Tangent Transmission: Redefining rock music

Tangent Transmission is not the typical Los Angeles local rock band. In fact, they give a whole new definition to the meaning of rock music. Perhaps it should be called tangent rock, because they do not intersect with any other sound except with their own, taking audiences to new heights by giving them an experience they have ever heard before.

While their music may seem so far fetched that no one could understand where its origination came from, its roots are still very much a form of rock, perhaps a cross breed of alternative and experimental rock.

What keeps this band grounded is the voice of lead singer, pianist, and guitarist, Dugan Cruz. His vocal presence compliments their unique sound.

Their current single, “Squeeze” is the flagship song. Like many of their other tunes, it starts off slow. “Squeeze” almost gives the listener the impression that it is a soft adult contemporary song, but it gradually transitions into cascading layers of sound that combines an up tempo drum beat with almost vintage keys and guitar that makes this song one of the most enjoyable tracks on the EP.

Another one of their finer tracks of the EP is “Self Acquisition”. Despite the harder guitar cords, this track is more a rock melody, reminiscent of music by Modest Mouse, Queen, or even Incubus. As with these artists, Tangent Transmission creates music that brings a new sense of branding that stands on its own.

You can check out these tracks with a special guest star appearance by Sam Sobo on The Great Unknowns Presents, Ep 71

With only four songs on their newest EP, Tangent Transmission is still working hard in the studio and working on new music. They are hoping to get their CD widely available to everyone. Currently, their debut CD is for sale. Read below for more details on how to get it.

Q&A with Tangent Transimission:
Ok, who is Tangent Transmission? (Not just your names, but tell me what you guys are about) and how did you come up with the name of your band? When we first started we had the name “Pull”, and due to legal issues we were forced to change it. We went through dozens of different names in the process of changing it. Finally, Sam thought of a song we had written called “Tangent Transmission”. We thought the name was funny because of its alliteration, and now the song that used to have that name is known as “Self Acquisition”.
When you first started, it was just Sam and Dugan. How hard was it to find people to fill the other parts of your band? We had a great time writing and performing together as a two-piece band and though we always wanted a phatter low-end, it was coming out pretty good. We just didn’t want to rush into finding a new member that wouldn’t organically meld with us, and our sound. After a while of trying out different people, our bassist finally found us. It took him a while, but it’s actually Dugan’s brother.
Normally, I can compare bands with other bands…not you guys. You stand alone. Because you have such a unique sound, how did you come into your own style of music? Although the three of us share a strong passion for writing and playing music, we don’t exactly have the same tastes in what we listen to. Usually, though not always with Conor, we can agree in what transcends stylistic idioms of any particular type of music. In other words, we know when someone’s done something good.
What bands had the most influence on you? There are a number of bands that have really hit home for us over the years. Collectively, we all agree on: Tool, Incubus, Rage Against the Machine, Mars Volta, Radiohead, Jeff Beck, Jeff Buckley… they change from time. It’s really hard to continue to have “All time favorites.”

You guys are barely a year old (not age, but as a band), but you sound like you’ve been doing it for years. What type of experience in music did you have before TT? None of us had a great deal of experience in music prior to Tangent Transmission. Dugan only started playing music at the age of 17 and after playing at a high school talent show he knew that that was what he wanted to pursue in his life. Sam started playing drums at 13 and fell in love from the first lesson. Through the years, Sam he just tried his best to play with anyone he could and play on his own as much as possible but was never able to put an actual band together. Similarly, Conor had been playing bass and guitar for quite some time on his own but was never able to put together a band. When we all met we all had the itch to get out there and play as much as possible, and the rest is history… well kinda.
In the last six months, you’ve been really active with several concert gigs and you’ve been touring with The Alternates. How has this experience been for you guys? These last six months has been unreal for us. We went from playing our first show at a tiny venue called the “Cobalt Café” to playing at the House of Blues on Sunset not even a month later. That show at the House of Blues was definitely a huge stepping-stone for us. From there we started playing any gig we could get and in January set out to record our first EP, “Call”. The recording experience was amazing for us and we are very pleased with the way the EP came out. We can’t wait to do it again. We were also fortunate enough to play the House of Blues again as well as the Roxy with “the Alternates” and both shows were electric! We can’t believe how much has happened in such little time and we’ve been enjoying every second of it. We’re excited to continue working with the Alternates and all the other bands we’ve met along the way and hope to continue doing this as long as humanly possible.
Do have a big tour lined up for this summer? Unfortunately we haven’t booked any shows for this summer quite yet. We’ve really been working really hard at situating Conor in the band, and writing new material. Keep an eye out though, the summer is still young…
On your MySpace page, the public is only allowed to listen to a small teaser of each of your songs. Is there a way for fans to hear your songs in its entirety or do they have to suffer and crowd in to see you perform in person? We are currently selling them for just 5 dollars. However, if you come to one of our shows we will only be selling them for 3 dollars there and we promise you’ll have a great time with us!
Maybe I missed it, but I didn’t see a posted touring schedule? Do you have one posted up somewhere so fans can find out where to see you guys?  We usually have all our tour dates posted on myspace.com/tangenttransmission but as I said we currently don’t have anything booked, but there are p]several prospects! You can also get more news on us by “liking” us on facebook, following us on twitter and/or following our blogs at www.tangenttransmission.com
When exactly is your new album going to be released? Can people get your CD now? Due to several copyright and publishing details that we are still working out, we still don’t have any of our music for sale online. Hopefully this will change soon but until then we would be more than happy to meet up with anyone who’s interested in purchasing our CD. Just email us at tangenttransmission@gmail.com or send us a message via myspace or facebook and we will make sure you get your hands on one of our CDs, but it is currently available. It’s titled “Call” and will be available online shortly. Or as previously stated, you can get it sooner just by contacting us online and we’d be more than happy to meet with anyone to give out a CD. If you live far away have no fear. We can mail you one!
Is your life consumed with music or do you have time to goof around? What do you guys like to do when you aren’t working on your music? Music is obviously a big part of our lives, and in the current music industry revolution of doing everything yourself, it can be very frustrating in finding the time you want to just play! However, we all enjoy our down time. All of us enjoy the occasional snowboarding trips when we can afford it, going to the beach, and really just enjoying the time we can spend with our close friends and family.

 
Written and band interviewed by Michael J

Find more of Tangent Transmission:

Tangent Transmission presented on The Great Unknowns Presents, Ep 71
MySpace
Facebook
Tangent Transmissions official website