Photo taken by Emil Hougaard.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, the American duo, Yacht, which consists of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, released their debut album on the label of LCD Soundsystem, DFA, back in 2009. This was received with an overwhelming amount of great reviews worldwide. The expectations for their new album, Shangri-La, which was released June 20, is receiving the same recognition. At Trailerpark, Yacht performed their well known catchy and synth-filled electro-pop.

One may not know, but Yacht started out as a one man show. Jona was the lone member, yet kept piecing together the puzzle, leading him to the current position of a five person ensemble. After much acclaim, Yacht is traveling the world, performing throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Photo taken by Emil Hougaard.

It is clear, when speaking to the duo, that they know exactly who they are and what they stand for. They take their music seriously and rightly so. Describing themselves in three parts; a band, a business and a belief system, the duo had a telepathic moment together in an American desert that further justified the strong bond between them. What exactly is their belief system? Simply put, self-empowerment, radical extremism and dictating one’s own reality are significant aspects of their structure.

Their energy on the stage and ability to relate to the crowd left the audience almost mesmerized. Jona was unabashed in his approach to busting a move on stage, while Clara flirted innocently with the audience. At one point, a drunk and mesmerized fan grabbed at her foot and leg. Nonchalant, she carried on, non-flippantly in her removal from his grasp. Additionally, their non-pretentious behaviour is welcomed and rejoiced. I cannot put into words how pleasant it was to speak with this innovative pair. They are extremely well spoken, highly intelligent and have a stance in an oftentimes stance-less world. An act to follow, be sure to check out their single, “Utopia,” and who could ever forget “Psychic City.”