Loci

With binary-code promo design and a barely comprehensible branch of maths for a band name, you’d be forgiven for expecting Loci’s self-produced sophomore effort to be a geeky ‘80s synth record replete with Tron references.

On ‘Medic’, however, Ritalin references are the bigger player. Throughout, singer-guitarist Ben Rosser flips from mild pill-popper to screaming psycho and back again, most notably on opener ‘Crash’ - a track as spare and visceral as Nirvana’s output.

It’s the doses of genuine ache - not to mention Pixies-level production - that boost the EP. The sedatives come out for ‘Quoits’ with a plaintive guitar riff (albeit interrupted by an outburst halfway through), while ‘Sucker Punch’ is precisely that. Melodic but tough, it reveals a truly touching core in Rosser’s repetition of, ‘I won’t break this - it just breaks itself.’

If this all sounds a bit emo (or worse: screamo), be warned that at times ‘Medic’ does veer dangerously close to the edge, before being strapped down again. Thankfully Loci use the right needles at the right time. - Last Broadcast

Loci are made up of three people who refuse to play the game and have created a sound of their own. Loci's sound is alternative rock where much experimentation takes place and that is a good thing. Musically wise this band are tight and between the three of them they can really play. Vocals are mainly male orientated from Ben Rosser with some bursts of the feminine touch from Janet Jauregui. The pair of them have that sewn up. The evidence of what a good band Loci are lies in this six track EP. When you give tracks such as 'Crash', 'Negatives' and 'Sucker Punch' a listen you'll know what all the fuss is about. It's great to hear a band that isn't out to please record companies with inane rubbish. Loci are a band that breaks the rules and with it brings a bit of fresh air to what is on the whole a boring music scene in the UK. - Street Voice

SW England/Wales is home to alt rockers Loci who bring you their latest EP release in the form of the impressive 'Medic'; crushing guitar chords and bulky rhythms fill the space behind some impressive and varied vocalisation that runs the gamut between frenzied wailing and serene atmospheric. Excellent musicianship, creative mixing and impressive arrangements further strengthen the Loci cause - it's a great sound and Loci sure know how to express themselves through their boldly rockin' music!!

Loci can be as heavy as you want them to be and as subtle as they need to be to get their excellent songs across. Their songs flip from staccato and angular to fluid and anthemic and Loci carry the burden seemingly effortlessly. This is a trio that make a big noise and seem to have true focus as they fire on all cylinders; it's a brutal and yet somehow sexy rock stylee that falls pleasingly short of manic metal but rocks hard and true, all day long! Loci's music roars and crashes around the room as it organically ebbs and flows with tortured grace, tormented attitude and subtle character.

With six really great tracks on offer, 'Medic' beautifully showcases Loci's range and depth; Loci are dark and scintillating yet vibrant and abrasive - they drill their songs home with massive competence and unbridled passion. This is a great sound that's just different enough to pull you up short and take your breath away and yet it also slots extremely well into the commercial hard-rock groove. Listen once and you'll instantly hear Loci's ball-breaking rock as something pure, simplistic and effortless. Listen again and you'll start to find the intricacies and avant-garde nuances locked inside the more obvious - there's quite a lot going on here, startling instrumental and vocal interchanges, mind-blowin' mood changes, grit and grind go hand-in-hand with elegance and finesse but Loci manage to make it all sound clean, crisp and cutting-edge.

I'm glad that Loci chose to make this a six tracker; it gives them a chance to show their true rockin' colours and clever variations on the rock theme - Loci rock hard, they can be savage yet they can be gentle and persuasive. Loci rock is intelligent rock, rock of ages, now rock, future rock!! 'Medic' is a tremendous EP and gives the listener every chance of getting to know and understand the honest savagery of Loci's massively impressive sound. 'Medic' by Loci is alt rock at its very best - great EP, fantastic band, lawdy lawdy I'm suitably impressed and totally hooked!! - Toxic Pete

I had read the reviews, heard the tracks and seen the myspace and website but hadn’t bought the T shirt and had never been to a live performance. Likewise I had not yet got around to going to the newly refurbished Theka Social, so this seemed a gig not to be missed, along with the chance to see two other Welsh bands, KFC , not the fried chicken chain craved after 15 pints but Killing for Company featuring ex stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable, one of those blokes who you cant think what on earth he looks like until you see him and think oh yeah its him init with the bushy hair and playing a kind of Bon Jovi rock with a indie high energy edge and yet another unseen band Ectospazz who play a sort of punk metal and who you definitely would want on your side in a fight as they look as though they might eat you and then shit you out before giving you a good kick’n in their barn, rebelliously worth watching! Anyway I seem to be digressing from the true raw talent of the evening Ben Rosser, Janet Jaureguie and Tim Thorne who make up Loci.
They approached the stage playing the not so enviable 1st on slot of the evening and looked around to see the audience clinging to the walls and hiding at the end of the bar, Ben’s commanding authority on the stage convinced the timid crowd to come closer and with slight comic effect picked out one bloke to come forward, which he duly did all by himself right to the front with Ben commenting “I was hoping you had some friends“ Not to be put off by the slightly shy, not had the chance to relax after their 1st pint punters they stormed with force into the gig. And oh yes what a performance this turned out to be, Ben the lead singer and guitarist gave it everything and moved around the stage like Keith Moon with a guitar instead of a drum kit, visually captivating the quickly warming crowd and managed to keep the sound as tight as a fishes ass.
Loci’s songs are admirable, aggressive and deserve the air play they have had and are not just another indie wannabe outfit clambering on the train of the norm. Smart lyrics, screaming in harmony with the screeching guitar, floating over the solid rhythm section with the attribute of good-looking bass lines. The crowd had by now roused enough to push me and another photographer out of the way and the set continued to keep the adrenalin in the atmosphere pumping. The gig ended with true rock and roll performance, loud vocals, smashing guitars and loads of feed back, a performance worthy of the mainstream. This band are worthy of success and most defiantly should be on your gig list. - Bristol Rocks

Now being booked around the UK at the start of 2007, Loci are on a bit of an upward trend; time to go back and listen to this self-released mini-album then.

Fifteen years have now passed since Nevermind was barrelling up the charts, and that's about enough time to go back and raid the grunge vaults. Loci don't, however, overdose on the earnestness and humourlessness of po-faced no-marks like Staind or Nickelback - no, this is 'grunge' in something approaching its original form.

If the original grungers melded post-hardcore punk with a metal, a pop sensibility and - in many cases - an Anglophile indie fandom, then Loci are a British band ironically doing Anglophile grunge. Listen to these six songs and you'll hear scraps of Mudhoney and Green River, the epic, stripped down melancholia of Pearl Jam and the bombastic out-and-out rock of early Soundgarden.

Suddenly they shoegaze for a few seconds in the Ride/Lush mould then veer off once more into riff-happy walls of sound. The beautiful Trinity is a sexy, charged, male-female duet with guitar scrawling merrily all over it. It's like listening to Voice Of The Beehive doing a Stone Temple Pilots cover. But better than that sounds.
With the epic Zweifel, the angry-introspection of Iodine and the closing Sad Lonely Stereotype, they've delivered an assured debut. - BBC Wales

Refreshingly noisy, chaotic and rough around the edges, Loci harness the power of distortion, big riffs and attitude; a band bringing back the spirit of raw rock n roll and evoking memories of all those Jack Endino produced early Seattle bands like Mudhoney, The Melvins, Earth and Nirvana.

As the massive riffs that herald ZWEIFEL practically rip out of your speakers and knock you halfway across the room, Loci unleash an unholy barrage of bruised melodies and ferocious noise. But Loci are a band about more than aggressive noise and attitude, this is a band whose songs twist and turn throughout; taking in quieter moments and inventive psychedelic tinged turns along the way, think Smashing Pumpkins era Siamese Dream by way of The Melvins.

IODINE is another barrage of noise, though underpinned by soft passages and Janet Jauregui providing ghostlike dreamy backing vocals against Ben Rossers more guttural roar. Elsewhere here, FLUKE is a stomping slice of primal sludge rock, CULT OF INSECTS a pretty psychedelia tinged grunge epic and SAD LONELY STEREOTYPE a subdued and downbeat closing shot.

One of the rawest sounding bands to tear out of your stereos in a long while. Loci produce songs that leave you breathless and exhausted, crank up the volume and you'll swear the band are playing right in your living room. Honest, raw, brutal and bruised, Loci demand you sit up and take notice. - UK Music Search

'Filtered to Function' has a massive six tracks, that's practically an album in most bands' books, yet this is an EP. You've got to admire Loci's ethic; piling the record with six tracks and recording and producing it themselves, it shows a commitment that comes across in their music too.

The EP is full of no messing alt-rock with pretty heavy guitars and some excellent tunes. Luckily, considering how long the record is, and how long each track is (most are over four minutes long) it never outstays its welcome, there's plenty of moody aggression and attitude in the songs, (for a three piece they make plenty of noise), but this is tempered by an indie inspired edge which really fills out the sound and provides some catchy tunes and nice quiet, reflective moments. The stand out track is 'Trinity', which is immediately catchy and danceable, has an excellent sing along chorus and some memorable riffs.

Words: Emma Gould - Room Thirteen

Alternative rockers Loci kicked off the night instantly whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Their Foo Fighters come Portishead sounds had the fans chanting for more as their frontman hurtled himself over the barriers into the head banging crowd. - Red Stripe Music Award 09

Alt-rock riot

Loci - live in Bristol

Helen Frances
Music Editor


Remember that record-breaking stunt where 21 students crammed themselves into a Mini for no tangible reason? It’s a near guarantee-squeeze a load of people into a small space totally unnecessarily, and you’re probably going to be successful in gaining the attention you so blatantly crave!

But in music, too many cooks can definitely spoil the broth and when bands begin to resemble gangs, it’s time to start questioning the purpose of hiring deadwood (tambourine players and vaguely amusing maraca-shaking dancers be warned!) when a smaller, more talented band could admirably fulfil all necessary duties amongst themselves.

This is where Bristol alt-rock threesome Loci enter, carrying a gleaming aura of hope to our long-suffering lugholes with their pioneering ‘AGITrawk’ sound.

Confirming that old saying about big things and small packages, this power trio have been touring extensively, playing everywhere from Cardiff to Colchester but tonight they were back on home turf to play material from their new EP ‘Medic’- a sharp and distinctive parcel of dark alt-rock with grinding bass lines, intelligent lyrics and intricate male/female vocal harmonies.

Listening to this fresh collection of tunes certainly set my expectations for their live show tonight into the highest bracket. So, with a feeling of anticipation like that of a rather short man struggling to reach a naughty magazine from the top shelf, I was hoping not to go home disappointed!

The chosen backdrop for this evening’s performance was a huge screen displaying a mash-up zombie horror flick behind the stage. Potentially, this could have been a surreal distraction from the band’s performance but just moments into their set, it was clear Loci weren’t going to be upstaged by anything.

Kicking off with some mysterious electronic noises before seamlessly hurtling into the beautifully riff-heavy track ‘Zweifel’, the trio forged an immediate and intense connection with the mesmerized crowd.

From the first chord dozens of beady eyes were transfixed on frontman Ben’s guitar-wielding antics, which included the ability to sing and play intricate lead with ease whilst frequently jumping around, spinning in circles and dropping to the floor.

If you like bands that are exciting and animated on stage, you’ll probably appreciate how rarely performers manage to grasp that essential balance of unleashing high levels of physical energy whilst still retaining a credible standard of musicianship.

But this evening, whether playing the deep and shadowy noir-track ‘Iodine’ or straight up fast and furious grunge, this three piece managed to convey an electric display of energy whilst remaining focused on their musical roles.

Impressive exploits - after all, anyone can hold a guitar over their head, but to play it at the same time whilst combining this arm-tiring action with wonderfully expressive vocals and the occasional spiralling tuck jump - that’s talented entertainment that makes you realise how truly distinctive Loci are!

Further into their set and stunning bassist/vocalist Janet seamlessly weaved haunting sample noises into the darkly brooding track ‘Quoits’, whilst hammering out rich bass lines in impressive co-ordination with speedy drummer Tim’s absorbing rhythms. I’m usually a little apprehensive about the use of samples in live rock but this multi-talented bassist’s efforts paid off as her subtle incorporation of electronic sounds complemented but didn’t detract from the band’s commitment to performing a pure rock show.

To complete the evening’s rock frolics, Loci took a final lunge together into the intensely powerful ‘Cult of Insects’. Heads banged along to Janet’s elegant vocal harmonies and strong, complex bass compositions whilst Tim pounded effortlessly through a dense mesh of intoxicating beats and skilled time changes. Although their set was coming to a close, the band’s bright eyes and friendly grins showed not even the slightest hint of fatigue. As someone who gets out of breath when just running for the bus, I felt inferior to this trio whose physically demanding show seemed to pass over them like a sweat-free breeze (gym here I come!).

Finally, as a sweet cherry treat to top this evening’s creamy-rich rock sounds, Ben took a hurtling leap from the stage and into the crowd where he was greeted by the some truly inventive but heartfelt mosh-dancing before the venue was submerged in a storm of whistles, screams and crazed clapping.

As the house lights went up, I felt as satisfied and enlightened as an apple-scrumper sampling my first batch of home made cider! I had just witnessed a perfect blend of superb musicianship, fantastic tunes and total lack of pretentious arrogance that’s scarce in music at the moment.

Loci deserve to be embraced and cherished like the rarest, and sparkliest of treasures-especially by anyone who feels disenchanted with the current barrage of drainpipe-wearing, bar chord-reliant posers who inexplicably keep getting churned out of the music mill. - Western Eye