Kristian Dunn's t-shirt said it all: the names of classical composers in throwback 80s rock text. The duo, completed by drummer Tim Fogarty, combines incredible musicianship and minimalist composition with a hard rock aesthetic. El Ten Eleven's instrumental songs gradually build and mutate as Dunn loops sections from a double-neck guitar/bass and double-neck guitar, and plays over them with his fretless bass.
Dunn achieves an amazing diversity of sounds from his basses and guitars—alternately playing with a bow, strumming, picking and tapping, and just generally shredding. Fogarty's drum beats are the perfect backbone, ranging into a machine-gun fast range when the songs reach a crescendo. El Ten Eleven's songs are cerebral, catchy, and powerful, making the live performance intense and repeated listening extremely rewarding. If you have a chance to check out El Ten Eleven, live or otherwise, you should take it.
