ALL ABOUT THE ELEMENOPIES

Nicholas Carmen Liberatore goes by the alias: "NICK"	Joel Daniel Rutkowski known in some circles simply as "JOEL"

“If you look up energy in the dictionary, you'll probably see a picture of ELEMENOPY.”

So said the MC at one of ELEMENOPY's early performances after they had left the stage. Truth be told however, if you do look up energy in the dictionary, this is what it actually says:

en·er·gy (EHN uhr jee) n. 1. Vitality and intensity of expression; force of utterance; power to impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit. 2. A source of usable power, such as petroleum or coal.

So they haven’t actually reached Webster-Worthy stature yet. But anyone who has seen ELEMENOPY live probably knows what this MC was talking about (except for the part about the petroleum and coal). Their live performance has been called "vaudevillian," "intense," and "inspiring," and is like no two-person act you've ever seen before... Nick and Joel generate a completely unique and unexpected full band sound by rotating through a myriad of instruments onstage (including Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Drum Kit, Keyboard, Congas, Hand drums & other percussion, etc.) and by utilizing multiple effects and looping. New audiences are inevitably left shocked and dumbfounded after ELEMENOPY leaves the stage, consistently voicing their amazement that "all that sound came from just two guys!" And devoted fans always return to see "what they will do next," as Nick and Joel are never satisfied to play the same show twice and they always have something new and exciting to unveil. ELEMENOPY has a fresh and dynamic sound characterized by the aforementioned energy and intensity, fused with a strong knack for catchy melodies and colorful harmonies, as well as a flair for lyricism that is steeped as much in poetry and emotion as it is in sly wit and clever articulation. The history leading up to their current stature is detailed and convoluted (as you will learn if you continue reading), stretching from one coast to the other and spanning over a decade, but it has paved the way for imminent success and super-stardom (if not bankruptcy, starvation, and just some really great music). While both Nick Liberatore and Joel Rutkowski have many individual artistic ventures under their belts, their long enduring friendship and undeniable musical chemistry is fated to have them work together as a unique and original creative force.

Nick was born into a house that was always filled with song, and has been fascinated with music since he was a young boy. At the age of two he picked up the drums, influenced by his father, who has played in jazz groups all his life. Initially being influenced by the “technical” aspects of music, Nick spent his formative years cranking his stereo and playing along with early Genesis, Yes, and other progressive and fusion albums. When he later picked up guitar and began writing music, he immediately developed an equal appreciation for the lyrical, melodic, and atmospheric aspects of expression. Artists and groups such as The Cure, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, and Peter Gabriel became just as important an influence. On the drums, Nick is able to parlay his disciplined jazz training with his love of the intense raw rhythm of rock and roll. As a guitar player and songwriter, he achieves an emotional honesty and poetic sophistication with his musical creations. Nick has continued to strive to fuse both the technical and emotional in all of his own work, in both his writing and his collaboration with other artists.

Joel’s musical history is perhaps not quite as noble as that of his band mate, but it has certainly shaped him into a very unique and engaging songwriter and musician. An artist and a writer during his younger years, Joel eventually picked up an electric guitar and started to grow his hair long in his early teens (being influenced of course by the garden variety hair-metal so prominent in the late 80’s). But bad fashion sense and cheesy CD collection aside, Joel applied his knack for creativity and artistic structure to becoming a solid guitar player and a clever songwriter. The 90’s brought more compelling modern rock influences to Joel’s CD collection such as Smashing Pumpkins, Faith No More and Blur, and his love of dynamic melody and lush harmony have long been fueled by influences such as Tori Amos, Jellyfish, Ben Folds, and The Beatles. What results is an original and unpredictable musical style, and a lyrical savvy that is often both ironically self aware, and starkly poignant.

Joel and Nick first met in Upstate New York (Syracuse, to be exact) when they formed the group The Mood Circle with two other high school friends in the early 90’s. Coming from four distinctly different musical backgrounds, The Mood Circle’s sound was vastly original, drawing on modern alternative and old school influences. Joel, already a very accomplished songwriter, brought to the table cogent and well thought-out pieces such as “Bored,” “The Day She Wore White,” and “Anything That Feels Like Yesterday” (which one fan fondly referred to as being the entire Siamese Dream album crammed into one 4-minute song). Nick added his jazz-fusion drumming style to the group’s harder edge, and was responsible for the band’s more experimental elements, such as the largely improvisational epic “Requiem Of The Hour,” which could stretch to over a half hour in length at certain performances. The group developed a strong local following and a catalogue of distinguishing original material. Nick eventually left The Mood Circle in 1994 to join the “art-rock” group Anodyne. He was replaced by Brian Bayless, another largely talented established local musician. Joel, Brian and the rest of the The Mood Circle continued to build on their growing status, while Nick started writing and contributing songs such as “Portrait,” “In Memory of the Spark of Initial Eye Contact,” and an early version of “20 Years” to Anodyne. In the midst of all this, Nick and Joel started working together again in a project called Blue Grey, which led to a brief re-union of the original line up of The Mood Circle. It was not to be at this point, however, and the usual laundry list of obstacles led to the band’s untimely demise (conflicting schedules, geography, college, and everyone’s favorite culprit: creative differences).

As everyone parted ways, Joel, while still always writing music, decided to pursue yet another foolhardy artistic path that could only lead to a life of starving desperation: Film School! So off to Ithaca College he went, whereupon he actually became a quite accomplished filmmaker and editor (which is actually the day job that currently pays his bills). Nick continued to play in Anodyne until their eventual split, after which he played in other local groups such as Remnants of the Addiction, Sea Lapse, Headshot, This Afternoon, Before Autumn Ends, Pete’s Dark Moment, and City By Sea - a new group formed with good friends Elisha Dellios and Sean Grimes of Anodyne. He also recorded a solo acoustic album entitled “When We’re Both Cats” in 2002.

In 2003, with Joel back home in Syracuse after graduating from Ithaca College, talk began between him and Nick of forming a new project. The new group, to be called ELEMENOPY, also included Brian Bayless (formerly of The Mood Circle), and was conceived with one simple mission statement: make the best music possible with any means available. With no boundaries of who would play what instrument when or sing what song, all three members collaborated on the music and traded off between a range of instruments, making whatever collection of sounds would best be in service to a particular song. Early rehearsals even included Sean Grimes filling in the bottom end on bass. Local shows once again stirred great interest, but Joel had already made plans to make the move to California to further his film career. Nick, not wanting to give up on the strong musical connection they had built over the years, made plans to join him eventually. Joel moved to Los Angeles in the fall of 2003, and Nick moved out in the summer of 2004. Originally Joel and Nick payed a series of acoustic shows in clubs and coffee houses around LA and conceived forming a “traditional rock band” by adding more members. However, as they continued performing as a two-man acoustic group, they attempted to realize the lush full band sound they envisioned for their songs by any means possible. Their once minimal stage setup quickly gave way to the addition of a full drum kit, percussion, keyboard, multiple effects and looping…all done just by the two of them. The spectacle of these unique performances generated a highly enthusiastic crowd response. Nick and Joel therefore decided to embrace and perfect this style of showmanship, the result being a stage show that is just as exciting as the songs themselves.

ELEMENOPY’s music is lively and engaging, and their live performances are captivating and always highly entertaining. Their prolific and ever growing collection of original material embraces all things rousing and melodic, and is characterized by honest emotion and intelligent, poetic lyricism. And while they don’t resemble petroleum or coal in the strictest sense, they are certainly filled with raw energy and and a penchant for industrious creativity. See for yourself!!