Superstring theories are relatively recent developments in the field of physics. They came about as a way to bridge both classical and quantum systems into one unified and consistent set of rules explaining the operation of the universe. There are many string theories, and Taarka is the name of one of them.
All of this is just to say it also happens to be a band name, and Taarka, the band, will come to town Saturday. They’re playing at the WOW Hall at 9 p.m. with The Sugar Beets.
Posters advertising the show around town have labeled the music as “seismic gypsy hypno-jazz,” but the instrumental band’s sound is quite indescribable. During their last show in Eugene — Sept. 14 at Sam Bond’s Garage — one listener was heard describing it as “bluegrass on acid.”
Better to just explain the instrumentation. Jarrod Kaplan, percussionist, has an atypical drum setup — djembe, dumbek, anklets (also known as “leg bells”) and others. He’s also been known to use a Bic pen as a drumstick. Enion Pelta, violinist, has played the instrument since she was three years old. James Whiton plays an acoustic/stand up/slap bass and David Tiller plays the mandolin and mandola (also known as an octave mandolin).
During their show at Sam Bond’s, Tiller had planned to play the acoustic guitar in mandolin tuning, but was unable due to technical difficulties. This is perhaps of some interest to musician types for a variety of reasons.
The mandolin is a four-stringed instrument, whereas the guitar is six-stringed. The guitar is typically tuned in intervals of fourths — the mandolin is tuned in fifths. Whether this unique spin on the guitar will be featured in the WOW Hall show remains to be seen.
Each member of Taarka has played in numerous bands previously. Tiller and Pelta spent time playing in the New York-based Brooklyn Browngrass, Whiton has released his own solo disc and Kaplan is also currently a member of the well-known Hanuman.
Taarka’s songs are composed, and they avoid Western tendencies of using standardized rhythm structures. Pelta explained that the band’s music was mostly written using meters, rather than the predominant “4/4” that American listeners are accustomed to hearing.
For those not versed in music theory, this translates to a sound that should strike listeners as immediately and distinctly different — but one that remains imminently danceable.
The band has been touring constantly since its formation on April 20 of this year (their Web site, www.taarka.com, describes this as “an auspicious date for more than the obvious reasons”) and has shown up at various Northwest locations such as Bumbershoot in Seattle.
They released their self-titled debut album earlier in the year. It was recorded and pressed during the span of a week; the band used absolutely no overdubs.
The band has been performing the album in its entirety during previous shows. Because of the album’s short recording time, the live performances are likely to be more technically perfected than the studio ones.
A few highlights to keep an ear out for: “Mouse Hunt” and “The Stumptown Stomp.” They’ve also been throwing interesting covers into the set — Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” stands out as one example.
Tickets for the WOW Hall show are $12 in advance and $14 at the door, which opens at 8:30 p.m.