Front page	From the Event Guide archive! This article refers to an event which took place on, or until, 02 March 2007 Music Preview – White Magic A Music That Knows The Past, But Does Not Repeat It For those of you who are have fallen in love with the incredible folk-variations and matchless sounds of Joanna Newsom and friends, and are searching for a worthy successor to that throne, the soon-to-be-Ireland-bound White Magic really are who you have been looking for. Mira Billote, the sister of Christina Billote from the Dischord band Slant 6, first started playing music when she joined her sister on drums, along with Mick Barr from Orthrelm to form the band Quix*o*tic in 1997. They ended up touring with Sonic Youth, Will Oldham, Papa M and releasing one album on Kill Rock Stars before breaking up. Soon after, Mira moved to New York City and formed White Magic with former art school friends Andy Macleod and Tim Dewitt, the later a drummer for Gang Gang Dance and occasionally Cass McCombs' band. A revolving door of drummers ensued including Blood On The Wallís Miggy Littleton and most notably The Dirty Threeís Jim White. ëThrough the Sun Doorí, White Magicís first release, a 6 song EP, was released by Drag City Records in 2004. It was recorded by Joe Blaney, a producer who had engineered The Clashís ëCombat Rockí LP and records for Keith Richards and Joey Ramone. At the time White Magic said that there were influenced by ìNina Simone, Billie Holiday, Karen Dalton, Love, Great Society, Sun Ra, Eric Satie, The Fugs, The Zombies and all good music of the worldî. The cover features an esoteric collage; an altar of occult symbols, pentagrams, skulls, old jewelry, palmistry charts setting the tone for the mysterious and intriguing music that lies in store. Music caught between two worlds, real and ethereal. Bilotte's expressive imagery of the sea, space, spirit worlds and nether regions is in keeping with the aura of the bands mystical moniker, while the music was constructed from simple piano patterns, droning strings and Billotte's intoxicating lead vocals. Her alto has earned her comparisons to Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Grace Slick, Karen Dalton and Nico at times. Their music seems to act a portal to another place and time or as the title suggests, through the sun doorÖ ìThe Sounds are of ritual and prayer, parts of an old piano, and the prophesy of a new consciousness in music and in peace we come from the Sun.î With this, their recording debut, they were named Best New Band by The Village Voice and Time Out New York. That same year saw the emergence of an intriguing movement of artists of which with Devandra Banhart was deemed as leader. Banhart curated a limited edition compilation of contemporary folk for the art magazine ëArthur Magazineí which has since become considered the definitive compilation of what some have dubbed the ëNew Weird Americaí movement. The compilation featured underground folk and psychedelic artists many of whom have gone on to become a quite well known, like Joanna Newsom, Six Organs of Admittance, Vetiver, Entrance, CocoRosie and Espers. Following on from a split record with American Analogue Set in 2005, White Magic released their debut full-length album ëDat Rosa Mel Apibusí, which translates as ëThe Rose Gives Honey to the Bees,í on Drag City in 2006. The album is an elaborate evolution from the ?rst release. A journey that sets forth into an untamed musical landscape, ?nding the familiar in unusual streams of new sound - a new music. ìA music that knows the past, but does not repeat itî. The album features eerily detuned pianos, African rhythms, droning strings, swirling harmonies, mysteriously loose structures and spectral heart-stopping vocalism all of which manage to engage and haunt the soul. It ìspeaks of the maze of life and its turns of darkness and lightî and ìHer voice is arresting, enchanting and almost of another era almost like it is acting as a conduit for mystical spiritual voices from the other side.î They take influences from many places, sharing a love with Gang Gang Dance for Ethiopian music which is stemming from a widening immigrant community in the Washington area, along with Smithsonian Folkways compilations and Americana, indigenous Folk music in all forms with the new material coming off as more trancier in a primitive tribal way, with a denser and more layer approach. Since their inception, White Magic have toured with the likes of Sonic Youth, Will Oldham, Joanna Newsom, Six Organs of Admittance, host, Animal Collective, Magic Markers and Fiery Furnaces, among other names. They have performed at festivals such as ATP UK 2004 (Sonic Youth & Stephen Malkmus), ATP UK 2005 (Slint), ATP USA 2004 (Modest Mouse) and Homefires UK as well performing shows and Festivals throughout Europe. Mira has bridged the gap between the otherworldliness of her lyrics and the imagery evoked from within her songs by starring in an independent movie by Jem Cohen. Many may be already aware of Cohenís work from his documentary ëInstrumentí which documented Washington DC band Fugazi. In ëCHAINí, Cohen and Billotte collaborate to create ìa dreamlike travelogue that transforms a mundane world into something strange and newî. Billotte plays a young drifter, surviving on the fringes of a mall whose character imagines a drowned world that would take it all away. The movie almost matches the tone of the imagery featured on the first EP, of a world in which we are torn between the reality of the mundane lives we can lead and the dreams and longing we have for something out of this world. White Magic have also recently collaborated with producer Hal Wilner on a compilation of tracks entitled ëRogueís Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Sea Chanteysí. They joined a cast of all-star artists such as Nick Cave, Antony and the Johnsons, Sting and Bono, contributing their arrangement of the traditional ìLong Time Agoî. Support for their Dublin show comes from the equally brilliant purveyor of broken folk sounds, Adrian Crowley (Ba Da Bing / Misplaced Music), who then embarks on a series of UK dates and Goodtime John whose third album is expected later this year on Trust Me Iím A Thief records. Skinny Wolves Promotions present White Magic (USA, Drag City Records) / Adrian Crowley (Ba Da Bing / Misplaced Music) and Goodtime John (Trust Me Iím A Thief), at the Boom Boom Room (above Conwayís Pub), on Dublinís Parnell Street, on Friday 2nd March. 8.30pm. €10. www.myspace.com/whitemagicmusic / www.myspace.com/adriancrowley / www.myspace.com/goodtimejohn / www.skinnywolves.com