Dark Matter Brings Experimental Rock to the Lion’s Lair May 19
by Charlie Sullivan
Dark Matter is Michael Zucker (guitars, samples), Scott Hill (bass), and Ryan Eschenbach (drums). Together they form one of the more unique acts on the local scene. The crew churns out what can be best described as experimental progressive rock with a heavy dose of improvisation. To date, all of their music is instrumental.
“When we’re rehearsing we just start jamming. One of us will start playing and the rest of us will jump in, and we’ll see what it turns into,” states Zucker. “If it’s something we’re digging and we think we can work with, we’ll take it and start fine tuning the piece.
“All of our music starts out as an improv of sorts,” says Zucker. “Nobody comes in to the studio and says, ‘Hey, I have a song I want us to work on.’ It’s all real loose, and we just start playing and see what we can harvest from the session. I like to push the envelope and sometimes things can get a little weird,” Zucker adds. “Scott’s the one that holds the fort down and keeps it from getting too out there.”
The band is relatively new, with very little exposure to the local Denver music scene. They’ll be playing their first (of what will be many) live show at the Lion’s Lair on May 19, 2013; they’ll be on the ticket with Eat The Sun.
“We’re still working out the logistics of how we want the live shows to look,” relays Zucker. “We do know that we want the act to be a live vehicle for the music we’re developing.”
I’d plan on the live shows having a few improvisational jams worked in with the set list. What better vehicle than to cut loose and see how the masses react.
Eschenbach is no slouch when it comes to live shows. As a still-active member of local rockers Yerkish he’s well versed in live performances. Yerkish is a band that knows well how a band can interact with an audience by stimulating the audio and visual senses of those in attendance.
The crew has already completed their first EP, Parallax, with Differential Productions. It’s an ambitious six-song endeavor that melds nicely. “Pixilated” and “The Watchmaker” are standout pieces from the EP. When you’re listening to the outfit’s creations you pick up on a mix of styles ranging from classic progressive roots (King Crimson) to more modern progressive grooves (The Mars Volta). As you read this, the crew is actively working on new material to fill out the live shows and squeeze out another release, as attested to by the release of a single track “Omnipotent” a few weeks back.
There are those who will say that this is a musicians’ band, but I’ll venture to say that if you like talented musicians performing great music, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Dark Matter. Put them on your radar and check out a show.
Music is experimental by nature, always exploring a band’s creativity.
Online: differential-productions.com
Online: darkmatter74.bandcamp.com
Category: Local News
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