The Hiss Of The Bay by Tyler Holmes

An excerpt from a larger piece, ‘The Hiss Of The Bay’ will contain elements of sound healing, noise, song and manipulated found sound. Intentionally calling the listener into their pain, through the nuance and complexity of how trauma informs the Black and Queer body, how the audience’s ideals anchored in white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia allow and enable this hurt and through this information a reframe and refocus by bringing attention back to life via a return to the birth of life on Earth, the sea. Elements of sound healing (soothing tones, breath work, meditative vocal loops) work as the shuttle carrying the audience through the piece, accessing an agreed upon goal of healing and catharsis by bringing the viewer into an environment built on humanity and serenity. Elements of noise (jarring, abrasive, discordant, machinic, inorganic sounds) are brought in slowly and carefully to allow space to observe discomfort and pain and question the origins not only of pain but pleasure as well. Noise eventually emerges as melody, a ship built of rubbish, the order created within this violent turbulence creates a song like structure out of fear and pain intended to mimic ‘making sense’ of traumas. From the rhythmic hiss of the noisy and chaotic past to the eternal present hiss of the ocean, the amplified and contorted sounds of the bay, the cycle out of human drama is reflected by the wake as it symbolizes the violence and destruction necessary for creation and embodiment.

TYLER HOLMES (They/Them) is a singer-songwriter, visual and performance artist who uses music as therapeutic device. Coming from a turbulent and traumatic ‘cult-like’ early life, Holmes has spent a lifetime crafting their own Black, Queer narrative by pushing the limits of their imagination. In a constant state of reinvention they make a mixtape of every moment, from song to song the audience is getting a wholly different animal. Holmes has a chameleonic singing style that ranges from Folk inflected whispers, to morose Goth wails, to Gospel bellows. Envisioning themself as the imaginary child of Björk and Tricky, Tyler Holmes is on an isthmus between Trip Hop and Experimental Pop. They use a surrealist lens on a wide variety of genres, often blending diaristic narratives with dark, dream-like whimsy. Autobiographical and absurd, their writing is alluring and uncomfortable. Both brutal and beautiful, bringing the audience into a shared space of healing and catharsis. They perform with a constantly changing electro-acoustic arrangement, always finding new ways to showcase an intimate horror. Most recently Holmes’ released their music video “Nothing” via Paper Magazine. In 2019/20 they released a series of EP’s and Spring 2021 marks the release of their highly anticipated new LP “Nightmare In Paradise” on Ratskin Records.

The Hiss Of The Bay by Tyler Holmes

An excerpt from a larger piece, ‘The Hiss Of The Bay’ will contain elements of sound healing, noise, song and manipulated found sound. Intentionally calling the listener into their pain, through the nuance and complexity of how trauma informs the Black and Queer body, how the audience’s ideals anchored in white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia allow and enable this hurt and through this information a reframe and refocus by bringing attention back to life via a return to the birth of life on Earth, the sea. Elements of sound healing (soothing tones, breath work, meditative vocal loops) work as the shuttle carrying the audience through the piece, accessing an agreed upon goal of healing and catharsis by bringing the viewer into an environment built on humanity and serenity. Elements of noise (jarring, abrasive, discordant, machinic, inorganic sounds) are brought in slowly and carefully to allow space to observe discomfort and pain and question the origins not only of pain but pleasure as well. Noise eventually emerges as melody, a ship built of rubbish, the order created within this violent turbulence creates a song like structure out of fear and pain intended to mimic ‘making sense’ of traumas. From the rhythmic hiss of the noisy and chaotic past to the eternal present hiss of the ocean, the amplified and contorted sounds of the bay, the cycle out of human drama is reflected by the wake as it symbolizes the violence and destruction necessary for creation and embodiment.

TYLER HOLMES (They/Them) is a singer-songwriter, visual and performance artist who uses music as therapeutic device. Coming from a turbulent and traumatic ‘cult-like’ early life, Holmes has spent a lifetime crafting their own Black, Queer narrative by pushing the limits of their imagination. In a constant state of reinvention they make a mixtape of every moment, from song to song the audience is getting a wholly different animal. Holmes has a chameleonic singing style that ranges from Folk inflected whispers, to morose Goth wails, to Gospel bellows. Envisioning themself as the imaginary child of Björk and Tricky, Tyler Holmes is on an isthmus between Trip Hop and Experimental Pop. They use a surrealist lens on a wide variety of genres, often blending diaristic narratives with dark, dream-like whimsy. Autobiographical and absurd, their writing is alluring and uncomfortable. Both brutal and beautiful, bringing the audience into a shared space of healing and catharsis. They perform with a constantly changing electro-acoustic arrangement, always finding new ways to showcase an intimate horror. Most recently Holmes’ released their music video “Nothing” via Paper Magazine. In 2019/20 they released a series of EP’s and Spring 2021 marks the release of their highly anticipated new LP “Nightmare In Paradise” on Ratskin Records.