Vibrations in the Dark: Drone, Modern Classical, and Cold Wave Take Over Los Angeles

Los Angeles is about to get very quiet—and very loud, in the most cerebral way possible. This week, the city's live calendar offers an embarrassment of riches for those who worship at the altar of deep synthesis, dark ambient, and transcendent drone. The crown jewel of the week lands at the Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian, where the legendary Steve Roach will transform the holy space into an echo chamber of analog warmth and deep, textured soundscapes. Known for his pioneering, decades-long run of modular synthesis and cosmic soundscapes, Roach's live sets are immersive rituals designed to dismantle your sense of time.

Over at 2220 Arts + Archives, the curation leans heavily into digital minimalism and modern classical hybridity. Thursday night welcomes Visible Cloaks, whose crystalline electronic architectures and acoustic illusions evoke a pristine, virtual Fourth World. Keep your calendar open on Saturday when the same venue hosts a masterclass in acoustic drone and modern classical courtesy of Walt McClements and Marielle Jakobsons. Expect McClements' heavily processed, elegiac accordion drones to weave seamlessly with Jakobsons' envelope-pushing violin and synthesizer experiments, creating a physical, vibrating wall of sound.

If you prefer your ethereal drift laced with a bit of nocturnal edge, head to The Paramount on Saturday. The bill features cold wave champion Madeline Goldstein alongside Olive Kimoto, whose sonic palette bridges lush dream pop with nostalgic, hardware-driven textures. It's the perfect showcase of how LA's underground synth scene connects the dots between isolationist textures and club-adjacent rhythms. Skip the stadium rock this week; the real action is in the shadows.