Rock duo DRB adds flavor to genre

Seldom do listeners understand the mind-boggling experimentation of DRB at first listen and, even rarer, are those who see beyond the band's raucous, tattered façade or understand the antics, personalities and comradery between the drum n' bass.

"DRB is pretty much our own personalities through music," said Chris Trian, junior business major and bassist of the duo.

The complexities of DRB have been coming for years now. The long and intricate journey to the disjointed thrash created through the flirtation of Trian's bass and Arturo "Tuti" Ruvalcaba's drums started from a simple humor-based friendship in elementary school.
"We have a pretty crazy friendship, and we like equally crazy bands," Trian said.

Comradery led to the creation of their first band, an expressive post-hardcore outlet called Out of Gas, in high school. The young band set the template for future musical endeavors.
"Out of Gas is pretty much what helped us meet everyone," Train said. "If it wasn't for that we probably wouldn't even be here right now."
Out of Gas ended in 2006.

The duo continued jamming together for years, and in the summer, DRB began taking shape. They fused an eclectic mix of styles often derived from some influences, such as Tera Melos, Refused, The Locust and These Arms are Snakes.

"Our songs took a couple months to write because they're long and complicated to us," Trian said.

Filled with rhythmic and tone technicalities, Trian likes to describe DRB as spastic thrash for intelligent people.

"They want music that isn't going to challenge their brain. In DRB, we try to challenge each other and the listener," Ruvalcaba said.

Incorporating many riffs developed from his extensive effect pedal collection and his improved skills, Trian constructed long, progressive songs for Ruvalcaba to embellish upon.

"It's the most challenging thing. I always learn new things," Ruvalcaba said.
Ruvalcaba and Trian completed the songs and, by December, the band played their first show and began recording.

The noise-rockers' are unpredictable both musically and personality-wise.
"With DRB anything can happen. It's very diverse in it's styles," Ruvalcaba said. "We're constantly changing. We're not boring them with one thing."

Trian and Ruvalcaba said that most people don't really understand it. DRB delivers their noise-rock in this form to encourage interpretation and thought.
"People either get it or they don't," Ruvalcaba said.

Ruvalcaba batters the drums like a pound-for-pound boxer; only in his arena he plays beat for beat. Trian's, often, complex, dysfunctional melodic riffs can transform into a sickly sweet thrash when aided by Ruvalcaba mauling. Lyrically, Trian uses blunt words to saturate his metaphorically driven meaning. He writes about personal experiences, loyalty, originality and nostalgia. Trian uses a vision-blacking holler to get his message across.
"I feel like we're always constantly challenging ourselves. There are no boundaries," Trian said. "There's soft singing. There's yelling. The hard part about DRB is trying to organize the songs, just so they don't sound so choppy and intense. We want them to be extremely fluid."

Although Trian takes the brunt of vocal work, Ruvalcaba contributes to the mid-ranged screaming.
The duo is completing their first EP, which is set to be released in May. They recorded five-tracks at Penny Lane Studios. The EP, tentatively named Family Cabin, will feature the songs: "Family Cabin," "Anti-Champ," "A Bloody Eagle," "Where the Monumental Fly Feeds" and "Criminal Taxi Party."

"This just started for us. We're waiting for a tour, for our recordings, it's going to be badass," Ruvalcaba said.
Ruvalcaba said DRB is perfect for people with short-attention spans. Their live shows are loud and energetic.

"We just want to have fun and enjoy every minute of it," Trian said.
Unless Trian flicks his pedals off in anger, the audience may never notice mess ups. The audience has plenty to see as Ruvalcaba wails on the drums, while Trian shreds on the bass, stomping his effect pedals as they go in-and-out of new segments.
"Every show, we just give it our all," Trian said. "It doesn't matter if it's two, 20 or 200 people we're going to play the same way."

DRB is slated to perform with The Happy Hollows from Los Angeles at 8 p.m. March 14 at the Percolator, located at 217 N. Stanton St.

Justin Anthony Monarez may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.