Public Memory, September 15

Sunday, September 15, 6 p.m.

Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA

Producing what Album of the Year calls "an ominous twilight mood blending trip hop, darkwave and ambient for a serious gothic vibe," the independent musicians of Public Memory headline a September 15 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their 2023 single "Savage Grin" hailed by Post-Punk as a work that "feels as though we’re ensconced in a mountainous hotel lounge or a timeless, glittering ballroom, yet with an underlying sensation of being pursued or haunted."

A project of founder Robert Toher, Public Memory, as stated at AllMusic.com, "explores loss, dreams, and nostalgia with haunting collages of dub, Krautrock, and trip-hop. Albums such as 2016's Wuthering Drum used little more than Toher's otherworldly vocals, a handful of synthesizers, guitar, and field recordings to craft hallucinatory tracks that sounded like they could evaporate at any moment yet left a lasting impact. Within this unmistakable style, Toher revealed different shades to his music on subsequent releases, opting for streamlined melodies and quick-shifting tempos on 2018's Demolition and taking a slightly brighter – but still moody – approach on 2023's Elegiac Beat that reflected Public Memory's growing sophistication.

"After spending much of the '90s in punk bands, Toher found some success with the post-rock group Apse, who released a pair of albums (2006's Spirit and 2009's Climb Up) before disbanding in 2011. Toher and his former Apse bandmate Austin Stawiarz then founded ERAAS, a project that added pulsing electronics to the atmospheres of their previous group on 2012's self-titled debut and the following year's Initiation. After that album's release, ERAAS called it quits.

"Around that time, Toher also ended a relationship, so he moved to Los Angeles to work on a set of songs that became the first Public Memory album. March 2016's Wuthering Drum arrived on Felte Records and stripped Toher's arrangements down to a Korg MS-20 Mini, guitar, and field recordings. The Veil of Counsel EP followed a year later and boasted a slightly clearer sound that Toher expanded on with Public Memory's November 2018 album Demolition. That year, he designed a sound pack for the synth company Elektron that encouraged him to engage more deeply with synthesizers than he had before. The experience transformed his creative process and inspired him to further streamline his music on Ripped Apparition, which appeared on Felte in November 2020. The 2022 singles 'Clocktower' and 'Christmas Night' preceded Public Memory's fourth album, September 2023's Elegiac Beat. Combining Toher's eerie productions with hookier songwriting, the album also added hints of jazz and funk to Public Memory's layered sounds."

Public Memory plays their Davenport engagement on September 15 with an additional set by Clubdrugs, admission to the 6 p.m. concert is $19.84, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.