E.O.T.O -- Inspiration is a Nightly Affair

**** For those of you that want to enjoy a whole SET of E.O.T.O., dive in!! (with guest guitarist Michael Kang of The String Cheese Incident) ***

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**** For those of you for whom a smaller sample might do the job, try this:



**** A very interesting live interview with Jason Hahn:



**** Groovy stuff, mannnnnnn!!!



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In late 2006 I received a CD from the String Cheese Incident's record label. It was an SCI so called 'side project' from their drummers Michael Travis and Jason Hahn called E.O.T.O (an acronymn for "End of Time Observatory") -- it was a live, improvised studio session that went straight to production when finished. As a big fan of the String Cheese Incident and of percussion and bass music in particular, needless to say I was intrigued.

What unfolded was a clearly inspired album called "Elephants Only Talk Occasionally" -- a sound that came across as much, much larger than the two man ensemble that put it together. How could a sound so rich, diverse and exciting come from such a seemingly limited outfit?

Taking a page out of the jamtronica soundbook of bands like Sound Tribe Sector 9, Lotus, Signal Path or the New Deal, EOTO took bass and guitar lines and looped them repeatedly through a lap top, sampled electronically generated beats and integrated it all with the original drumbeat being laid down by percussionist Jason Hahn. The one key element was that, although as a duo they have rehearsed many, many approaches to drum and bass, obviously, each session, each show would be completely improvised -- they would feed off of the mood of the crowd and try to generate an organically live music and dance experience for that crowd. According to Hahn: "The only time we really talk about that is at the beginning of a set. We're like, "What does it seem like the mood wants to be in here right now?" (StringCheeseRadio.com interview April 1, 2009)

As a touring band, the challenge is obvious: to improvise and create something unique most every evening. Yet, EOTO has managed to do just this. A constant on the North American college and jamband music scene since 2007, EOTO is tireless. Performing most festival hotspots like the Wakarusa Festival, Rothbury in 2009 as well as smaller festys like the Summerdance Festival in Garrettsville, Ohio or Phan Fest in Kempton, Pennsylvania, EOTO has shown a willingness to play everywhere and anywhere to get there approach to music out there to the people. Jason Hahn demonstrates EOTO's approach to shows and fans with his quote: "You can't mess around. Especially since performing is so much about doing it for the fans. And always play the best show you've ever played night after night. Hopefully we just do all the preparation we need to be able to pull that off". And "pull it off" they have done, logging in excess of 250 shows -- largely in clubs and campuses -- from Hawaii to Maine in the last 3 years as well as putting out 3 albums. This is a working band working on a new brand.

And what is it, precisely, that EOTO is working with? As an instrumental, electronica band that specializes in creating a dance environment, EOTO crosses over into the realm of the live club DJ who mixes and spins tunes to create that vibe, except that it is a live performance. According to Hahn: "when I've heard dance music done really well with live instruments it feels really powerful and has that extra edge to it, just the way live music should". Out of the myriad of titles for so-called 'club' music -- jungle, drum and bass, house, glitch, trip hop, breakbeat, etc, etc, etc -- EOTO has taken to specializing in House ("Most people as a collective "get" house") and a reasonably newer genre called Dubstep. House is an easy means to get the crowd moving and the Dubstep takes them to a whole other level of groove once they are into it. The other thing that EOTO will do for you -- or to you (depending on your perspective!!)-- is employ a guest artist to join them who will then layer their instrumentation on top of the drum and bass lines that they lay down. Guest artists such as Steve Kimock, Particle keyboardist Steve Molitz or SCI alumnus and guitarist Michael Kang have all graced the stage with EOTO and blown the roof off with their additions to the improv stew. Either way, Hanhn and Travis -- and whomever else dives in -- give you an instant dance party that ebbs and flows with the vibe of its audience night after night with enthusiasm and originality.

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The best place to find EOTO's music is at www.livedownloads.com -- all three of their studio efforts are there plus the plethora of live club and festival shows that they have performed over the last three years. In addition, check out http://www.archive.org/details/EOTOband if you would like some free listens first...in particular check out a show from Buffalo, NY in October 2007 that is an absolute face melter! (http://www.archive.org/details/eoto2007-10-09._sbd_flac16)