2008 Woodie Awards
Formal Action provides insight to the emotion, passion of its musical roots
Kyle Thacker
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Entertainment
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12/06/07 - In a dimly light room, with everyone's vision clouded by a haze of smoke and conversation aided by the consumption of white Russians, I sat down to talk with local band Formal Action.
The band consists of three University of Rhode Island students. In addition to playing the role of producer, junior Matt Decosta plays guitar and provides lead vocals, fellow junior Erik Eklund drops the heavy bass lines straight out of Trenchtown, and sophomore Dave Davignon lays low behind the drum set kicking that rock-steady rhythm.
The conversation I had with Formal Action covered topics ranging from the band's interpretation of its own music and the recording of their latest EP titled Hypnosis, to talk about Martians and the Bible. It was a rambling conversation that somehow managed to stay coherent and was continually rooted in Formal Action's passion to create music that has a unifying quality.
Formal Action sets out to make music that ties listeners together with a common thread of human expression and emotion, connecting to its listeners with a raw energy that seems to be absent in today's music.
For those readers who aren't familiar with Formal Action, the band is rooted in rock and reggae, but with a sound that is ever-evolving and maturing - and with varied influences from blues to hip-hop, it's hard to confine the band to a strict and definitive genre.
Formal Action's latest release was Hypnosis. It was the first time the band had recorded in a studio setting and the first recordings with drummer Davignon. The result was a very solid EP. Decosta plays reggae and blues-influenced guitar parts that are carefully wrapped up in reverb and distortion, giving Hypnosis a thick and syrupy sound overall, which ends up getting serrated by Davingon's sharp and crisp percussion.
It is left to Eklund to provide the groove and carry the songs along, which he does well, supplying subtle bass lines that fit perfectly into the pockets of sound laid down by Decosta and Davignon. The first song on the EP, "Hurricane Music" (if only it was a Katrina tribute song), has a line that sums up Formal Action's attitude in my opinion - and it's damn good advice too: "Let the music move you/let it move you to the beat."
The band consists of three University of Rhode Island students. In addition to playing the role of producer, junior Matt Decosta plays guitar and provides lead vocals, fellow junior Erik Eklund drops the heavy bass lines straight out of Trenchtown, and sophomore Dave Davignon lays low behind the drum set kicking that rock-steady rhythm.
The conversation I had with Formal Action covered topics ranging from the band's interpretation of its own music and the recording of their latest EP titled Hypnosis, to talk about Martians and the Bible. It was a rambling conversation that somehow managed to stay coherent and was continually rooted in Formal Action's passion to create music that has a unifying quality.
Formal Action sets out to make music that ties listeners together with a common thread of human expression and emotion, connecting to its listeners with a raw energy that seems to be absent in today's music.
For those readers who aren't familiar with Formal Action, the band is rooted in rock and reggae, but with a sound that is ever-evolving and maturing - and with varied influences from blues to hip-hop, it's hard to confine the band to a strict and definitive genre.
Formal Action's latest release was Hypnosis. It was the first time the band had recorded in a studio setting and the first recordings with drummer Davignon. The result was a very solid EP. Decosta plays reggae and blues-influenced guitar parts that are carefully wrapped up in reverb and distortion, giving Hypnosis a thick and syrupy sound overall, which ends up getting serrated by Davingon's sharp and crisp percussion.
It is left to Eklund to provide the groove and carry the songs along, which he does well, supplying subtle bass lines that fit perfectly into the pockets of sound laid down by Decosta and Davignon. The first song on the EP, "Hurricane Music" (if only it was a Katrina tribute song), has a line that sums up Formal Action's attitude in my opinion - and it's damn good advice too: "Let the music move you/let it move you to the beat."