PARTICLE

By Cory Ness
December 13, 2001

Trancefunkjazzim: An experiment in Particle theory furthers the jazz-jam-techno hybridization craze

Live space porn might be the best description of the multifaceted band Particle, and the music frontier it has plugged into. Nobody knows what it's like, but it seems to be doing the things a particle can - concocting the type of hyper-electronic funk/jazz previously thought to be just the domain of house and trance DJs.

Particle represents a new scene in the evolution of live music, running from categorists while trying to define an audience. "It's a nice mix of high octane funk with some of the more electronic styles like house, drum & bass [and] trance or that kind of stuff," explains keyboardist Steve Molitz. "There are a lot of other elements too, elements of jazz, some Latin stuff. Even though it's electronic, it's all organic on live instruments."

Rather than technology trying to duplicate the experience, Particle represents the experience mimicking the technology. It's a trend that has been on the horizon, as high-energy improvisational groups groove it out with a funk tempo and look for ways to expand. Galactic, the New Deal, and the Disco Biscuits are just a few exploring this perspective.

The band calls L.A. its home, and in little less than a year has already both garnered serious attention, and a reputation for intense live performances. Surprisingly, the group does not use samples, and relies only on four musicians: Eric Gould on bass, Charlie Hitchcock on guitar, Darren Pujalet on drums and Molitz.

"It's really improvisational," says Molitz, "so the songs are different every night. We create this fifth entity outside of anything we'd experienced before; we have to stay on our toes and most nights I think that part of the excitement is that we're hearing the music for the first time with the audience."
The dynamic of the audience may change drastically each night, as ravers interpret the live element, or jambanders give in to even more ADD. Soon, someone will give it a name - I'm pulling for trancefunkjazzim - and file it, but the only constant seems to be a great group of spinning-dancing-weirdoes.

"I think that we're at an exciting point for electronic music," says Molitz, "because for a long time there was really a wall dividing electronic music from the more organic music and I feel like bit by bit that wall is being torn down now. You're finding all over the world, not just here in our rave scene, but even in Europe, you're beginning to see more live instruments being incorporated into it. So I think that we got really lucky that we choose to play this music at a time when people are really beginning to open up to the concept of live electronic music."

What may separate Particle is their visual component. "We have a full time projectionist on the road with us, so big part of what we do is sort of this multimedia fusion," says Molitz. "He does a live improvisational two camera mix and he's also mixing DVDs and controlling fractal programs. Ultimately, we'd like to have a full lighting rig doing lights, sound, projection."

It all seems like one colorful, "freakish" sensory overload experiment. As Molitz explains, "we kinda look at it like we're throwing up the circus tent, so everyone can come on out and have a great time."