New Provo band in music scene

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    By James Meyer

    They?re found in dimly-lit music stores or coffee shops, playing eerie, yet melodious electronic rock music. They attract fans who wear torn jeans and Chucks. Their songs range from upbeat and happy to slow and soothing. They are Eden Express, a new Provo band.

    The four members of Eden Express, Ryan and David Moore, Marcus Tolman and Rory Homan, are all residents of Provo, and have extensive music backgrounds. In fact, Ryan Moore is majoring in music studies at BYU.

    Ryan Moore, David Moore and Tolman harmonize guitars while Homan operates a spaceship-console-like piece of equipment which is responsible for the synthesized drumbeats and futuristic sound effects. With all four band members providing vocals, the overall effect is best described by David Moore as ?Ethereal space-pop.?

    There was quite some debate as to what genre their music fits into. Some might classify it as ?Indie Rock?, (short for ?Independent Rock?), while others would say ?Electronica,? or even ?Funk.?

    But Ryan and David Moore said it?s impossible to apply a label to such original music. However, Ryan Moore said if he had to classify the band?s style in some way, it would be ?Post-Pop.?

    Indie Rock originated with Fugazi in the late 80?s. While it does not describe a type of music, it does describe a relationship to a record label. There was a particular sound that was typical of the bands that stayed separate from large corporations, and Eden Express has a similar ideology and sound.

    Eden Express uses advanced literary devices and complex musical techniques to comment on the everyday absurdities of life and about real life experiences that people can relate to. Sometimes, they sing about problems in the government and how people respond to such problems with apathy. However, their intention is not to make a statement, or to change anything.

    ?We?re not proposing a solution,? Ryan Moore said. ?We are finding solace in the fact that we can recognize problems. It?s like our catharsis.?

    Their music is characterized by some very unique time signatures. In one song, the verse has five beats per measure, and in the chorus it switches to three. In the third verse, David Moore?s guitar part subdivides the five beats into three, which results in a very ?unsettling effect,? according to Ryan Moore.

    These unnatural time signatures symbolize problems that cannot be solved. Band members said Eden Express? sound mainly appeals to people who don?t like what?s on the radio.

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