STS9 came up in late-90s Atlanta before finding a second home in Santa Cruz, shaping an instrumental sound that blends jazz-funk, hip-hop pulse, and widescreen electronica.
Roots and Evolutions
The biggest shift was the 2014 move to a synth-forward low end, which gave the grooves extra weight without losing the pocket. Expect patient builds, seamless segues, and a focus on danceable moods over busy solos. Likely songs include
Inspire Strikes Back,
When the Dust Settles,
Aimlessly, and
Moonsocket.
What You Might Hear
The crowd tends to mix longtime 1320 lifers with newer live-electronic fans, all keyed into tiny changes in the drums and bass. Trivia heads note the band's 1320 Records habit of multi-tracking shows and how early tours leaned on MPC-triggered loops before laptops were central. Consider the song picks and production angles here as educated reads from past runs, not a guaranteed script.
The STS9 Scene, Up Close
Clothes and Customs
The room feels like a bridge between jam and rave circles, with breathable fabrics, worn sneakers, and vintage 1320 shirts. Custom pins, foil posters in tubes, and hats covered in little band badges are common and traded with care. Before a big drop, claps roll from the back and quick whoops answer drum fills, more call-and-response than roar.
Shared Rituals
People talk mixes and segues at set break, comparing past versions rather than just hunting rarities. Flow artists tend to the sides, and most carve out dance space while staying mindful of neighbors. Merch leans minimal and nature-forward, echoing the band’s earth-and-sky themes. After the show, fans swap recordings and photos in 1320 circles, mapping how a single motif might reappear across both sets.
How STS9 Builds the Night
Groove First, Gear Second
STS9 plays mostly instrumental, so drums, bass, and keys do the singing while guitar paints melody and texture. The band favors simple motifs that repeat and grow, letting the rhythm section thicken while auxiliary percussion adds sparkle. Bass jumps between warm fingerstyle and subby synth, flipping the floor from glide to thump in a beat. Keys steer harmony and spacey leads, and guitar uses delay swells to glue transitions so the momentum never stalls.
Small Choices, Big Payoffs
A lesser-known habit is slowing a tune slightly live to carve headroom, then nudging the tempo up during the peak so the lift hits harder. Lights follow the music rather than dictate it, with wide color washes for builds and stark looks during breakdowns. The result is music-first production where each part leaves room, making every crest land clean.
If You Ride with STS9, Youll Dig These
Kindred Currents
Fans of
The Disco Biscuits will connect with the trance-leaning builds and long transitions that
STS9 rides so well.
Lotus appeals to listeners who like clean guitar melodies over dance pulses, a tone often heard in the brighter stretches of
STS9. If you chase layered textures and live electronics with a human touch,
Papadosio sits in the same lane.
Why It Clicks
For knife-edge shifts and muscular peaks,
Umphreys McGee brings the chops that mirror
STS9s harder second-set moments. Biscuits fans who love four-on-the-floor workouts will find common ground in how both acts stretch time without losing the beat. Meanwhile, Lotus and Papadosio listeners who favor sunrise downtempo and nature-tinged visuals will feel at home when
STS9 leans ambient.
