Emperor X filters folk through electronics at the Space Station

By Matthew Moyer on Fri, Apr 8, 2016 at 10:38 am

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Emperor X filters folk through electronics at the Space Station

Floridians will be happy to claim left-field pop savant Emperor X as one of their own. Jacksonville native and current Berlin resident Chad Matheny has created a deep and variant body of work, dealing in disparate styles and even more disparate lyrical themes. Local pride alert: He even titled one (admittedly good) album The Orlando Sentinel, which obviously would have been better if it had been titled Orlando Weekly. Musically, Matheny occupies a strange midpoint between the Mountain Goats and Jad Fair, crafting rough-hewn and eccentric folk songs that are increasingly filtered through electronics and deconstruction more akin to an Eno or Aphex Twin. Live, he’s a compelling performer, all raw nerves and anxiety, his unique voice careening wildly against choppy acoustic guitar lines or DIY electronics, depending on the night and his mood.

Saturday | with Pariah, Renee Is a Zombie | 8 p.m. | The Space Station, 2539 Coolidge Ave. | 321-356-2804 | lowerearthorbit.com | $7