EDLOS comes from out of this world to UCLA
A capella quartet to showcase theatrics, antics at
Schoenberg
By Gaby Mora
Daily Bruin Staff
The EDLOS a capella group has come a long way to perform for
UCLA students  as far as outer space, the members claim.
"We come from the planet ‘A,’ which circles the star Capella in
the constellation Auriga," explains tenor singer Eric Morris. "We
were exiled from our planet for singing too loud, and came to earth
as refugees in 1232 A.D., when we crash landed outside of a
monastery in Arles, France."
The group, whose acronym stands for Excessive Decibel Levels
from Outer Space, actually formed six years ago while working
together in opera productions. With their opera background, Ed
Cohn, Larry Venza, Bill Davis and Morris have created a vocal
quartet that incorporates as much visual effect as audio. Their
sets involve heavy duty lighting, a wide array of costumes and
props, and the group’s naturally irreverent and comical
personality.
"As in opera, it’s an all-in-one experience, in that the
dramatic visual impact adds to the singing and our theatrics
enhance the music," Cohn says. "For example, we’ll use our props to
try and evoke the time period of a song, if it’s not an
original."
Past performances have included the group dressing as monks to
sing an Elizabethan quartet, then losing the robes to reveal nuns’
attire. The group’s version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" includes
caveman style tiger-skin costumes; they also perform songs as
varied as "Unchained Melody" to the "Duke of Earl" and some
Righteous Brothers tunes. No wonder Morris says it is impossible to
describe the group. It certainly doesn’t fit the traditional image
of an a capella group, and though the group claims opera as its
strongest foundation, EDLOS is far from being opera.
Understanding that the group’s show may be like nothing any UCLA
student has seen before, Cohn says he hopes the audience will leave
with a sense of appreciation of different styles of music. If not,
at least some sets will be sure to put any date in a romantic mood,
the group warns.
EDLOS is currently working on two new albums, one an
all-original and the other is a country western. The group promises
excerpts from both new albums, but points out that despite the
shift to country western, EDLOS should not be categorized as a
country western group.
"We wrote a few arrangements in that style," says Cohen, "and we
liked it, and thought it would be a marketable thing since we don’t
know of any other country western a capella group in the entire
world. But our act should be thought of as a pop thing, as rock ‘n’
roll."
The group will present a Center Stage lecture before performing,
during which the members will share some of the advanced vocal
techniques they will execute during the show. The "Hocket," for
example, is actually an old technique that was popular during the
middle ages and that EDLOS claims to bring back from modern times.
Instead of singing one long note, explains Cohn, he breaks up the
sound into many notes or long hiccups  which is where the
term "Hocket" actually originated.
Cohn also jokes that the group will reveal the secret to their
vocal talents, which may not be lost on UCLA students: "Lots of
heavy smoking and drinking, stay out late and lots of
shouting!"
Along with the costumes and vocal techniques, the group also
imitates instruments like horns, the electric guitar, drums and
synthesizers. "Because singing a capella is cheap  you don’t
need any darned instruments  everyone is doing it these
days," laughs Cohn.
But prospective audiences for EDLOS should not assume that the
quartet is like any other a capella group. Maybe like something
from outer space, but that’s something to leave for the EDLOS
autobiography.
MUSIC: The EDLOS at Schoenberg Hall, Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m.
Presented by UCLA Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets: $25, $9
(for students with valid I.D.) For more info. call: (310)
825-2101.