Hypnogaja

L.A.'s Hypnogaja started out as a trip-hop/alternative pop outfit before their unlikely evolution into an electronic-flavored post-grunge rock band, with full live instrumentation. The group's roots lay in a partnership between keyboardist/producers Nubar and Dr. Brooks, who met singer/songwriter ShyBoy, and the three founded Hypnogaja together in 1999, drawing from trip-hop, drum'n'bass, and neo-soul early on. Female vocalist Sandy Brown also appeared on their debut album, Revolution, which appeared on Drama Music later that year. The collective performed around L.A. wherever they could, even coffeehouses, and gradually drifted into heavy alternative rock with live instrumentation. Dr. Brooks and Brown departed, and a new lineup featuring ShyBoy, Nubar, guitarist Jeeve, bassist Leif Bunting, and drummer Tim Groeschel coalesced for 2002's Post-Hypnotic Stress Disorder (on the Access Denied label), which mixed post-grunge guitar rock and traditional song structure with atmospheric electronics and programmed loops. Groeschel subsequently became the group's rhythm guitarist, and a new rhythm section of bassist Daniel Wills and drummer Bill Brennenstuhl was installed for the 2003 EP Kill Switch. White Label, Vol. 1 followed a year later. For 2005's Below Sunset, Brennenstuhl left the group and Adrian Barnardo was named as his replacement. Acoustic Sunset: Live at the Longhouse marked Hypnogaja's first proper live set in 2006.