Beep is a band so open-minded and fluid that even the members are unable to put a finger on what type of music they play.
“We play experimental jazz of sorts,” said Sam Ospovat, the band’s drummer. “We are an improvised electronic trio that doesn’t really play any sort of genre anymore.”
JazzPOP, an annual summer concert series put on by the UCLA Hammer Museum, will kick off its ninth year with the electro-contemporary-jazz trio Beep on Aug. 7, when the group will perform an outdoor concert at the Hammer Museum.
Series organizer Lisa Mezzacappa said that at each concert of the series, the band performing will play two sets. There are three concerts – three Thursdays in a row. Accompanying Beep in the series are two other bands: Sam Boshnack Quintet and The Jeff Gauthier Goatette.
Beep started in Oakland, where Michael Coleman, Beep’s keyboardist, and bass player Nate Brenner had been playing together for 13 years. The band had been together for a few years when in 2007, Coleman met Ospovat at a jam session. Ospovat then took over as the new drummer for Beep.
Ospovat said the band’s show will feature music off its new album “Too Physical,” which will be released Aug. 5. The album is a mix of compositions and edited improvisations. This is the group’s first album containing a majority of improvisations.
Beep improvises its songs by getting together and playing with no pre-written music, and then editing the recording to make it a song.
“The last record we decided, partially because we were all on tour a lot and didn’t have a lot of time together, to come into the studio and improvise and then edit down to a sort of pop song,” Coleman said.
The trio has little time for the studio because, in addition to its work with Beep, the band members each have multiple solo or ensemble projects they are working on.
The Bay Area-based band has now gone bicoastal. Ospovat has recently been spending time in Brooklyn, and Coleman is moving there soon. Brenner, meanwhile, is still in Oakland. The band said this distance is the reason for the new method of production on “Too Physical.” They have less time together, which has led to this improvisational style of making music.
Coleman said his relationship with the other members of Beep is what keeps them together creating music.
“Nate and I have been playing music together for 12 or 13 years, we have a good musical partnership. Working together brings out stuff for both of us,” Coleman said. “The three of us seem to have a good working relationship.”
Beep’s music features electronic and futuristic elements as well as traditional instruments, including keyboards, drums and electric bass. Some electronic devices are used to process the sound of the instruments or add to the sound.
“A lot of Beep’s music stems from living in Oakland and the culture there. … The music is rooted in an intense urban setting, but there’s a natural beauty as well,” Coleman said.
Mezzacappa said Beep’s experimental music is what she is looking to showcase at JazzPOP. The idea for JazzPOP is to share contemporary jazz that the average person isn’t usually exposed to.
“Everyone I program is coming from some kind of jazz training or sensibility or process to how they make their music, so improvisation is a very key part of it,” Mezzacappa said. “The pop part doesn’t mean pop music, but more popular of the moment. It’s all music people are creating now.”
Coleman said he thinks that Beep’s music is relatable and doesn’t alienate anyone, despite not sounding like common radio pop songs.
“I’ve played with a lot of groups that are experimental, Beep keeps it within people’s usual range, rooted in pop music and jazz, both things people can relate to,” Coleman said. “I also think we make sure the music is fun in a way, enjoyable, lighthearted, never takes itself too seriously. Once people see the band, they can get on board with having a good time.”
Mezzacappa said she also asked Beep to perform because she wanted a band each from the Bay Area, Seattle and Los Angeles to showcase contemporary jazz all along the West Coast.
“I wanted a group that had a lot of energy and momentum and was putting out great records. Beep is a fantastic example of the JazzPOP idea. When they get together they do this really original thing that has all kinds of music embedded inside it,” Mezzacappa said.