Groove Stream Attractor is an electronic music band located in the Chapel Hill - Durham area of North Carolina. Our music is a mix of improvised space grooves and spontaneous ambient sounds.
THE CURRENT BAND
- Jim Dennis: guitar, guitar synth, bass, and electronic drums
- Ted Johnson: guitar, guitar synth, and synthesizers
- Marc Medwin: synthesizers and vocal FX
- Barry Tilton: electronic drums and percussion
- Brian Preston: fretted and fretless electric bass
THE ORIGINAL BAND (2002 - 2005)
- Todd Barbee: Yamaha WX-7 midi wind controller, saxophone
- Ted Johnson: synthesizers
- Jeff Lindsey: electronic drums and percussion
- Brian Preston: fretted and fretless electric bass
RECENT CDs
Emergent Phenomena, Ship of Dreams, Magic Lantern Show, Into the Vortex, Space Rider.
BOOKINGS, T-SHIRTS, and CD SALES
Ted Johnson (919-929-8266, [email protected] ).
REVIEWS
"It's cosmic groove music for the mind and soul." Aural Innovations 20 (July 2002)
"Groove Stream Attractor is a four piece that improvs each show. Electronic percussion, midi breath controller/sax, keys, and bass make for some amazing soundscapes that can evoke images so intense one can easily lose oneself by merely allowing the groove to take you." CarolinaMusic.net
INTO THE VORTEX --
Groove Stream Attractor
Review by Jerry Kranitz
Aural Innovations (March 2004)
Groove Stream Attractor is another project from the Smokin' Granny clan, featuring the quartet of Todd Barbee, Jeff Lindsey and Brian Preston from Smokin' Granny, with Ted Johnson on synthesizers (who also played on a couple tracks on Equilibrium). I reviewed their first album in AI 20, though the promo sheet indicates there's been two more releases prior to this new CD, Into The Vortex.
If "Smokin" is an appropriate part of the Smokin' Granny band name, "Groove" most certainly fits in with Groove Stream Attractor. The CD is loaded with dreamy groove-laden ambience. The rhythm section of Preston and Lindsey maintain a steady but assertive pace throughout, as Barbee and Johnson paint their melodic, alien space-fusion scenes.
The title track is representative, featuring head boppin' downbeat grooves with spacey alien keyboards. I love the mixture of sax and pulsating cosmic keys. Across its 9+ minute length the band crank out a gorgeous blend of jazz hooks and lulling Tangerine Dream styled soundscape creation. Total space-fusion with a capital K ... for Kosmic.
"Last Ship To Mars" is a standout track with a bit of a Reggae vibe that recalls the British festie psych bands. But Groove Stream Attractor, in part due to Barbee's Midi, are traveling in different regions of the universe ... though the effect on your brain will ultimately be the same.
"Mayan Odyssey" and "The Edge Of The World" are both lengthy stretch-out tracks that dive even deeper into melodic ambient soundscape realms. The former adds tribal beats and ethnic influences to the mix. Veeeeeeery relaxing. Freeeee your mind. The early part of the nearly 13-minute "Cicadian Symphony" bears similarities to Smokin' Granny with its full band jazz feel, though the trademark Groove Stream Attractor space vibe dominates. But the latter part of the track has more prog rock styled keyboards. Lots of variety but it all flows smoothly. One of my favorites on the album.
"The Ancient Mariner" is another strong track with emphasis on the progressive rock influences, though it's as spacey and floating as anything else on the album. If you like ambient music but could do with a bit of toe tapping and meditative head throbbing, along with a healthy dose of jazz, then check out Groove Stream Attractor.
INTO THE VORTEX --
Groove Stream Attractor
Review by Paul Hightower
Expose (December 2005)
This is GSA's sixth release (though not their latest: Space Rider came out last year) and it continues the approach of largely improvised space/psych jams and improvs. GSA includes 3/4 of Smokin' Granny along with space music devotee and fellow south-easterner Ted Johnson.
Johnson is largely responsible for the overtly spacey synth work and no doubt fans of the style will warm to his playing. He and fellow synth practitioner Todd Barbee play well off each other which helps reinforce what might otherwise be linear and monochromatic noodling. Barbee also adds sax to the mix that provides a Nik Turner-like presence in places. Brian Preston tends to lay down repetitive bass riffs (though some pieces exclude him altogether) while Jeff Lindsey can often get quite active on his e-drum kit.
The material ranges from spacious improvs ("Paradise Beach") to exotic, Ozrics-like jams ("Last Ship to Mars") to hardcore EM offerings ("The Crystal Caverns"). The album delves into serious Tangerine Dream territory when sequenced synths and percussion are employed, or when the arrangements offer more variety, as in "The Ancient Mariner" or "The Edge of the World."
The group interplay throughout is superb, whether the pieces lean towards improvs or more scripted compositions, and it's impressive that GSA does such a good job keeping the listener's attention with what, in lesser hands, can be painfully tedious and boringly self-indulgent. No doubt this album will find wide appeal among space music or electronica fans. Recommended.
