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LA matter makes its way to Whistler

Innovation and improvisation the nucleus of Particle Who: Particle Where: The Garibaldi Lift Company When: Dec. 8 Innovation, and improvisation, are the name of their music game.

Innovation and improvisation the nucleus of Particle

Who: Particle

Where: The Garibaldi Lift Company

When: Dec. 8

Innovation, and improvisation, are the name of their music game.

This month the electronica quartet Particle take fusion and funk elements outside their LA base for the first time to bring Whistler audiences a variety of sound bytes from Particle , their self-titled EP.

Bassist Eric Gould took some time to describe the units of the band that include Charlie Hitchcock on guitar, Darren Pujalet on drums and Steve Molitz on keyboards. Hitchcock joined the lineup last January, replacing former guitar player Dave Simmons who passed away, ironically, Dec. 8, 2000.

That fusion is a mix, often improvised, which blends keys, guitar, drums and bass, created in their Santa Monica and LA-area based recording studios.

"We’re improvisational. We never play the same song, in the same way, twice," says Gould. "We try to make the song different – it’s a mix of both. A lot of times one of us will go off on a tangent, and we play a language through music."

Kneeknocker is an eight-minute sound journey of one continuous ’70s groove, mildly meditative with only instruments; no lyrics.

Additional tracks include idepinga, Road’s a Breeze, and Ed & Molly. Ed & Molly sounds like it could be a sci-fi soundtrack; the repetitive electronic beats conjure up images of outer space.

That spaceship imagery is a prominent visual in the band’s artwork and adds to the persona of Particle. Projectionist Scott MacKinnon uses fractals (computer-generated images in rainbow colours highlighting irregular lines and surfaces) with old film clips as backdrops for each set. Alongside improv lines, he experiments with the mix, depending on the melody being played live.

And while the projectionist adds a dimension to the Particle band, so too has the Internet, in terms of introducing their sound to a wider audience and publicizing gigs.

"There’s so much opportunity now through the Internet," says Gould. "Sites like jambands.com and other bands’ Web sites that list photos (and sound clips of music), all sorts of chat groups talk about the bands and what they think of them, which has given Particle a lot of exposure."

Particle spends a lot of time on the road. Those trips, a way of life in the music industry, are reflected in their song material.

"The song Ed & Molly tells the story of mystery characters, and (the listener) is taken on a journey of storytelling," says Gould. "I feel like each piece of music we create has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

"We really hope to bring audiences into a sonic adventure – a mix between smiles, joy and celebration, mixed with something they haven’t heard before. They can see where the music lies."

Communication seems to be the key to unlocking the sweet spot of a band jam.

"By setting the stage up in a semi-circle pattern, versus seating the drummer on the side, we have a good line of sight with each other and great communication, and a lot of times we’ll try out new techniques," says Gould.

Songwriting is a collective effort that includes input from all the band members, who work together at a home base or in the studio.

"Our preferred style of recording is using the Roland 1680. We’ll be recording our first full album in January 2002," notes Gould.

From all over the LA area, including Santa Monica, the Manhattan beach area and the West Side (where Gould is from), the band, like atom particles, attracts several different combinations.

"Our mix has your typical jam people, the hippie scene and other people who just enjoy the improvisation of it all. There’s also the rave crowd fusion of sorts," says Gould.

Band members treat their music jamming opportunities as a gift. They also contribute to charity, where possible. When their show was cancelled as a result of the Sept. 11 disaster, Particle played a last minute benefit in support of the Red Cross Relief Fund at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. The event raised over $5,000.

"We feel we’re doing something special anyway, so if we’re doing it for a cause it’s even better – fantastic actually. I can’t imagine how some of those people must feel who play concerts like Free Tibet," marvels Gould.

Boat cruises provide another travelling venue for the band, who played the Stanley Park three hour cruise tour in Vancouver just prior to hitting Whistler’s Garibaldi Lift Company.

Beginning in Santa Monica, tour plans take the band through Oregon and B.C., ending up in Las Vegas, where they board a plane to NYC to play the Knitting Factory.

Particle has also played the Temple Bar in LA, Winston’s in San Diego, and the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco.

"We like to think that a particle can be as miniscule as an atom particle or as large as a planet, so we’re creating our own world around this art form," says Gould.

While they draw on several influences of their own – keyboardist Molitz leaning towards hip hop and trance, while dummer Pujalet likes the funk – Gould says with a laugh they "still have a bit of rock ’n’ roll left in all of them."

Tickets to see Particle are $15, with the set beginning at 9 p.m.