The Particle Method

Interesting story on the band Particle, which has played in front of as many as 20,000 people, and plays 140 dates a year without the benefit of a single recording:

Particle, a Los Angeles band that plays disco-flavored, instrumental jam music, has done just that, building a devoted following strictly on live shows.

The group's unlikely accomplishment will come to an end later this month, three and a half years after its first gig, when the four-piece group releases its first disc, "Launchpad," on the independent Or Music label.

Much of Particle's success, said Andrew Warren, the information manager for a concert Web site, Jambase.com, comes from the late-late-night scene that has grown in recent years around jam bands, which play a brand of improvisational rock that often blends elements of psychedelia, roots music and jazz.

When large jam bands play arenas, their shows end typically by 11 p.m. But groups like Particle book club gigs to piggyback on those concerts, catering to fans who want to keep dancing.

....That Particle did not even have a demo CD to sell on tour is particularly unusual because today's technology makes it easy to produce a high-quality home recording on the cheap.

The band's rigorous road schedule and invitations to play festivals like Coachella and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kept them out of the recording studio, Mr. Molitz said.

They canceled recording sessions three times to play concerts.

At last June's Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tenn., the band's pulsing beats attracted 20,000 for a set that did not start until 4 a.m. and then lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, according to Particle's manager, Jonathan Shank. [NY Times]

Jambase.com has a contest for a Particle-branded iPod - check out tunes from the new Particle album and enter the contest here. The band's rather groovy and futuristic site is here.

Let us know if you've seen them and what you think. They are having Launchpad release parties here:

Article Author: Eric Olsen

Career media professional Eric Olsen is honored to be the founder and former publisher of Blogcritics.org, and former publisher of Technorati.com, which both rule. He is now editor, co-founder, and CEO of The Morton Report.

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