ERIC SHANS/PHENOTRACT
Phenotract was started in 1999 as a means of experimenting with electronic sounds, textures, and rhythms to create synthetic workouts geared for both the dancefloor and the mind. Since it's inception, founder Eric Shans has drawn influences from both older and newer techno, house, trance, and industrial to create and instill lasting impressions on the listener. At the project's start, a lot of songs were recorded over a period of a few years that consisted of pulsing beats, racing synths, catchy melodies, and aggressive vocals. A full length demo entitled "Fallout" was finally released in 2001 which was well received. From that LP, the song - "Paralax-On" was remixed and appeared on the ToneDeaf Records Compilation "Taking Notes 01", and was the first song to be released on a label.
As the project's sound grew and time passed, the tracks that were being written morphed into more formidable structures, which became more melody laden and carried an evolved and distinct sound and groove. Another album was written and consisted of a myriad of anthemic hooks, funky beats, and both clean and treated vocals. The LP "Within A Second" was released at the end of 2003 on the now defunct Tinman Records label. It was well received and was described as using a myriad of anthemic hooks, funky oddly house-like beats, and otherworldly sounding vocals . Now out is the follow up "Transient Messages" which is out on Souvenir Records. More ethereal and melodically driven than the previous effort, it takes "Within A Second's sound and expands on it greatly. Soundtrack- esque atmospheres, driving beats, and male and female vocals now permeate the aural canvas. Niabi Caldwell has contributed her vocal talents and her voice adds both an angelic and romantic quality to the music which was only hinted at before. The sound has been described as "neo-pop"
Also in this duration, Eric has also written and produced tracks that are more meant for towards a tech house/club oriented crowd and for DJs of that music. Rhythmic percussive elements, funky basslines, and a sci fi atmosphere play an integral role in these songs. Productions under his own name can be found here (type Eric Shans into the search field) and samples can be heard there.
NIABI CALDWELL
Niabi is a girl who lives in Brooklyn who was asked one sunny day to add some vocal melodies to Eric Shans's musical project Phenotract. It seemed as though the stars were perfectly aligned at that rehearsal as Niabi and Eric decided to continue to keep collaborating after this first meeting. While working, they discovered that this duality worked all too well together and that Eric's breathy understated style coupled with Niabi's dreamy ethereal voice made for a truly winning formula. Niabi's influences harken back to her roots in the mid 90's dance/rave scene of DC / Baltimore and her love of shoegazer / dreampop music. On "Transient Messages", she has celestially catapaulted Eric's songs into worlds never reached by him on his own.