‘Coop’ to bring beat to Hangar 9
August 22, 2013
The Coop, a dance rock band featuring elements of eclectic electronica, will soon make their way to southern Illinois.
Drummer Jake Barinholtz, guitarist Danny Biggins and bassist Cason Trager formed the band in 2004. The trio accepted keyboardist Joe Re shortly after, thusly forming The Coop. Their music evolved into what is now considered an electronic and jam band-esque sound. As of late, their music explores new-age sounds while integrating traditional instrumentation.
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The artists themselves remain separate yet equal in their influences on how they have brought individuality to the music.
Jake Barinholtz, an Illinois native, has been influenced by music since a young age: his mother was part of an 80’s band, and he attended various rehearsals, recording sessions and concerts.
Barinholtz’s father, an avid listener, introduced him to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” on cassette. He then grew to instrumentation himself, initially on the piano and then to percussion in jazz, concert and symphonic bands, among others, as he also joined a punk and a ska band in high school.
Barinholtz continued his education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He began producing music 5 years ago, implementing his skill programming and sequencing for The Coop’s songs. He also plays in another group, the Jib’n’Jab, with his sister, Allison Barinholtz.
Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison and the Pogues were who first influenced Biggins. He began playing instruments at a young age, first the trombone and then guitar. In high school, he joined jazz band, where he met Barinholtz and Trager.
Trager had a separate variety of influences leaning toward heavy metal, including Black Sabbath, Warrant and Metallica, garnering an appreciation for music and instrumentation in general. Like Barinholtz and Biggins, he began playing at a young age.
Trager played the trumpet and bass in middle school and entertained the music scene of reggae, funk rock and dub, where he eventually learned of the soulful output music can incorporate. He, too, joined the jazz band ensemble and became intrigued with electronic music production where he found an unlimited array of creativity.
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Eventually, he received a years’ worth of bass lessons from musician Sharay Reed, who has recorded with famous artists such as Kanye West.
Keyboardist Re rounds out the group. Re began his musical career playing piano until he felt it necessary to break from his roots and learn other instruments. He studied music theory and composition at Elmhurst College and began teaching piano. He was greatly influenced by the Allman Brothers, The Doors, Radiohead and Frank Zappa as well as classical composers such as Beethoven and Rachmaninov. However, he said pianists have shaped him creatively the most, along with the sound of The Coop, where together they shape one another.
The band made a video for their song “About to Be Some Shh” available on their MySpace page, where the group also has posted other popular songs such as “Zeta Reticulli III,” “Roach,” “Spacecakes II,” and “Knetched.” Moreover, “A Fleeting Glimpse,” also available on the site, serves as the title track to their new and self-produced E.P.
The Coop is scheduled to play at 7 p.m. Friday at Hangar 9.
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