Sci Fidelity

If you’re hung up on songs with lyrics, or you crave uberheady crescendo jams, then there’s really not much for you here. But if you dig music that relies more on moods, texture and ambience, then Razed very well could be for you. Especially if you’re a beat junkie, as the telepathic rhythmic wizardry of String Cheese Incident’s Michael Travis and Jason Hann is on brilliant display throughout. Don’t expect anything that even comes close to resembling their former band’s sound. If anything, EOTO is much more akin to Travis’ other band, Zilla, but really only because they both fall under the broader livetronica banner.

The whole album features a good dose of the glitchy electronic sounds that are so popular with the jamband kids these days, like the highly danceable intergalactic cruiser “Cacao” and the astro-disco of “Warp.” The semi-dark slow build of “Camel Bend” has a slightly Middle Eastern feel, and the slow funk “Tipped Off” sounds like what aliens put on the hi-fi when they’re ready for sexytime. The driving dancehall reggae bassline on “Taking The Fife” keeps a listener's body moving while space noises swirl past her head. The darker, slower feel of “Gloren” makes it one a listener can catch his breath during, but without having to stop dancing. Deep into the club banger “Tar Tar” is certifiable proof of the advantage of playing breakbeat music with a live drummer Hann's insanely tasty breaks are the kind most DJs can only dream of. The smooth groove of the finale, “Graved,” sets the tone for some pretty sexy guitar work from Travis. It really works beautifully and makes one wonder why he doesn’t rock the guitar more often with EOTO.