
