STS9

Originating from Atlanta US, STS9 consists of Hunter Brown (guitar/midi-keyboard), Jeffree Lerner (percussion/handsonic), David Phipps (keyboards), Zach Velmer (drums) and Alana Rocklin (bass guitar), who replaced David Murphy after his departure from the band in January 2014. STS9 have released 13 albums in total, two of which are remixed albums (‘Artifact: Perspectives’ and ‘Peaceblaster: Make it Right Remixes’), and two live DVDs on their own label 1320 Records. In 2005, STS9’s album ‘Artifact’ charted at number 12 on Billboard’s Top Electronic Albums whilst their 2011 EP ‘When the Dust Settles’ achieved the top spot on the iTunes Electronic Chart and listed in Billboard’s Top 25.

STS9 have headlined festivals such as Lollapalooza and Wakarusa, and shared the stage with Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Nas, whilst maintaining a position consistently in Pollstar Magazine’s chart of top-grossing touring acts. The quintet have contributed towards a number of non-profit organizations throughout the band’s lifespan; for instance, STS9 hosted a concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and raised $20K. They also used renewable energy to power their concerts on the Live as Time Changes tour and commuted across the USA in a carbon neutral tour bus, hoping to offset 100% of their carbon emissions due to the Renewable Energy Credits gained from partnerships with environment-friendly organizations such as Green Mountain Energy.

Comparable to The Disco Biscuits, Eat Static and Galactic, STS9 are renowned for their mesmerizing rhythms, although they have played under a different name; the band performed three times between 2001 and 2004 under the name Tzoklin, in order to experiment with a different sound, without bearing the audience expectation of hearing STS9 material. The band maintain a worldwide following and demand a particular respect for their musical and ethical commitments.