Leoncarlo

"Leoncarlo ‘Colossus (For Lily)’ EP

Captured during a May Sofar Sounds concert, this live offering from Denton-based violinist Leoncarlo Canlas is an alluring blend of the classical and the modern. Canlas deploys his violin in any number of traditional ways — Stilt House features bowed strings unfurling beneath a series of finger-picked notes — and augments it with digital loops, deftly folding the instrument back upon itself. Canlas, a University of North Texas grad, has collaborated with several area acts, such as Seryn, but from what I can tell, this EP marks his first official release. Let’s hope it’s not long before another — Colossus (For Lily) is one of the most refreshing local efforts I’ve heard lately."

-Preston Jones, DFW.com - DFW.com

"Up next was Leoncarlo, a violinist from Denton who was rolling solo. My curiosity kept increasing as he was setting up. Turns out that he was setting up two looping stations. He introduced himself, told us a bit about himself and said that he would be dedicating the performance to his late Grandmother by the name of Leonela. He picked up his violin, squatted down and hit a button. He then plucked the violin a few times, capturing different sounds each time. Hit the button again and strew his bow across the strings. Every sound was unique but as they started looping they all came together in a glorious fashion. He did this until he was happy with what he had created and then the show began. The sound of the looping music sounded like he had created his own little background orchestra. It was the perfect accompaniment for the music this classically trained violinist was delivering. He played three songs, each of which was better than the last. He took a brief pause to talk about a kick starter he was going to get going and then finished up his set with “Postcard No.3” and lastly “Colossus”. In a phone interview afterwards I found out that he is originally from Virginia but relocated to Denton for School at UNT. He obviously paid close attention in class because this guy is the real deal. He told me that he always starts with an idea in his head when it comes to performances like this, but as he starts making the music it kind of takes on a life of it own and there ends up being quite a bit of improvisation. He also said that this show was inspired by Dillon Thomas’ poem “Death shall have no Dominion”. Well I have to tell you, the more I talked to this guy the more I was impressed, he is a brilliant musician, as well as just a great guy with a big heart and big dreams. He said “I would love to see my music in video games or documentaries. I just want to make big, vast, music”. You’re well on your way and I’m sure your Grandmother is looking down with pride. Visit www.leoncarlo.com to keep up" - Chad Davenport, Sofar Sounds - Sofar Sounds

"A unique talent among so many guitars and drums, [Leoncarlo], a Denton-based violinist, fuses classical training with 21st-century digital wizardry to create something fresh and compelling. His 2014 EP, Colossus (For Lily), is full of hypnotic melodies, augmented with loops and other technological flourishes, making him a one-man band capable of surprising you with every note." - DFW.com