During this electronic music craze/explosion in the United States, Colorado has been a hotbed for breeding electronic artists. The number of quality musicians that call the Denver/Boulder area their home is astounding (Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, the list goes on.) Unfortunately, not all of the Mile High musical creations are worth becoming familiar with. Well, thats why we’re here y’all – to pick out the cream of the crop and separate the men from the boys. For all you East Coasters trying to stay up on that Left Coast freshness, today’s your luck day. Lost in Sound was able to catch up with THE hottest act out of CO right now – SunSquabi.
One of Colorado’s most demanded up-and-coming acts in the electronic music scene – SunSquabi is the rhythmic vision of three Colorado-based musicians who aligned in Boulder to create the idea in 2010. Combining the brilliant instrumentation of a live band with the supercharged atmosphere that DJ’s aim to bring to any nightclub, SunSquabi relentlessly pushes their tastes forward through a fusion of diverse musical influences that enraptures each listener and guarantees satisfaction.
Vote for SunSquabi to play at NINE major music festivals this summer!
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What were some of the major influences motivated you to make music? Which of those influences are actually prevalent in the music you make, if any?
Music came to both of us as a way to express – not only what we were going through but also to react to what was going on in the world around us. We both grew up listening to the same kinds of music – King Crimson, Yes, STS9, Boards of Canada, Grand Funk Railroad, Herbie Hancock – the more we played together the more we saw these influences coming through in what we were doing. The interesting part has been finding our own sound through the mix of everything that came before us.
“We are always striving to promote a positive atmosphere – not only through our music but also at our shows. More and more people are realizing that the best show to go to is one where everybody is going to take care of each other.”
How has your sound evolved over time and where do you see yourselves heading in the future?
We both feel like the way we can improv together as a band today is still the same energy and feeling as it was 10 years ago playing in our friend’s garage. The difference is that we are more conscious of the little things – using Ableton to integrate electronic sounds into our songs, knowing/anticipating what each member of the band is going to do during a performance. We are constantly practicing and experimenting with our sound both in the studio and as a live band – there is no limit to what we can do.
For some reason, people in the electronic music scene love to create genres for every type of sound? How would you describe SunSquabi?
Live Electro Fusion / Space Travel.
What are your thoughts on electronic music becoming increasingly popular in the mainstream community?
The growing movement of electronic music fans has been a long time coming. We have all been listening to producers like Rob Dougan, BT, The Prodigy (so many others..) since we were 11 and 12 years old… The fact that a new generation of producers and fans alike are connecting on a new level is awesome.
How do you view the effect of your music on the community?
We are always striving to promote a positive atmosphere – not only through our music but also at our shows. More and more people are realizing that the best show to go to is one where everybody is going to take care of each other. Everyone is there for the same reason (to see live music) and wants to have an amazing experience at the show.
What are your plans for this summer and or the distant future?
We all agree that the potential of what we can do as a band is colossal, and we plan to push SunSquabi as far as we can go.
We’ll be performing at the following festivals this summer as well as touring in the surrounding areas:
Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL May 24th-26th, Sonic Bloom in Georgetown, CO June 13th-16th,
Phibstock in Hartsell, CO August 2nd.
What are you guys most proud of as musicians? Is there a certain goal you achieved that comes to mind?
The new album Fundamental Interaction (set to release in 3 parts over the Summer) holds some of our best music yet. We have spent the last 2 years learning and perfecting our sound as a band, and we feel that the new album will really reflect that. The first single “Defcon 2” is out right now on TheUntz.com as part of an online voting contest to book us on 9 major festivals – check it out. Also playing at Red Rocks in 2011 for Global Dance Fest was pretty cool.
If you could play in any city or at any festival, what and where would it be?
Top 3: Opening for STS9 at Red Rocks in CO (this September), Electric Forest Main Stage, Headlining the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA.
What would be the ideal setting to see SunSquabi live? Small underground basement atmosphere, or outside on a big stage for a massive crowd?
We love playing outside during the Summer, at night on a big stage. We’ve had some pretty sweet light shows in the past – Greg Ellis from the PLM camp ran lights for us opening for Wyclef last 4/20 in a stadium. We also really enjoy theater settings like the Ogden in Denver or George’s in Fayetteville. We can perform in just about any setting.
If you could create your own festival, as fans only, where would it be and what acts would play there?
Anywhere on a bad ass beach (we’re from Colorado).
Headliners:
STS9
RATATAT
Umphrey’s Mcgee
Big Gigantic
Herbie Hancock (ft. Dominic Lalli)
Side stages include: Primus, Papadosio, Bassnectar…
Thievery Corporation, Big Grizmatik, Lotus, Welder/Eskmo, Tipper (2 sets), VibeSquaD…
So many others we could name… Of course all of our producer homies here in Boulder!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell your fans?
You are all so awesome… We are continually amazed at the support and growth that all of you continue to show us. Keep bringin’ the good vibes!
Thanks,
– Kevin, Andrew, and Chris
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