Oren Lyons: Local Band We Love

(Editor’s Note: This band is now called Kan Wakan!)

It’s rare that Jason Bentley will play a single track every day for a week on Morning Becomes Eclectic, but the track “Forever Found” by LA- band Oren Lyons has earned that distinction.

When the song begins, it sounds like a piece of orchestral music until the drums kick in and all of the sudden you’re sent on an ambient, slightly psychedelic trip. The strings add a blissful air of romanticism.

This may sound strange but when I really like a song, I feel like I want to take a swim in it. I would love to dive into this one.

Stream “Forever Found” and download it here. (click “save page as)

The band is pretty new, forming just this past January. Multi-instrumentalist composer Gueorgui Linev teamed up with guitarist/producer Peter Potyondy and singer Kristianne Bautista with the idea to pursue a fusion of “classical minimalism and experimental soul”.

The band has since expanded to a sextet, adding violinist Dannon Rampton, drummer Randy Wagner and bassist Ian Anderson to round out the sound.

What I love is how each individual musician adds to the sound – you can easily pick apart each instrument, including Kristianne’s beautiful voice, and hear how they contribute to the whole.

This kind of intricate orchestration has drawn us to bands like Other Lives. That Oklahoma band went on to open for Radiohead, so I wonder what this year holds for Oren Lyons…

RR