Concentric

This Vermont power trio of funk is one of our favorite bands on the livetronica circuit right now.

Concentric have this trippy disco vibe which can go through so many groovy moods in a their set while keeping a theme of high energy and funk through the whole performance. Their CD has been getting play all over with much deserved high acclaim. We were fortunate enough to catch up with Concentric recently and ask them a bit about what it's like to be them. Here's what they had to say:

LDN: So tell us about Concentric. Who are you? Where are You from? How would you define what you do?

C: Concentric began in Burlington when all our respective bands broke up and we had nothing better to do than hatch a plan for world domination.

LDN: Your CD has made quite an impact it seems. I am often running into people listening to it. How is that going? How is that taking off for Concentric?

C: We have a had a wonderful response and we are thankful to everybody who digs our sound.

LDN: The CD really is great. There's such a slickness and smoothness to your disc, but when you guys play live you have a fantastic rawness about you, it's a very different presence. Please tell our readers about this, because I think it's pretty cool.

C: Recording and playing live are totally different animals. Once you get on stage, you just can't help but interpret the songs differently. There is a value to reproducing album cuts very faithfully, like Rush. There is also value in taking it up a notch in the energy department on stage. You can sit and chill to an album at home, but typically when I go to a show, I want some raw energy.

LDN: Speaking of your live shows, what equipment do you bring to the stage these days?

C: Aram plays a Ritter bass, this totally sexy construct of curly maple, through a nice Trace head and a really old set of Carvin speakers that have won the hearts of all through years of trusty service.

Tim plays an old Sequential Circuits Pro One mono synth, Access Virus Indigo, Roland Alpha Juno, and Roland SP 808 sampler. The sampler provides the platform for us to incorporate vocals into our sound, as well as acoustic guitars and whatever else suits the mood.

Tobias plays a simple drum kit with a bunch of cymbals, notably an extra set of hi hats and a flat top ride. No toms here, folks, just snares and kicks for non-stop beats for your feets...

LDN: When do you expect your next release, what is it called and where can we get it? Lay some Concentric propaganda on us and our readers.

C: We are currently working on it. It should be light years ahead of our EP. It will have vocals from selected singers and much more developed song writing, as well as more music. The EP was rather short becuse we wanted to ensure that the quality was high; we didn't record any material we felt didn't hold up. Look for a new, full length album of songs that all hold up in the fall.

LDN: Tell us about a day in the life of Concentric.

C: Solid gold bathtub, Armani, Women, Catering, Paris, Rome, Yahtzee ...It's hard being at the top...

BUY HOT MUSIC