I see music

With more subtle expression than an art party and a spacier sound than a Trekkie humming in the bathtub, Portland, Oregon’s Adelaide brings its West Coast tour through Fulcrum Records on Sunday, Sept. 18. The mostly instrumental group features a combined audio and video element, blended together to form an alloy that sets the group apart from most other artsy bands

The goal, says Adelaide member Ethan Rose, is to constantly redefine the band’s sound, image and presence, challenging audiences with something new and leaving fans with the delectable chore of figuring out what it all means. “What we try to do with the performance is sort of abstract,” said Rose. “There are narrative ideas we express through the music and the films, but we leave a lot of the interpretation up to the audience.”

The band has been around for less than two years, but the same core of people had been working together for almost three years doing a more loosely defined version of what coalesced as Adelaide. Rose has been blending music and film for six years and the work has boiled down to music that is mostly mellow, switching from haunting to exciting, complemented by imagery clipped from old 16mm documentaries, classroom films and images shot by the band’s projectionist to illuminate themes in the music. The end result should be something the local art/indie rock crew will find very palpable.

“We want to hone the environment we’re making into something more powerful,” Rose said.