There are few musicians who manage to explore the convergence between techno and experimental as successfully as David Letellier. Known as Kangding Ray, he has been producing for almost a decade, releasing his music exclusively on Raster-Noton and Stroboscopic Artefacts.

The aesthetic domains of these two labels epitomizes Kangding Ray’s complex sound—it’s an aesthetic that tests boundaries, evolving tirelessly in its exploration of texture, rhythm, and sound design.

Letellier’s foundations in rock and musique concrete give his music a vitality and uniqueness that has won fans the world over, from discerning avant-garde–electronica listeners, all the way to devoted clubbers.

KR has also been known for remixing artists such as Battles on Warp, Ben Frost on Mute, or Inigo Kennedy on Token.

Those who have been following Letellier since his debut album, 2006’s Stabil, will recognize not only his meticulous and constantly developing approach to sound design, but also the conceptual gravity behind his releases.

Through a string of recent EP’s and albums, culminating with the critically acclaimed “Solens Arc”, KR showed his ability to keep his artistic approach while delivering direct and powerful club-leaning tracks and darkly cinematic soundscapes. On 2015’s “Cory Arcane”, he pushed the limits of his sound even further. Relinquishing standard rhythmic structures and conventional tonal models, he delivered what is perhaps his most sophisticated release yet; a raw and visceral universe, allowing a more fluid dialogue between soul and machines.

Former bassist in The Soft Moon and longtime San Francisco DJ, Justin Anastasi is the creative head and producer behind the club night VX and co-founder of the SF based Surface Tension DJ collective.

Co-founder (alongside Chris Zaldua) of Bay Area record label Left Hand Path and co-founder and resident DJ of the Surface Tension collective. Nihar also performs and records original work as Nine.

Active on the underground party circuit since the late 2000s, Subset has also performed at established art venues like YBCA and Counterpulse. He is currently the resident visual artist of Surface Tension, the preeminent San Francisco event series showcasing the interface between experimental and dance music. In his visuals, Subset uses a constrained palette, featuring brooding, loop-based compositions that leap between primitive geometry, digital detritus, and reactive sound processes, seeking to break down the barrier between image and sound. Always focused on environments over imagery, Subset has performed live visuals for Atom™, Silent Servant, Rrose, Powell, Marcel Dettmann, Perc, and many more.

SURFACE TENSION is an interface between primal sound and future vision SURFACE TENSION is a party series in San Francisco, CA SURFACE TENSION are: Justin Anastasi / Nihar Bhatt / DJ CZ / Jason P