Flux Capacitor

CD Reviews
FLUX CAPACITOR – THEY KNOW WE KNOW
REVIEW BY Michael McKenna 3/14/11
I have only one word to describe their music “RETRO-MOD”. It’s a new term I coined after hearing the band play live at The Hope for Allentown Benefit. The music is totally fresh, but at the same time incorporates some of the best parts of the 60’s rock genre. They use this rare talent to create a totally off the wall unique sound that is all their own. The lyrics come from life experiences, current events and a few from way out there! The psychedelic effects invoke some of the greats from the Haight-Asbury era of the 60’s which they meld into a modern sound. Their influences come from some of the greats that range from Jethro Tull, Grateful Dead, Jimmy Hendrix, Cream and The Doors.
The band is comprised by a trio of the Specht brothers – Peter, Jason & Michael – who have chemistry between them that lets them create, express and project in a unique way. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer, David Ivory, this offering enhances the strengths of each member collectively and individually. Guest musicians include Sean Moran on bass, Pablo Batista on percussion and Matt McCarty on drums and keys.
“Drop it Like it’s Hotter” is a rhythm monster! The boys rock the house with this track. The slammin guitar solo and psycho effects coupled with in your face vocals make this a MUST LISTEN! “Moth” tells a cool story of an experience as a moth in the light and wind as he lives and flies in his daily travels. “The Game” features some cool retro synth work not heard in years. The lyrics tell it like it is, “This is a game, it’s all a game, played out on the field”. “The World” features Bowie-esque guitar work from Peter, Matt McCarty on keys and tight harmonies in this retro-mod protest song. “Everything’s Happening” has an intro reminiscent of Thunderclap Newman with the laid back string work and tempered vox. The song then morphs into a mid-tempo rocker with intense authority. The tempo changes are hot! One of the best songs on this CD!
“Big Bad” reminds me of the 80’s dance club wave music which is close to a style used by O.M.D back in the day. ‘They Know We Know’ just invaded my earholes with a total sound separation that blew my mind and the synth-guitar solo added the right texture and energy for this to blast off! “1,000,000 Faces” shows the improvisations used by the band to create unique sounds that hold the listener close. “Walk on Water” has a distinct sound that could be a CHR/Alternative candidate for airplay. It has a nice pop feel that would have mass appeal. “Can’t Remember” has an intro that reminds me of the Beatles in their White Album days in the composition and makeup with a simple beat and vox that are eerie. The hook is tight and energetic and is just totally awesome! Another candidate for one of the best songs!
“Insomnia” is another of those retro-mod tracks that has 60’s written all over it. Clean, tight and fresh! “Rain” is a nice change of pace and shows the versatility of the band as they capture a sophisticated sound. “ATF” fuses the sound of 60’s synth with today’s fresh modern rhythms in an instrumental masterpiece. The riffs are slammin and the intensity is infectious!
This David Ivory produced CD is totally out of the box. I give this 2 THUMBS UPSee More
My reviews of CD's of Lehigh Valley Area Artists and those who have played the Lehigh Valley area. I also review national and semi-national artists at their request.
By: Michael McKenna - Michael McKenna

"Moth"
From the album They Know We Know
"There was once a time when jam bands truly rocked. However, somewhere along the way, the rock faction seemed to have dwindled. Flux Capacitor is an exception. The group has taken their eclectic range of influences, mixed them in a blender, and created a highly intoxicating blend of their own." - Relix Magazine

Flux Capacitor
Posted on February 5, 2011

Watching Flux Capacitor now at the Taproom. Be damned. Part Umphrey's McGee, part STS9, part Bisco, part... CKY? Maybe in the riffs. Crowd is alive and the tones are fat. I'll finish thais tomorrow... Good, good, great stuff.

I'm not sure if I want to stay or go home and practice. Bell's Triple Hearted says stay.

Updated: It's the morning after. My girlfriend made me sleep on the couch because I smelled like cigarettes. Plus i have a kickin' beer headache. But it's all good.

Flux Capacitor was outstanding. And I'm critical. Each song was more melodic than the next. Some amazing technical prowess. I was more impressed with the creativity than anything. It's one thing to be able to play You Enjoy Myself, it's another to be able to write something similar, with every band member having a delicate role (and playing it out to a T).

They're a 3 piece. Everyone can sing. The guitarist and primary singer has a nice stomp box chain and 2 amps (a Vox was one, forgot the other, but may have just been a speaker). Fat, colored tone. Kicked into the octave pedal a lot (which is why I mention CKY above). He played riffs and sang lines that were instant hooks. Very Disco Biscuits. Very Zappa. The drummer was tight and full on a small kit. That's always impressive. He went with the music instead of just holding the beat. I love when drummers are musicians. The keyboardist was the bassist. He had 6 or more synths set up, and blew me away. Brilliance in his additions. He had a galaxy of tones and awesome sensibilities.

Flux Capacitor is a musical event. Great stuff.

- www.berkscountymusic.com

By Ambre Juryea
Ah, the sweet smell of patchouli.
It's the choice scent of the hippie generation.
It's also the invigorating aroma that swirls through the crowd at any Flux Capacitor performance.
Devoted Flux fans often kick off their shoes, flail their arms around, and dance the night away as if they were sent through time and space to the peace-loving '60s.
This is what makes Flux Capacitor quite like their namesake, which is the device from the "Back to the Future" movies used to send Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown to another point in time.
In the true hippie spirit, Flux Capacitor would like to make their upcoming Thanksgiving Eve show as worry-free and laid-back as possible for their fans.
So, the Specht brothers, Pete (guitar, vocals), Jason (drums, vocals) and Mike (keyboards, vocals, left-handed bass), have arranged two party buses to cart fans from a spot in Shillington to the show, which will be at the World Café Live in Philadelphia.
"I think this will be our sixth bus trip," Mike Specht said. "We started [having bus trips] to different shows in New York City. ... We like doing it because it's a way that people won't have as much to worry about for the night. It's fun, and it's something to look forward to."
Pete Specht added, "This [show] is at the World Café Live downstairs, which is a great venue, and Thanksgiving Eve is a great party night. ... We have so many cool people that hang with the band that we wanted to bring them with us."
Dirk Quinn Band and third band yet to be announced will also play.
According to Pete Specht, "This is going to be a good, solid show. It's not going to be your typical city showcase-thing, where it's 30 minutes. Our set is going to be well over an hour, and we're really going to jam it out."
And "jam it out" is most certainly what they do best. One thing that must be said, though, is that the guys definitely can't be type-cast into the role of hippie jam band.
According to the band's MySpace page, their genre is "modern psychedelic."
The guys say they tell people that is their genre when they have to choose something fast, but their sound is too intricate to describe in just a few words.
"We like to jam, and we like to improvise. We have a lot of improvisational sections, but there's a backbone to every jam lyrically. It's not music for music's sake, and it definitely has a message," Pete Specht said.
Flux Capacitor is from the Reading area, and they have been playing together for about four years.
Their debut album "They Know We Know" was released in March, 2009, on Flexitone Records.
They are one of the busiest rock bands in the Berks County area and play several shows every week.
Information about the upcoming bus trip and any other upcoming performances can be found on the band's website. - BCTV.ORG

By Kirk Greenwood
Photo by Tina Dolin
Reading-based psychedelic jammers Flux Capacitor hit the summer festival circuit hard this year, making appearances at five festivals across three states. They wrapped up with a performance at the Stir Fry Music Revival at Snipes Farm in Morrisville on September third.
Brothers Pete, Jason and Mike Specht, who have performed and recorded as Flux Capacitor for the past four years, are no strangers to the highs and lows of life on the road. "I love touring," says Pete, who plays guitar and sings lead vocals for the band. "I might have some little panicky moment right before we leave, but once I'm on the road it's like: 'This is it; there ain't no turning back.'"

Last September, Flux embarked on its first tour outside the Philly region. "We're kind of spiraling out from this area," says Mike, who plays keyboards/bass for the group and contributes backup vocals. Traveling west to Chicago, the brothers lined up nightly gigs by word of mouth. "We played every night of the week on that tour," says drummer/vocalist, Jason. "There were people who had heard of us all the way out there."
Flux followed up the success of its Midwest tour with another, "mini-tour" to Florida last February. "We were treated really nice and were invited back at a bunch of places," says Pete. After playing a show in Reading this month, the band will travel 13 hours south for a one-night stand with fans in Kennesaw, GA.
After a dogged, eight-year run as the "songwriting and performing core" of an underperforming act called Odyssey, the Specht brothers decided to make a change and reorganized as Flux Capacitor. "As soon as we came together as Flux Capacitor, everything started happening really fast," says Jason. "Now we rehearse like crazy."
Named for the spaceage whatchamacallit Back to the Future mad scientist, Doc Brown, uses to power his suped-up DeLorean backwards and forwards in time, Flux Capacitor makes music to transport listeners to distant temporal zones. "The idea of time traveling is behind a lot of what we do," says Pete. "Sometimes [during shows] it freaks out and time stands still."

Last year, the band released its debut album, They Know We Know-recorded with the help of Grammy-nominated, local producer, David Ivory. The album's sleeper hit, "Moth," established Flux as a real presence on iTunes and YouTube. "The symbolism of that song relates to people on a lot of metaphorical levels," says Pete, who based the song's lyrical content on bouts of sleepwalking and night terrors he struggled with in his early teens. "I think some of the energy from those experiences transfers to listeners," he says.
Flux draws most of its inspiration from what Pete calls the "people power" music of the 1960s. "It was a time when young people in America and England were waking up for the first time," he explains.
Right now, the band is blitzing ahead with a series of single releases, one of which, "Dome," riffs on the theme of shattering the ceiling of psychic self-constraint imposed by commercial culture and the mass media. "To me it's like breaking open this dome of certain illusions to reach higher steps of consciousness," says Pete, essentializing the sophisticated, 14-minute opus. "It's a structured song, not mindless improvisation," he continues. "As far as the grooves go, it could go from Zeppelin to Queen to The Doors to Elton John, all in six minutes."
A responsive fan base of diehard 'Fluxheads' helps elevate the band to a higher psychic plateau during live performances. "A lot of times the chemistry we end up generating translates to the audience," says Jason. "We have awesome friends and fans. We love 'em!" - Origivation Magazine

Flux Capacitor

Flux Capacitor - “They Know We Know” (Flexitone Records) Modern alternative and progressive rock flavors collide head-on with classic-styled psychedelic rock on “They Know We Know”, the daring debut CD from southeastern Pennsylvania foursome Flux Capacitor. Lead singer/guitarist Peter Specht, bassist Sean Moran, percussionist Jason Specht and keyboardist Michael Specht dispense with the rulebook and step outside the lines over the disc’s dozen tracks; merging Radiohead-and Porcupine Tree-like atmospherics with classic-styled psychedelia reminiscent of Cream and Hawkwind. The resulting hybrid sound grooves and captivates, with the various stylistic elements wrapping around engaging and inventive melodies; capped by colorful world-view and dreamscape lyrics. Flux Capacitor demonstrates a variety of angles here, from the Cream-meets-Robin Trower dynamic of “Moth,” and the Cream-infused “The World” and “Everything’s Happening”; to the driving Hawkwind space-rock experimentation of “The Game.” The group taps psychedelic Beatles whimsy on “Can’t Remember,” recalls an early Pink Floyd vibe on “Rain,” generates an aggressive funk-rock groove on “1,000,000 Faces,” and with help from guest percussionist Pablo Batista crafts exotic-flavored vibes on “Big Bad…” and “Insomnia.” .” Flux Capacitor’s versatility and arrangements combine with David Ivory’s masterful ingenuity behind the console to create a vibrant sound that never stands still for long and constantly explores new rocking terrain. The instrumental execution is tight, flamboyant and gearshifts tempos on a dime; while Peter Specht’s voice delivers a suitable blend of grit, range and intensity where needed. Flux Capacitor’s fluctuating musical sojourns make “They Know We Know” a compelling listen that establishes this band’s clever songwriting chops and sense of adventurism. (To obtain the CD, visit Flux Capacitor’s Myspace website, www.myspace.com/fluxhead.) —reviewed by Jim Price - PA Musician

Taking Us Back to a Better Time: The Sounds of Flux Capacitor

Among the hip-hop and bubblegum pop that seem to overwhelm today’s music scene, it’s rare to find a band that brings music “back to basics,” back to a time when rock and roll was at its purest – many would say its best – during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, when bands like Led Zeppelin and The Who ruled the scene. Watching Flux Capacitor perform their unique style of music during a recent performance at the Northeast Taproom, Reading, PA, reminded me of this golden era of rock.
But in no way are the skills of these four musicians basic. The vocals of lead singer and guitarist Pete Specht are commanding, as lyrics like “got to free our souls…cause now I am the moth” resonated throughout the room. Bassist Sean “fast fingers” Moran, as I have donned him, is amazing to watch. On tracks like “1,000,000 Faces,” it was hard to believe how fast his fingers moved up down his bass. Although he may be sitting behind Pete and Sean, drummer Jason Specht can not be overlooked. Nor can the youngest Specht brother Michael on synth and keyboards.
Flux’s medley of tracks span from energetic, upbeat songs like “1,000,000 Faces” to more mellow ballads like “Everything Is Happening.” And their fans love them all, as their loyal following sang along to every track. During the performance, the room was full of energy. Live musical performances, especially by original bands versus cover bands, are becoming more and more difficult to find these days. Catching a live performance by Flux was truly a musical blessing.
Named after the invention from the movie Back to the Future that was used to travel through time, there couldn’t be a more appropriate name for a band that makes you truly feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Maybe these four talented guys from Reading, PA, will be the ones to save rock and roll. We can only hope.

-- Kristin Kramer, freelance writer, Berks County Living - Berks County Living

Every once in a while the stars align and something extraordinary happens. That was exactly the case at this past Thursday nights Live Performance Series presented by Ivory Productions at Puck Live in Doylestown, PA. The night started out with a couple of awesome local folk hero’s and an edgy acoustic rock performance by local favorites The Manatees. But the true essence of this show was yet to begin.

At 11PM the headliners for the evening, Philadelphia based alternative rock jam band Flux Capacitor hit the stage. Every time I attend a Flux Capacitor show I know that I’m in for a unique musical treat. So I sat wondering just what kind of musical epiphany I was going to experience on this night. The room which was filled with soon to be new fans and of course their own loyal fans, lovingly known as Flux Heads, all eagerly waiting for what was to be another unparalleled performance from this exceedingly unique alternative band. They never disappoint and I quickly found out that this show was to be no exception.

The band began the set with a new song titled “August Day”, one that I had not previously heard. As always the new material was innovative and exciting. The transition into the second selection, a cut from their soon to be released full length album, from Flexitone Records, “They Know We Know”, entitled “Walk on Water” again had the crowd salivating for more. So they went on to one of my favorites “Million Faces”, also off of their upcoming album.Anticipation mounted and accelerated as the completely engrossed crowd absorbed this musical extravaganza for the ears and eyes. By mid show, the performance would have had the crowd eating out of their hands if it was not for the fact that all of their hands were busy pounding out this stellar performance. As if this exciting performance in and of itself wouldn’t have been enough, the band ended the set with what is undoubtedly my favorite song from this act “The Moth” from their new album. The riveting vocals and guitar work of Pete Specht kept the audience spellbound as the song ended with the interaction of their new music video for The Moth. The psychedelic and transformational storyboard in this video could not have been anymore apropos or depicting of the song and this uniquely talented rock band; A tasty treat and a very nice surprise.

One of the best and most exciting shows I’ve seen in a very long time. Flux Capacitor is in a word, the definition of excitement; a crowd favorite who never fails to be overwhelmingly well received. Highly recommended!
by Ken Cavalier - Allure Media Entertainment