Artist Profile STS9
An Artist Profile for STS9
“In the quickness of our haste
It seems we forget how to live
The old blueprint
No longer manifests itself
As the correct way to exist”
Sound Tribe Sector 9—more commonly known as STS9—has been in the music game going on two decades.
In their time, STS9 have headlined dozens of music festivals, released eleven albums and ushered forth a brand new musical genre that has produced countless imitators.
STS9’s live-electronica jam culture is a frenzy of psychedelic funk and unbridled improvisation that seems to levitate the listener into a state of bliss—a state that gyrates throughout the crowd from the moment the first note hits the air. Their entire concert experience is spiritual—cleansing even. At the height of their performances when faced with nothing but sound, light, and percussions it feels as if there is stardust in the air. That dynamic, hypnotic state-of-being seems to dissolve musical egos and bring the crowd together as one living, breathing entity. Pretty righteous, eh. 😉
One thing is certain, STS9 is the master of their trade and powerfully original. Their ability to create multi-dimensional sonic soundscapes imbued with deep layers of moody rifts, playful tape-loops, and funkadelic lyrics live in concert is a testament to their cognizance. Whether you are listening to them for the first time or twentieth, it is an experience completely unique to the setting and the people.
The most important distinction between STS9 and their jam-band counterparts is their stage presence.
The relationship between band members in STS9 resonates in their live performances most of all, which is not a trait every band is capable of honing. At their very core, STS9 is a collective.
There is no star, no single voice, and no domineering presence. Stage and sound are shared equally between Jeffree Lerner [percussions], Hunter Brown [guitar/sequences], David Phipps [keyboard/synths], Zach Velmer [drums], and Alana Rocklin [bass]. Let it be known that former bassist David Murphy deserves his credit all the same.
STS9’s unique style of music can be reminiscent of a Pink Floyd album at times. Where one track ends the next begins without warning or distinction. Everything is connected. Nothing stands alone. And that is the way you have to listen to STS9.
We recommend you dive headfirst into an album, like The Universe Inside or Artifact: Perspective, and listen to it from start to finish. Don’t nit-pick tracks or hit the Spotify top songs. You will sell yourself short. But if you choose to do so, start with “Golden Gate.”