March 21st, 2011 marked the release of Atlanta-based “space-tronica” masters EP3 (Eight Planets Past Pluto)’s EP, “Eight Planets Past Pluto”. Formed in it’s current manifestation slightly over two years ago, the group has been destroying venues and festivals throughout the South and Midwest, rapidly emerging as heavyweights in the “live-tronic” scene. EP3 consists of bassist Patrick Scalambrino, Guitarist Dan Cox, Charles F. Moreland on synthesizers, keyboards and Ableton sequencing, and drummer Tom Hilton. OMFC had an opportunity to take a moment with EP3 to help share their story.
OMFC: How did EP3 come to be?
Tom Hilton: We were all doing our own things up until about 2005, when I met Patrick (Scalambrino), who was doing a bluegrass/jam thing in Kent, Ohio. We jammed together a couple of times, and knew that we had to be doing music together. I took over on drums in 2006 and we started making a name for ourselves in the Cleveland area. We had no guitar until 2008, when we met Dan Cox. From there things started to pick up pretty quickly, but we realized that there wasn’t much of a scene for us in Ohio, so we moved down south, where we met Chuck (Moreland) and added him on keys and laptop, from there we have integrated a lot more electronic elements into our sound. We all have different backgrounds and influences, from bluegrass to metal, dubstep to classic rock, and we try into incorporate that into powerful, energetic performances.
OMFC: How would you define the EP3 “sound”, and how has it evolved over time?
Dan Cox: Hmmm… “space rock”? That’s a tough one, ha. We used to be more of a traditional jamband, but as we got older, our tastes started to mature. Now it’s more about infusing the electronic element into it, really getting involved with the technology. I like big melodies and hooks that really hit hard. One thing I like about having no vocals is that the melody lines really develop the attitude of the song(s).
Tom Hilton: Powerful, energetic, fist-pumping party music! That’s basically what EP3 is to me; I guess everyone interprets it a little differently, though. We’re trying to capture the audience and take them through a journey, have our music affect them. We went from a bluegrass-hippie-jamband to an electro-dance-rock band within a few years. I think it’s safe to say that we are all very excited for the future of EP3.
OMFC: Describe the group’s creative dynamic, do you set out with a specific goal in mind while composing, or is it more of an improvisatory process?
D.C: Our music is pretty composed. Playing live, there is a point in every song where we open it for improv and it goes wherever it goes. But in the studio, we pay a lot of attention to the ins and outs of each song, especially during recording. For most songs, I develop a framework in an Ableton session, then we work together to tweak the different parts. After that, Chuck glues it all together in the studio. Chuck is a badass on the production end. It’s a really cool process to see an idea develop into something much bigger than you expected. I can thank the other three guys for that.
OMFC: With electronic music making major headway into mainstream culture over the last few years, where does this put EP3? How has effected your attitudes towards composition and performance, if at all?
Charles Moreland: To start off, EP3 has plans to take over the world. Mainstream music has always been a few years off artistic trends. It also brings dope production techniques and ideas to the masses. Since EP3 is light-years in the future in this dimension and the next, we know what’s hot before Diddy. We bring phrasing and ideas used in all futuristic pop culture and bring them back to your anarcho-primitive tribe. Rather than have our technology design our art, we have a symbiotic relationship to our mechanical partners. Live, as well as in the studio, we strive to create art from the depths of our soul and sheer velocity of technological innovation.
OMFC: What sort of message/energy does EP3’s music hold for their audience? How would you like to see the world changed by your art?
D.C: The music is really just a platform for whatever the listener wants it to be. Music has an amorphous affect on me personally. It’s an outlet for so many things. I like that instrumental music is less about specific ideas and more about developing a mood and solid groove. Even if it is just to be able to provide a couple hours of danceable music for people to blow off some steam to, I dig that. So the world can interpret this stuff however they see fit. In the future we definitely plan to share our music with more people on a larger scale, keep the music fresh, and provide a positive environment for people to come and get down at. Good people, good music, what’s better than that?
OMFC: What can we expect from EP3 in the future?
C.M: EP3 has releases planned until 2574. We will relinquish three songs every four to six months in the popular format of the culture by our record label, Underlying Themes.
As if holding it down 24/7 as intergalactic heat-mongers wasn’t enough, you can catch numerous EP3 side-projects (B!tch Please, Morphology, DJ:C3, P=Scali) and production ventures (Underlying Themes < http://www.underlyingthemes.com >, Members Only). Catch EP3-ver!
For more information, tour dates and a free download of “Eight Planets Past Pluto”, check out http://www.ep3band.com .
