Purity Ring

‏Purity Ring’s name may reference stodgy religious sex rites, but this duo shatters such Puritanical traditions with sick sub-bass, entrancing synthesizer and dreamlike instrumentals. The band was born when two visionaries from Edmonton’s Born Gold (then Gobble Gobble) released the experimental “Ungirthed” single, which ventured into a brand new style of sound. Corrin Roddick fuses satiny R&B influences, indie bits and bobs, reverberating trance and slinking vocals into a dark sound one should nurse slowly. Megan James’ chaste, crystalline voice echoes with robotic effects that enrich the finger-up-your-spine beats of debut album Shrines (2012). These many factors make listening in live a sublime experience. And if this résumé isn’t enough to impress electronic skeptics, their off-the-wall creativity should. Original outfits (designed and tailored by James), custom instruments that gnarl like trees, dizzying light shows and novel lyrics are only a few examples of Purity Ring’s out-of-the-box DIY aesthetic. (Friday, 8:20-9:30, Blue Stage) –text: Jessica Millman