With the Evolution of Jam Volume 2 concert coming up, featuring tributes to STS9, Lotus, and The New Deal, we sat down with members of the bands to talk about their inspiration behind these unique tribute projects.

Evolution of Jam Volume 2 is set for this Friday, December 19th, starting at 9 PM at DROM. Tickets are only $12 now, but $15 at the door, so be sure to get your tickets before it’s too late!

 

SPACE BACON – A TRIBUTE TO LOTUS

CG = Chris Gironda, keys / KL = Kevin Legall, bass / AC = Anthony Cables, guitar

L4LM: How did you discover the music of Lotus?

CG – I think my first experience with livetronica was when I saw STS9 and Umphrey’s at Roseland in ’08. I had been into the Dead and Umprhey’s for a while at that point but STS9 blew me away. After that show I began digging for more bands like them, at which point I discovered The Disco Biscuits, The New Deal, and of course, Lotus. My first Lotus show was at Terminal 5 sometime in ’09, their song Wax really stuck with me. Since then I’ve probably seen Lotus over twenty times; their take on livetronica is unmatched, the jazzy smoothness of Rempel, Greenfield behind the kit, it’s infectious.

L4LM: How have your own musical tastes evolved since being introduced to Lotusl?

KL – Lotus was the first real jam band I’ve ever encountered before I even knew what a jam band was. My musical career started with composing and writing songs for my punk/ska group during high school. I only listened to music that was static, remaining consistent with the recordings that appeared on studio recorded albums. It wasn’t until freshman year of college when I  downloaded the entire lotus discography that I became intrigued with this tangible sound that could be morphed and transformed onstage in real time. In essence, Lotus was my ‘gateway’ band that introduced to jam music, the same that Rancid introduced me to punk music. It opened a new chapter in my career as a musician and led me to start a group that could evolve our sound on stage, always giving listeners a unique experience every time.

L4LM: These bands share an obvious lineage through roots in improvisation and electronica, while all staying true to their own formulas for creating their distinct styles. What do you think is the reason for their success?

AC – All of these bands, while primarily rooted in improv/electronica, maintain a sense of uniqueness in their approach to the music, I think this is their key to success.  For example,  The New Deal has that late night, keep-your-booty-shaking-til-the-wee-morning-hours vibe with their improv heavy sets and non stop untz, while Lotus, more specifically the older crunchier Lotus tunes, have a strong emphasis on lounge and jazz styles, that smoothness, combined with their raging peaks and intricate compositions differentiates them and has enabled them to succeed.  As musicians we try to incorporate and expand on these qualities in our own song-writing.

L4LM: How excited for this show are you?

CG – We are super stoked for this show.  As a band we browsed through nearly the entire Lotus catalogue and I can confidentially say the handful we picked to play are some of the best songs this band has put out.  Compositionally we plan to play proper homage to these tunes, but we have some special Space Bacon surprises as far as setlist, jams, and segues.  Really looking forward to sharing the stage with some of the best local musicians around and paying tribute to some of the pioneers of jamtronica.

 

DEEP SUN – A TRIBUTE TO THE NEW DEAL

SS = Sean Silva  AM = Adam Magnan

L4LM: How did you discover the music of the New Deal?

SS: I was playing jazz in SUNY Oneonta and really into Daft Punk and LCD soundsystem at the time, and was curious about taking that super produced sound and somehow making it improv music. Right around that time a new roommate of mine put me onto the biscuits, and it just kind of clicked. From there he showed me STS9 and the new deal and it all clicked right away.

L4LM: How have your own musical tastes evolved since being introduced to STS9/Lotus/the New Deal?

AM: They’ve influenced us to listen to electronic music, and find the connections between that and live improvisation. We tend to seek out artists that push those boundaries so naturally we look towards performers in our scene for inspiration. With that in mind, I’ll jam by myself to DJ sets because that will connect me more with the spirit of doing the progressive groove that they do.

L4LM: These bands share an obvious lineage through roots in improvisation and electronica, while all staying true to their own formulas for creating their distinct styles. What do you think is the reason for their success? 

AM: They’re ideas meld song with live improvisation and constantly break new ground to provide inspiration for out of the box ideas. The New Deal combines sounds and grooves that span Break Beat, House, Techno and trance so I’ve delved into the source material to better understand their point of view. Taking those “produced” genres and playing them live in the guise of improvisation has you hearing a kaleidoscope of sounds. This informs our ears and opens us up to new ideas. They’re always putting themselves out there for the audience, taking a risk for the better of the music. The fans really respond to this.

L4LM: How excited for this show are you?

SS: I am super excited to premier the New Deal project. We were really nervous to try do justice to something we love and respect so much, but the project has come along so well. There is so much improvisation that we have had in the last few weeks practicing and the chemistry really has suprised us in the best way possible. The songs sound great, but its really taking the theme of the new deal and having jams that I think The New Deal themselves would be proud. We are keeping everything very spontaneous and on the spot and I think people will be surprised how much of their energy we are carrying. 

AM: I love the New Deal and to play their music in this capacity is definitely exciting for me. They’ve taught me so much over the years and soundtracked countless experiences, needless to say, we can’t wait to play this set. We understand that in order to “cover” the New Deal we have to get in the shoes of musicians that have thousands of hours more experience with each other, and improvise in the same way that these masters do. We’re learning from their shows how they connect tunes/melodies and make a uniform, continuous dance party, playing our own jams in between and putting our own touch on their tunes.

 

WE’LL MEET IN OUR DREAMS (WMIOD) – A TRIBUTE TO STS9

WG = Wiley Griffin (MUN)

L4LM: How did you discover the music of the STS9?

WG: Like most livetronica bands we heard of STS9 through word of mouth. For me I remember borrowing a STS9 CD from a friend. It was a live show from Bonnaroo 2007. From there I started to dive into their older shows, albums, and going to see them when they came to town.

L4LM: How have your own musical tastes evolved since being introduced to STS9?

WG: Tremendously is the electronic department. I’ve gone from basically knowing nothing about electronic music to being turned on to so many artists and musical genres. STS9 has been really great about getting the word out about other artists through their independent label 1320 records.

L4LM: These bands share an obvious lineage through roots in improvisation and electronica, while all staying true to their own formulas for creating their distinct styles. What do you think is the reason for their success?

WG: The vibe. Even in their improv STS9 brings you that ethereal, funky, jazzy, dancey, groovin sound that makes you want to move. While a lot of songs have sections that are composed the vast majority have sections where the band will improvise. As a listener, that is what makes each concert a special experience. You get to hear what they do differently with a song you love; all on the spot! The improvs tend to be very exciting and it’s all part of this greater need to be in the moment, for both artist and musician.

L4LM: How excited for this show are you?

WG: WE ARE PUMPED! If you’ve never seen WMIOD before, we provide a memorable experience for sts9 fans. Not to mention, I know my friends in the other tribute bands are going to kill it! It’s so great that we get to step out of our own original bands and pay tribute to these truly inspirational artists.

 

Â