By Chris Nixon
For the Union-Tribune
March 14, 2008
The Texas-based quartet Explosions in the Sky is all about the guitar. Just guitars. No vocals. Some drums. Minimal keyboards.
“These first four records have basically been guitars and drums playing live in a room,” admitted Explosions in the Sky drummer Chris Hrasky.
Using the guitar as a centerpiece, Hrasky and guitarists Mark Smith, Munaf Rayani and Michael James (who also picks up a bass guitar occasionally) all build upon a single guitar line with layers and textures, creating five-to 10-minute post-rock mini-symphonies.
Following in the tradition of post-rock icons like Chicago's Tortoise or Scotland's Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky continues to explore musical territory outside the three-minute pop song format, bringing ambient music (traditionally a keyboard-driven genre) to a more rock-oriented instrumentation.
“When we started, it was kind of understood that we were the tail end of this post-rock instrumental stuff that grew up in the early '90s,” said Hrasky form his home in Austin, Texas. “Bands like Tortoise and Mogwai getting big in the '90s. We were considered to be the last gasp of all that. But it just seemed to take off from there.”
Along with bands like San Diego's Tristeza, Explosions in the Sky has extended the reach of post-rock instrumental music. By using songs with no vocals and a long, slow-developing arc often described as cinematic, Hrasky and company's music fits well into TV and film.
Explosions in the Sky scored the movie “Friday Night Lights” and much of its music is used for the highly acclaimed television series of the same name. The music has also been featured in such diverse settings as Cadillac commercials and the artsy 2007 film “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”
DETAILS
Explosions in the Sky
When: 7 p.m. tomorrow
Where: SOMA, 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Midway area
Tickets: $14
Phone: (619) 226-7662
Online: somasandiego.com
The group's fourth album is titled “All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone.”
As the music world gravitates toward Austin this week for the SXSW festival, Explosions in the Sky – one of the college town's best exports – will visit San Diego at SOMA tomorrow. Hrasky said he thinks hailing from a smaller town like Austin has actually helped it to spread the word.
“We've got huge metropolises around us, but they're not exactly known for particularly strong music or art communities,” said the EITS drummer. “Austin is an oasis in Texas. People are so supportive of music down here. A lot of bands from here go on to do pretty well. So, something's working in this town's favor.”
Explosions in the Sky may never land on the pop charts, but the audience for instrumental music continues to grow, he said.
“We're still pretty amazed at the size of places we're playing on this current U.S. tour,” said Hrasky. “There will be 13-year-old kids in Fall Out Boy T-shirts and emo kids and punk rock kids. But then there will be 50-year-old ladies and frat boys. So, this music seems to have crossed over to a lot of different types of people. It's something we take pride in: We can communicate to a lot of different types of people.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
