photo: Ariel Campbell
As we sit on dumpster-dived interior seating in a school bus bought for $1,300 from a TUSD auction, the four young, articulate members of Ensphere describe their genre.It’s dark, hypnotic art rock, progressive, experimental metal rock, art metal, hand made music.
“We don’t know,” they all pause, and laugh. “We are a work of performance art,” said drummer Michael Ludovici. Members also include singer Randall Swindell, Ryan Stertz (guitar, bass) and Serena Rose (viola, bass, cello, hammered dulcimer).
Currently working on its first full-length album, the group of industrialists rocks a do-it-yourself style; producing their own silk-screened merchandise, CDs, tour bus and most recently, a performance platform, The Plexus.
“We kind of feel oppressed from the emphasis on being consumers,” Swindell said. “Our music is geared towards being creators rather than consumers.”
The band’s music and stage presence is influenced by a deep psychological look at the human psyche, describing the music as an outlet for internal healing. Shows are accompanied by various mediums of visual stimuli - including attire, sound sensitive visual projections and stage theatrics.
Upcoming excitement includes its first tour this summer, travelling through California, Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico. Back in Arizona, Ensphere will compose and perform the score for this year’s All Souls Procession finale.
On Friday, March 5, Ensphere performs with Alter Der Ruine and Blind Divine at Plush, 340 E. 6th St. Check out EnsphereMusic.com or You Tube the August 1 show at The Plexus for a virtual experience of its unique sound, style and theatrics.
