Synoptic Frequencies 17 - Magic Tuber Stringband / Okaw

Experimental string trio from Appalachia brings their futuristic combination of composition and improvisation to St. Louis. Magic Tuber Stringband, hailing from North Carolina, probes the undercurrents of the landscapes around them. Highly skilled players and writers, the trio are leaders within the burgeoning avant composition world utilizing folk instrumentation. Their music appears to weave in and out of the fabric of their surroundings, reflecting their time spent living across the Southeast and studying its regional folk traditions and natural histories. Having performed recently at Big Ears, Hopscotch, Sound & Gravity (and many other places along the way) the group’s music resonates well beyond their regional roots. Their newest record, Heavy Water, released in May 2026 on Thrill Jockey Records, received praise from The Wire, Pitchfork, Bandcamp, Stereogum and many more. The ensemble continues to stretch the parameters of acoustic instrumental expression with masterful flourishes of dense, textural arrangements, subtle minimalist gestures and deft improvisation. Website: https://magictuberstringband.wordpress.com/ --- Okaw is a gentle project made of sound, earth, and memory by Cole Bridges and friends. Full of warmth, deep in love, and connective at its core, it's an expansion of the soul of country music into abstract experimental territory. It takes the soft heart and traditional instrumentation, then combines them with a deep listening, forward-thinking sensibility into cozy futuristic soundscapes that feel like home. https://colebridges.bandcamp.com/album/okaw