Obliv·i·on (noun): the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown.
But while many of the bands on the Oblivion Access Festival lineup may not be what you call household names, the four-day festival of underground and extreme independent music and art will definitely leave a mark on festivalgoers.
Ahead of the festival’s run across clubs in downtown Austin June 15-18, Texas Standard spoke with fest co-founders Dusty Brooks and Dorian Domi. The pair have been organizing the festival together for the past five years.
Initially known as Austin Terror Fest, its original incarnation focused heavily on extreme metal in all its various permutations: death metal, grindcore, sludge, doom and hardcore. But after a pandemic-necessitated regrouping, the fest returned in 2022 as Oblivion Access – and with a broader sonic palate.
Brooks, who has been booking shows in Austin since 2012, reflects that, “Every show that I booked, every contract that I signed, every agent that I yelled at or got yelled at by … it was just one step closer to getting to where we’re at today.” Domi attributed his extensive knowledge of music to his parents’ influence, his curiosity, and the collaborative friendship with Brooks, with the two “exposing each other to different types of music and [exploring] different genres.”