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MP3 Elephonic - Music Makers
7 MP3 Songs
ELECTRONIC: Down Tempo, POP: Delicate
Details:
Anne Montone - vocals
Jennifer Cook - keyboards
Eddie Barajas - turntables
Kenny Kupers- percussion
"You know how you pull out those CD''s you''ve forgotten about for a while, and when you put them on you''re reminded of what classics they are?" asks Elephonic''s Jennifer Cook. "It''s like this warm massage for your mind. That''s truly good music."
And that''s the kind of music Elephonic dedicates themselves to creating: timeless, comforting, mellifluous. Their aspirations are on display with their self-released five-song EP, Music Makers, an eclectic journey through sound and genre.
"We''re creating music that inspires us and we want it to inspire everyone who listens," explains singer Anne Montone. "We''re three friends enjoying what we do and I think that shines through."
The three corners of Elephonic - Anne, Jennifer and Eddie Barajas - are united by their friendship...and deep-seated passion for music.
"Growing up,my Dad always said he could tell when I was happy because I''d be singing," Anne laughs. From childhood Anne was in voice lessons, singing in musical theatre and choirs...yet when she graduated from school she found herself without an artistic outlet for her vocal skills.
Cue friend and fellow music theater performer, Jennifer. "Anne emailed me while I was studying Spanish in Chile," Jennifer says. "She asked me if I wanted to start a band with her when I moved back to Los Angeles; I''ve been writing music since I was seven. We started off with a toy Casio Keyboard and a microcassette recorder! It was my first time using an electronic instrument."
Their creative partnership blossomed, but the girls felt their music was missing something...so they turned to Eddie, a mutual friend and DJ. "I set up my turntables on the floor and we would powwow around them, creating our own beats," Eddie recalls. "It started to come together." And right there - three friends huddled around the turntables, sharing ideas - Elephonic was born.
The band''s first performance was at a house party Anne threw when she quit her job. In between friends'' DJ sets, the trio performed a song or two...nothing serious, just sharing with their friends what they were working on. But one of the promoters from L.A.''s Conga Room was there and he asked if the trio would open two nights later for X-Centric Sound System. Elephonic agreed.
"The Conga Room set only lasted twenty minutes," Jennifer recalls with amusement. "I was so scared I wanted to puke. We played four songs: all we knew." But Elephonic played all those twenty minutes to an enthralled house...including the night''s host, Kevin Lincoln of KCRW''s The Blueprint. He was so impressed he invited the band to record a demo with his producing partner, Richard Larson (who has co-produced mixes for The Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails and The Red Hot Chili Peppers). That three-song demo quickly found its way to multiple programs on KCRW.
Elephonic''s reputation continued to grow as they played to packed houses around L.A., including opening for Lee "Scratch" Perry at the El Rey. January 2003 found them in residency at Santa Monica''s Temple Bar as well as performing gigs at Zen Sushi, the Joint, the Knitting Factory, the Key Club, Tangier, the Derby, L.A. Art and Music Festival and a live set on LA radio station KXLU 88.9fm. Their latest show in San Francisco''s Space 550 included Ghostface Killah and Slick Rick.
"Playing a series of back to back live shows was a big step for us," Anne says. "It elevated our live show and demonstrated there were people out there who really liked what we were doing."
Through it all Elephonic wrote and recorded Music Makers. Michael Jeter - who scored sci-fi B movies from his dorm room in college and now works with rising hip-hop and R&B artists - produced the EP. "Each song on Music Makers has its own style: ambient, spooky and cinematic, dance-y." Jennifer confirms.
"But it flows together," Anne injects. "It''s chill. Relaxed. Down tempo."
"Good music is good music to us, period," Eddie finishes. "Who or what do we sound like? We''d have to get back to you."
-by Lisa Jenkins
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