alactic’s most recent release, Ruckus, is comprised of shorter songs and more vocals than the band’s previous efforts. Though an evolution within the band has taken place, its performance at Harry O’s on Oct. 27 verified that the band members still maintain the power to perform wonderfully long instrumentals while maintaining an almost too-positive energy.

Galactic began more than seven years ago as a college funk band. Based in New Orleans, it focused on consistently touring in order to create and maintain a strong fan base. Though the band has made many changes, its members still preserve the original vibe of the music.

When not wearing helmets in Alaska during July, the members of Galactic enjoy playing extended jams in the realm of funk.

The RED Interview

Keyboardist Rich Vogel explained the evolution of Galactic. Though he was suffering from what sounded like a nasty cold, Vogel was able to energetically explain the sentiments that the band has consistently maintained.

Vogel explained that though they have made changes in the way that they create and produce their music, the band members still possess a bit of the old soul that existed when they first started out. Vogel said, “In the end, the common denominator is always the groove. We’re always trying to make music that’s got a good feel.”

Ruckus is the band’s fourth studio CD, and most definitely reveals the persistence of the groove. Vogel explained that the band changed with the advancement of technology. As the years passed, Galactic became increasingly interested in the thought of experimenting with electronics. Vogel explained, “We started to develop this sound that was still really groove-based, and still had a strong sense of feel and rhythm like all that old music that we were into when we started. But it started to develop its own sound.” An emergence of drum loops and different instrumentals took the band further from old-school funk into a more unique darker sound.

The sound of Galactic is nearly impossible to place, as the band members display elements of funk, soul, blues, jam and as evident in Ruckus, a hint of hip hop. The band’s genre-spanning sound, according to Vogel, results in a simple classification of “Strange Rock Band.”

For the production of Ruckus, the band made a conscious decision to make some drastic changes. Vogel said that with the CD, the band tried “to make a good, strong record that had concise, catchy tunes.” Though this goal may seem completely unoriginal, it is actually a step in a different direction for the guys in Galactic.

In the past, Galactic spent much of its production time trying to create the same energy on their CDs that is present at their shows. Vogel said, “We completely gave up on the idea of trying to capture the spirit of a Galactic show on record.” Instead, the band put more emphasis on creating vocal songs, which would incorporate Theryl de’Clouet’s smoky voice more frequently throughout the CD. This, of course, meant that the songs would be a bit shorter, with less extended instrumental segments. Galactic did not want to ignore its roots, which consist of performing outstanding instrumentals.

However, according to Vogel, they were “pretty determined to write better vocal songs and make the vocal-instrumental elements of the band blend together more, be more seamless.” Vogel continued to explain the purpose in blending the vocals and instrumentals: “We just weren’t really interested in putting a lot of long solos or jamming-type stuff on the record.” Longtime fans of Galactic need not be deceived into believing that the band has abandoned its tradition of instrumentals. “We play a lot longer. When you come to a Galactic show we play two full sets,” Vogel said.

The band’s performance at Harry O’s last week indeed proved to be rather lengthy. The instrumentals were everything that the band promised—truly awe-inspiring and capable of making everyone get up and groove right along with the soul-tingling music. Galactic will continue to tour for the next three weeks or so, until a break for the holidays. After that, the band will head to Japan to produce its newest CD.

Fans who might have missed the performance in Park City need not be too disappointed. Vogel confirmed that, “in February and March we will be doing more of a Midwest run,” which means that Galactic could appear in Utah or a nearby state within a matter of months.
autumn@red-mag.com