Late post from last month's Plantasia at Garfield Park Conservatory. The event spotlighted an array of ambient artists I wasn't aware of, which doesn't mean much, since I'm not familiar with the genre in general. I was a tag-along guest to an event I'd soon realize to be thankful for.
Walking into Maria BC's set, after meandering through the botanical backdrop, let me imagine her music sprouting from the lush greenery itself, the foliage and sound communing in secret harmony. Her music resonated through the stillness of the space, weaving its way through the plants, flowers, and open air. What surprised me was how her sound, ambient and lulling, driven by a single guitar and her voice, reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins surfacing, still managed to create such a full, immersive experience. I wasn't expecting a setup so simple to contribute so much to the sensory atmosphere of the event.
The experience was surreal and a bit haunting. Her sound felt so at home, so native to the space, that it seemed like she had sprouted from the grounds herself. When rain began to shimmer across the glass panels, it only deepened the mood, the entire environment becoming part of her performance, and left me ready to seek out more of the genre.