El Ten Eleven musician Kristian Dunn wants to shorten, but increase, his output. Or as he puts it, “make shorter statements more often.”
The bassist and half of the LA-based instrumental duo have been working there with fellow drummer Tim Fogarty for 20 years; With over a dozen records under their belt, they’ve navigated the music industry enough to know that it’s an unpredictable business when it comes to how listeners buy the product. Singles are dropped and purchased digitally, and these singles sometimes act as precursors to the eventual full album release. The duo have dropped EPs and full-length releases throughout their careers, with their 2020 release “Tautology” going against the “shorter statement” concept; it’s a triple album but it came out in three parts over a period of five months.
El Ten Eleven returns to Durango on Saturday, performing at the Animas City Theater with rock band Sego.
WHAT: El Ten Eleven plays instrumental indie-rock, Sego opens for it.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Animas City Theatre, 128 E. College Drive.
TICKETS: $20. Available online at https://bit.ly/3rm8nKo.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit animascitytheatre.com or call 799-2281.
“I told our manager and the head of our label that I just want to release EPs from now on, just to make shorter statements. I never listen to full records, so why should I release them ?” Dunn said. “Then I started creating all this material for ‘Tautology’, so much material that it ended up being a freaking triple disc, the complete opposite of what I wanted. But from now on, I want to make shorter statements more often. So this new disc is a feature film but it’s shorter. We’ll see if I can stick with it, God forbid I find a quadruple record or something.
With Dunn and Fogerty playing bass and drums enhanced by a variety of electronics, El Ten Eleven’s sound falls somewhere between exploratory electronic music and math-rock with an experimental vibe, reminiscent of King Crimson, Tortoise or ’80s Trans Am. But it’s their own sound, a pulsating, danceable score that can be laid back and ambient one moment, driving and aggressive the next. Live it’s visual and engaging, with Fogerty driving a thumping beat while Dunn, who acknowledges playing live is “physically demanding”, keeps both hands busy on his bass, and both feet even busier pressing down. on a number of pedals. It’s a punchy, glorious sound for a duet, dance music ripe for a sweaty punk basement or an EDM club.
“I’m a bass player and I love disco music. Without irony, I love disco music,” Dunn said. “I love when the bass is a lead instrument, so the funky dance genre creeps into our music. When you see us live, it’s a lot of nodding and dancing.
They joke that they are an instrumental band because neither musician can sing, and the two have been in enough bands to think about and want to experience life in a band without a vocalist. A band’s lifespan can be as unpredictable as the business itself, but with a DIY spirit and a desire to do things their own way, El Ten Eleven continues to find success in the world of rock. independent.
“A lot of my friends have asked me, ‘How long and how far can you go with just bass and drums?’ Well, we’re 20 years old and 13 records, and we still have new ideas, so I guess we can go pretty far. Honestly, the way it’s going, I wouldn’t be surprised if we hit 40 , if we’re still alive and if we’re physically able to do it,” Dunn said. “I’m 52 and I’m still doing this. Can I do this when I’m 72? We’ll see.”
Their next LP titled “New Year’s Eve” is due out in March.
Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and station manager KDUR. Contact him at liggett_b@fortlewis.edu.
