Press - Album Reviews

Gaz-eta

Los Angeles Electric 8
November 11, 2008

As the name suggests, Los Angeles Electric 8 is a chamber octet. Made up of quite talented, classically trained guitarists, they aim to interpret other people's music with a large amount of flare. For the most part, their music is austere, while maintaining a generous amount of craftsmanship.... read more »

Amoeba Records

Music We Like - Hollywood Staff
November 10, 2008

This sounds hoity toity but it isn't! For fans of guitar-based postrock…this is electric guitar chamber music. Eight classically trained musicians (yes from Los Angeles) reimagine the traditional and also play new music by living composers using electric guitars and vacuum tube amps. C... read more »

All Music

Plays Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Braddock, Siegel, And Kohl
September 19, 2008

"Now for something completely different," as the Monty Python Troupe used to say. The Los Angeles Electric 8 is a classical repertory ensemble consisting of eight electric guitarists, and this is its first, self-produced disc. Some might be surprised to learn that the use of electric gu... read more »

Touching Extremes

Los Angeles Electric 8 (Self Release)
September 4, 2008

The name of the ensemble makes the intentions apparent: eight electric guitarists articulating digital dexterity through "classic vacuum tube amplifiers". Ben Harbert, Felix Salazar, JohnPaul Trotter, Brandon Mayer, Marc Nimoy, Andy Nathan, Chelsea Green and Philip Graulty produce mostl... read more »

Aiding & Abetting

Los Angeles Electric 8 Plays Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Braddock, Siegel and Kohl (self-released)
September 4, 2008

That would be eight people on electric guitar playing classical music. Mostly modern (Braddock, Kohl and Siegel were all born after 1950, and Shostakovich is one of the great 20th century composers), mostly full of motion.   The arrangements are the most interesting part of this albu... read more »

Contemporary Rock Reviews

Los Angeles Electric 8 (US,2008)
August 13, 2008

This octet claims the electric guitar (and its vacuum-tube stage amplifiers) to be a worthy classical music instrument, -not that there weren’t made any compositions or interpretations for electric guitars before, but the starting point of a classical music viewpoint is now made radically c... read more »

Almost Cool Music Reviews

Los Angeles Electric 8 Plays Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Braddock, Siegel, and Kohl (Self Released)
June 12, 2008

Over the course of the past ten years or so, the idea of a string quartet tribute to a modern music group has gone from a novelty to a joke. Doing a simple search for "string quartet tribute" at your online music store will give you a mind-boggling selection that includes everyone from... read more »

KPFK 90.7

Music From Around The World and Around the Block with John Schneider
May 4, 2008

Listen to a recording of Ben Harbert on "Global Village: Music From Around The World and Around the Block with John Schneider." They talked about the new album and the Microfest concert.  Original Broadcast: Thursday May 8th 2008, KPFK 90.7, Los Angeles CA read more »