Element of Soul (often abbreviated EOS) is a six-member reggae-folk-pop-rock band from Placerville in the Greater Sacramento region, known for blending reggae and acoustic "jam rock" with DJ turntablism.[1][2] The band was a recurring fixture of Sacramento's local live circuit in the first half of the 2010s.[3][1][4]
At a glance
- Six members; from Placerville, CA, in El Dorado County.[1]
- Self-described genre: "reggae-folk-pop-rock."[1]
- Solidified as a band in 2009 after expanding from an acoustic three-piece.[1]
- Released its first full-length album, E.O.S., on April 20, 2012.[1]
- Played Sacramento's Friday Night Concerts in the Park in 2012 and 2015.[5][1][4]
Origin and members
Element of Soul is from Placerville, where five of its members lived together for roughly two years leading up to their first album.[1] The members are Mike O'Briant, Ben Moore, Chris Brown, Seth Ahern (who performs as DJ Zephyr), Eric Opdyke and Tristan Brown.[1] O'Briant and Moore became friends as kids and later shared vocal and guitar duties in the band; the group's members were ultimately connected through Ponderosa and El Dorado high schools.[1]
The band began as a three-piece acoustic act, adding Chris Brown on bass, and according to O'Briant was truly "solidified" in 2009 with the addition of Opdyke on drums, Tristan Brown on lead guitar and DJ Zephyr "on the ones and twos."[1] O'Briant delivers vocals in a spoken-word style, while Moore sings melodies; the two split vocal time through call-and-response.[1] A later lineup documented by Tahoe on Stage lists Zack Davis on bass in place of Chris Brown, suggesting a personnel change at some point after the period covered by Submerge.[6]
Local status
Element of Soul is a local act: Submerge explicitly identifies the band as being from Placerville ("Placerville's Element of Soul"), a town in El Dorado County within the Greater Sacramento region, and describes the members living together at a Placerville home.[1] Other coverage lists the band among Sacramento "locals" and "local favorites" on area bills.[3][7] Confidence: high.
Sound and influences
The band describes its style as "reggae-folk-pop-rock," citing reggae as its core, acoustic/folk elements, and pop in its sing-along quality.[1] Submerge listings have categorized the band as "acoustic/jam rock" and as a reggae act.[5][4] A live review described Element of Soul's set as a "jazzy, hip, acoustic extravaganza" of slow, danceable melodies that prompted couples to slow-dance, contrasting sharply with the harder rock acts earlier on the bill.[7] The band's sound incorporates DJ Zephyr's sampling and scratching alongside jazz-style percussion and bass.[1] According to Tahoe on Stage, the band draws its influences from Incubus, Bob Marley, Jason Mraz, Sublime, Rebelution, and more.[6]
Recordings
Element of Soul recorded its debut full-length, E.O.S., an 11-song album, over about a year at Blue Limit Music recording studios in Rocklin, working with producers Mark Harmon and Bruce Spencer of the 77s.[1] Recording began in March (the year prior to the April 2012 release), and the album was set for release on April 20, 2012.[1] A featured track is "The Movement."[1] At the time, the band also planned a follow-up six-song EP.[1]
Touring and spiritual practice
The band booked its first three-week tour running from San Francisco to Long Beach, planning to move from a Placerville house on five acres into a 22-passenger van.[1] Members credit a spiritual life coach, Dr. Kim Clarity, with guided meditations at their Placerville home; the band attended a three-day, 12-hours-per-day seminar sponsored by Dr. Clarity in 2011, and members became certified meditation teachers.[1]
Notable Sacramento appearances
- June 11, 2011 — opened the inaugural "Second Saturday Rock N' Style" show at Ace of Spades, co-headlined by Arden Park Roots and Lonely Kings, alongside Not Your Style, Dogfood, Early States and DJ Whores.[3]
- July 18, 2011 — closed a bill at Shenanigans in Sacramento with A Single Second, Sinister Scene, Adam Roth and dance crew Verbatim.[7]
- Sept. 1, 2011 — played Ace of Spades on a bill headlined by Dogfood, with Beyond the Grove and Goodness Gracious Me.[5]
- May 25, 2012 — Friday Night Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Park, billed as "acoustic/jam rock," with ZuhG, Playboy School and DJ X'GVNR.[1][2]
- July 13–14, 2013 — Splash Music Festival at Rio Ramaza Marina and Events Center.[8]
- June 5, 2015 — Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza, listed among the series' reggae acts, with Burro, Once An Empire, 50-Watt Heavy and TL Miller / imf.DRED.[4]
Beyond Sacramento
According to Tahoe on Stage, Element of Soul headlined a free outdoor concert at Lakeview in Lake Tahoe, sharing a bill with South Lake Tahoe band Taking Root, extending their documented footprint beyond the Sacramento region.[6]