Sound Tribe Sector 9

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Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9)
Background information
Origin	Santa Cruz, California Snellville, Georgia
Genre(s)	Instrumental Rock Electronic Music Jam band
Years active	1998–Present
Label(s)	1320 Records
Website	http://www.STS9.com/
Members
Hunter Brown Jeffree Lerner David Murphy David Phipps Zack Velmer

STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) is an instrumental dance music band who are known for their live performances. The band’s genre-blending sound is based heavily on Instrumental Rock and Electronic Music crossed with elements of Funk, Jazz, Psychedelic, and Hip Hop. The band mixes standard live rock instrumentation with electronics using the program Ableton Live, favoring group rhythm over individual solos.^[1]

STS9 has released four albums and one live DVD on their own label 1320 Records. As an independent artist, they have succeeded by using their live performance to conduct multiple concert tours and appear at music festivals. They have achieved significant niche popularity in a few areas of the country through frequent appearances, most notably in greater San Francisco Bay Area including Santa Cruz, California; the greater Denver, Colorado area including Boulder, Colorado; and the greater Atlanta, Georgia area including Athens, Georgia.

1 Members
2 History
3 Music
4 Concerts
- 4.1 Notable Concert Performances
- 4.2 Festival Appearances
5 Discography
6 Video
7 STS9 Side Projects
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Members

STS9 is: Hunter Brown (guitar/laptop/midi keyboard), Jeffree Lerner (percussion/laptop/handsonic) David Murphy (bass/laptop/midi keyboard), David Phipps (keyboards/laptop), and Zack Velmer (drums).

For their live performance, STS9 is joined by other members of the Sound Tribe family. The lights are directed and controlled live by Saxton, whose light show further enhances the mood of the band’s music. In addition, live painters such as J. Garcia and Kris Davidson create an interpretive art piece to catch the essence of the performance. Floral design art by Anthony Ward is often seen adorning the stage, along with a selection of large, beautiful crystals.

[edit] History

STS9 was formed in Snellville, Georgia in the late 90’s, but relocated to Northern California in late 2000. For a short period of time, the band was a 4 piece until Lerner joined in early 1999.

In early 2005, the band released Artifact.^[2] In Fall 2006, the band released their first DVD on their label, a concert performance recorded live at the Tabernacle in Atlanta. STS9 also maintain their own independent digital download web site where they have released hundreds of live soundboard recordings, as well as the band's studio releases.^[3]

The band's name has also evolved over time. The band's first two albums were released under the name Sector 9. Their next two releases were under the band name Sound Tribe Sector 9 and Sound Tribe Sector Nine. Since 2003, the band has been promoting themselves under their initials STS9.

STS9 is also known for their affiliation with the 13 Moon Natural Time Calendar and The Law of Time. The Natural Time Calendar is a growing global movement to change the world standard away from the Gregorian Calendar. The Law of Time is a formula developed by Jose Arguellas that defines the mathematical ratio of 13:20.

[edit] Music

STS9's music resists easy classification. One helpful analogy is to the title track of the Miles Davis album Nefertiti, where the rhythm section essentially replaces the melodic instruments as the driving improvisational force. In the same way STS9's compositions and improvisations (especially from the early part of their career) are driven by their drummer and percussionist, often against a static melody repeated by the guitarist/keyboardist. This is keeping with the tradition of much drum and bass music, which often features complicated drum patterns under relatively simple melodies and harmonies. Despite the harmonic simplicity of much of their work they are capable of a high level of rhythmic sophistication.

During the past 2 or 3 years STS9's compositions have moved farther and farther from the drum and bass aesthetic to embrace elements of genres as diverse as electro, hip hop, Rock, and IDM. One example of their newer direction is "Somesing" (from 2005's Artifact[1]), a 7 minute long composition with the textural changes of a classical piece. More and more of their compositions now include digital elements and vocal samples, often from the singer Audio Angel.[2] Still, the vocals are usually limited to a few lines within one section of a song. The fact that much of STS9's music is instrumental has been cited by Jeffree Lerner as allowing each listener their own "adventure" or interpretation of the song. [3]

[edit] Concerts

STS9's potential is fully realized only in concert. Their concerts feature rotating set lists, remixed songs, and extended improvisational sections. Typically, the band will play over 120 minutes of music, spanning two sets and an encore. Improvisations, a highlight of STS9’s concerts, usually come from subtle melodic and rhythmic shifts supported by multiple band members, rather than solo performances. This is a notable contrast with typical jambands. Live versions of STS9's songs often vary in composition, in essence making each live version of a song a unique composition.

The audience is an integral part of the concert, and their reaction influences the performance. The difference between a mediocre and a great STS9 show is often the interest level of the audience, as the group tends to take whatever energy the audience projects and amplify it. Frequently, audience members from the front to the back of the venue will dance freely; this audience energy is a large draw for STS9’s concerts. According to their FAQ [4], their original concept for live performance was ‘centered around extended improvisation and the attainment of a higher collective consciousness through the trance state generated by their music.’

Over the last 3 years, the band has moved towards more structured compositions. The band has decreased its emphasis on extended jamming in concert, and is more focused on coordinating new material.

STS9 sometimes partners with non-profit organizations for their tours. Over the last several years, they have partnered with Conscious Alliance to bring food drives to various concerts on their tour. Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods to the concert. In exchange for their donation, STS9 and Conscious Alliance thank patrons with limited edition art work posters, often created by the same artists who accompany the band on stage. In 2005, STS9 put on a benefit concert where they raised over $20,000 for Hurricane Katrina victims <citation needed>.

Beginning in Fall 2006, as part of their Live as Time Changes tour, STS9 will travel across the country in a carbon neutral tour bus and power their live concerts using renewable energy. The band hopes to offset 100%, or about 138,000 pounds, of their carbon dioxide emissions from their tour by donations of Renewable Energy Credits from their partnership with environmental-friendly companies.^[4]

[edit] Notable Concert Performances

STS9 has gained significant popularity in the past few years (their 2005 album Artifact reached #12 on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums)^[5]. They have moved from small clubs to headlining music halls and playing at large festivals. In 2006, the band reached new heights by headlining their first amphitheater performance at Red Rocks in Colorado <citation needed>. A special concert scheduled for the night before at the Fox Theater in Boulder, Colorado sold out in less than fifteen minutes <citation needed>.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the band has built a following with frequent performers at the The Fillmore, Warfield Theatre, and the historic Regency Center. They have performed at the The Fillmore on 10 occasions including three 2-night stands and a 3-night stand for Halloween in 2004. They have performed at the Warfield Theatre on 5 occasions including a 2-night stand. STS9 performed at the Regency Center on 5 occasions including two consecutive New Years Eve shows in 2002 and 2003. The band has also put on performances at the Independent, Great American Music Hall, Golden Gate Park, and the Stern Grove Festival.

Santa Cruz, California has been home to various members of the band since moving to California. The band has performed at the Catalyst on 9 occasions since 2002, including two 2-night stands. Previously, the band had been frequently playing Palookaville until it closed in 2002. In 2003, the band headlined the Santa Cruz Civic Center.

In their home state of Georgia (U.S. state), the band continues to ride their popularity. On October 3, 2006, the band marked the 9th Anniversary of their first ever show with a celebration at the historic Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia. The band has performed many 2-night stands at the Georgia Theatre since 2002. For the last three years in Atlanta, they have performed at the Tabernacle on New Years Eve as part of a 3-night stand.

From 1998 through 2001, STS9 performed special live shows on the Day Out Of Time, the name of the last day of each year of the Natural Time Calendar. In 2002, the band marked the exact date of the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Harmonic Convergence with a special festival celebration performing 2-nights of music in the woods outside of Asheville, North Carolina. The band returned for a second Harmonic Convergence Festival, this time in October 2003.

[edit] Festival Appearances

STS9 frequently perform at music festivals, including special late night concerts that take place from midnight until sunrise. These concerts are often over 180 minutes in length, allowing the band to stretch out their music. Notoriously, the band performed so late at the Bonnaroo Festival in 2005 that the sun came up during their encore. Notably, these have occurred at: the High Sierra Music Festival every year between 1999 and 2004; the Late Night at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Series in 2001 and 2004; at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in 2003 and 2005; and at the Vegoose Halloween Festival in 2005 and 2006.

STS9 has performed live at the following events:

10,000 Lakes Festival (Detroit Lakes, MN) – 2005
Adirondak Mountain Music Fest. (Moose River Campground , Lyonsdale, NY) - 2003
Anon Salon’s Sea of Dreams (San Francisco, CA) - 2002, 2003
Area 51 Soundtest (Indian Springs, NV) - 2004
Austin City Limits (Austin, TX) - 2002
Berkfest (Great Barrington, MA) – 2001-2003
Big Wu Family Reunion (Black River Falls, WI) – 2001
Bonnaroo Music Festival (Manchester, TN) – 2003, 2005, 2007
Camp Bisco (Cherrytree, PA) - 1999
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Indio, CA) - 2002
Creekside Festival (Almost Heaven Campground , Forksville, PA) – 2003
Dancin' in the District (Riverfront Park, Nashville, TN) – 2005
Earthdance Festival (Ya-Ka-Ama Native American Reservation, Santa Rosa, California) – 2001
Earthdance Festival (Golden Gate Park, SF, CA) – 2002
Earthdance Festival (Black Oak Ranch, Laytonville, CA) – 2003, 2005
Fairfax World Music Festival (Fairfax, CA) - 2002
Family Affair Festival (Port Orford, OR) - 2001
Fourth of July Festival (Nelsons Ledges, Garrettsville, OH) - 2005
Fuji Rock Festival (Japan)
Gathering of the Vibes (Seaside Park, Bridgeport, CT) - 2000
Harmonic Convergence Fest (Deerfields, Horse Shoe, NC) – 2002, 2003
Harmony Fest (Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA) - 2006
High Sierra Music Festival (Plumas County Fairgrounds, Qunicy, CA) – 1999-2004
Horning’s Hideout SCI Festival (North Plains, OR) – 2004
Jam In The Dam (Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL) - 2006
Jamcruise - 2005
Langerado (Sunrise, Florida) - 2004, 2006, 2007
Lollapalooza (Grant Park, Chicago, IL) – 2005
Lunatic Picnic Outdoor Festival (Hakonomori Play Park, Shiobara Onsen, Tochigi Pref., Japan) – 2002
Music Midtown Festival (Atlanta, GA) - 2003
Mountain Music Festival (Willow Creek, CA) - 2003
Musicians For Medical Marijuana (Oakland, CA) - 2001
PhilFest (Patten Gymnasium, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL) - 2002
Red Rocks the Vote (Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO) - 2004
Sno-Core Icicle Ball – 2002
Stern Grove Festival (SG Park, San Francisco, CA) - 2003
Superfly Late Night at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans, LA) – 2001, 2004
Tamarak Music Festival (Bear Valley, CA) – 2001
Van Hoy Farms Family Campground (Union Grove, NC) – 2001
Vegoose (Las Vegas, NV) - 2005, 2006
Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival (Clinton State Park - Lawrence, KS) – 2004, 2006

[edit] Discography

1999: Interplanetary Escape Vehicle - Landslide Records
1999: Sector 9 - The Brown Album (Live Release) - Landslide Records
2000: Offered Schematics Suggesting Peace - Landslide Records
2002: Seasons 01 (Live Release, Double CD) - 1320 Records
2003: Live at Home - 1320 Records
2005: Artifact - 1320 Records -- #12 on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums chart^[6]
2005: Artifact: Remixes Vol.1 (iTunes exclusive, 4-tracks) - 1320 Records
2005: Artifact: Perspectives (Remix album) - 1320 Records

[edit] Video

2003: STS9 Live in Santa Cruz - GrooveTV #201 (VideoCD, MPEG Download) - GrooveTV.net
2006: Live As Time Changes (DVD) - 1320 Records - Recorded Live December 29-31, 2005

[edit] STS9 Side Projects

[edit] Tzolkin

On several occasions, STS9 has billed themselves under the name Tzolkin. A promotional flyer put out by the band advertising the 2001 performance reads: “A New Sound Expression” from Sound Tribe Sector 9. Tzolkin is all 5 members of STS9. These very experimental concerts have been used to debut brand new material in a live setting without having the audience expectation of hearing existing STS9 material. The term Tzolkin means sequence of days and refers to a 260-day harmonic module calendar cycle.

Tzolkin performed live on:

July 3, 2001 – The Justice League, San Francisco, CA
October 12, 2002 – Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA (Earthdance Festival)
June 10, 2004 – Tasty World, Athens, GA

[edit] Landscape and Breathe

Landscape and Breathe is STS9 members David Phipps (keyboards/laptop) and Hunter Brown (guitar/laptop/midi keyboard). Landscape and Breathe is very similar to the sound of STS9. Steeped in ambience and without drums and bass, the sound is softer and lighter. This side project has been known to work through raw material and ideas that eventually become real STS9 compositions.

Landscape and Breathe is credited with producing 4 songs on the STS9 2005 release Artifact. The duo also contributed 4 different songs to the Low Pro Lounge 2004 release, The Most Hi-Fi. Other Landscape and Breathe compositions can be found on the STS9 2004 release Live At Home, although the songs are credited individually to Phipps and Hunter.

Landscape and Breathe performed live on:

July 15, 2001 – Club Sugar, Santa Monica, CA
March 19, 2003 – Olive, San Francisco, CA (J. Garcia art opening)
April 20, 2003 – Rawhide, San Francisco, CA (Low Pro Lounge event)
July 31, 2004 – Brookdale Lodge, Brookdale, CA (Blue Moon Benefit)

[edit] Santa Cruz Hemp All-Stars

Santa Cruz Hemp All-Stars (S.C.H.A.S.) is a side project that includes the STS9 rhythm section of Jeffree Lerner (percussion & effects) and Zach Velmer (drums). STS9 member David Murphy (bass) has also appeared with the band on 4 occasions.

S.C.H.A.S. performed live on:

May 13, 2001 – Palooka Ville, Santa Cruz, CA
August 19, 2001 – Palooka Ville, Santa Cruz, CA
December 16, 2001 – The Justice League, San Francisco, CA
January 25, 2002 – Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, CA (opening for Maceo Parker)
June 14. 2002 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
November 16, 2002 – Studio Z, San Francisco, CA

[edit] L.I.F.E.

L.I.F.E. (Love In Full Effect) was a short lived side project that included STS9 member Zach Velmar (drums) plus Max Malone (drums, bass) from The Free Energy Project. According to the band: The intention of L.I.F.E. is to perform music as an uplifting experience of transformation to a higher vibration of love. Through selected tones and rhythms, the music is performed as a cycle of life recognizing our journey from birth to death, spring to winter, as circle, vibrating higher after each revolution to experience Love In its Fullest Effect.^[7]

L.I.F.E. performed live on:

January 12, 2002 - Studio Z, San Francisco, CA (Digital-Be-In Media Festival)
February 1, 2002 - Vet’s Hall, Santa Cruz, CA

[edit] Root Science

Root Science was a short lived side project that included STS9 members Zach Velmer (drums) and David Murphy (bass). The band also included DJ James Christopher, lyricists Lost and XQR, and female vocalists Syrene. A promotional flyer put out by the band advertising the event reads: “Root Science is a classic drum and bass tracks interpreted live in an improvisational atmosphere. As a group, the performers will recreate and simultaneously reinvent the sounds at the roots of the modern jungle.”

Root Science performed live on:

February 2, 2002 – The Justice League, San Francisco, CA

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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