A&E Dispatch | Anomie Belle brings politically conscious trip hop to the Tractor Sunday

Seattle trip hop artist Anomie Belle kicks off her debut album with a show at the Tractor Tavern on Sunday, Nov. 2. She's an intriguing mix — a political and social consciousness set to a down tempo trip hop, heavily layered with strings and vocal textures. To listen to her album, "Sleeping Patterns," go to — www.myspace.com/anomiebelle.

Her music is also sprinkled with sounds from her travels, from Amsterdam to Argentina. In fact, her album was mastered in Argentina. She also fuses the contemporary and the traditional, fusing her classically trained violinist skills with influences from Radiohead to Portishead.

Music for Anomie Belle — aka 28-year-old Wallingford resident Toby Campbell — is a "social critique," engaging in economic and political ideologies with themes of consumerism, alienation and media spectacle.

Her artist name "anomie" literally means social unrest, with "belle" defined as a charming and popular woman.

"Music is a more powerful venue than academics," said Campbell, who plans to do a rendition of Obama's "Yes, We Can" speech at her album release show.

Both Campbell and her manager Anthon Smith work for nonprofits. Campbells works for Puget Sound Off, a training program that engages and empowers Seattle-area youth. And, Smith heads Seattle Education Access which helps low-income youth get into college.

Tickets for her 8 p.m. Sunday show are $8 at ticketweb.com. For more information, check out — http://tractortavern.ypguides.net/page/ntqa/CALENDAR.html.

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com