"I've been thinking that I've been thinking too much.  For more than what you'll ever see or say, this life depends on what you touch.  So look through the surfaces..."

Richmond – When one has friends that play in a band, it is often difficult to accurately assess them from the same viewpoint as the general public.  With that being said, the Silo Effect’s CD release show at The Camel really put things into perspective.  In Silo’s early days, I would often find myself personally acquainted with ninety percent of those in attendance of the show.  However, on this particular evening, Silo packed The Camel nearly to capacity, a testament to their remarkable growth since forming in early 2007.  No longer can I justly refer to them as simply “my friends’ band” – they have become a true local force, an entity unto themselves with quite an impressive following.

On this particular evening, the Silo boys celebrated the release of their long-awaited debut EP Treehouse with two sets of epic, blazing psychedelia and crunchy, throbbing dance grooves that seemed to increase the temperature inside The Camel by twenty degrees.  The rhythm section of Steve Owen (bass, vocals) and Bryan “Rico” Reyes (drums) lock together to form a pummeling funk freight train, while Matt Hughes (guitar) and Matthew “Chen” Henry (keyboards, samples) add layer upon layer of texture and atmosphere, morphing ethereal soundscapes into beautiful resolutions of expressive, instrumental melody. 

The Treehouse EP offers the first document of the band’s growth over the past few years, as up until this point Silo could only be experienced and understood in a live setting.  What Rico describes as the band’s “roots album,” Treehouse was recorded over three days at the Sound of Music Studio in Richmond with assistance from producer Taylor Smith.  Longtime fans of the band will likely recognize the five songs featured on the album, as they are some of the group’s earliest compositions, yet they will most likely also notice how the songs have evolved over the years, reflecting an evolution of the band’s overall sound and vision.  In fact, “evolution” could be considered Silo’s middle name, acting as a recurring theme in their music and conceptually linking the five tracks on Treehouse. 

A casual listener would enjoy the record for its peaceful, meditative tone and its dynamic exploration of musical styles.  However, upon closer inspection, Treehouse reveals far grander conceptual themes.  The opening title track establishes the album’s foundation in the natural world, serving as a launchpad for the journey that follows.  As the band’s lyricist, Steve Owen’s intention is to “create meaning out of…abstraction” inherently found within the instrumentation.  Owen’s intentionally ambiguous lyrics pull the listener into the realm of Silo, inviting the listener to “use your eye” (possibly one’s “third eye”?) as a tool to escape the limits of the natural world, and Chen’s samples add textures to suggest the possibility for further dimensions. 

“Treehouse” is followed by “Kasyapa”, which takes its name from a Buddhist monk and his “moment of breakthrough” during a sermon where a Buddha silently held a flower in front of the monks.  The track features a sample from What the Bleep Do We Know!?, a film that acts as a beginner’s guide to quantum mechanics.  Aside from this brief voice sample, the song instrumentally works through universal mysteries, bridging the gap between the natural world of “Treehouse” with the forces operating within and outside of our consciousness.  Through exploring this territory, the song ultimately reaches its own “moment of breakthrough” near the eight-minute mark, as Hughes uses his guitar to beautifully resolve the mystery implied earlier in the song.  Owen states, “Matt is the singer of the band.  I mean, I sing, vocally…but he’s a much better singer than I am.”  Here, Matt is firmly established as the singer of the band, as his lyrical playing elevates the song to new heights. 

Next comes “Surfaces”, evoking a peaceful understanding of these newfound realms.  Owen sings, “Have fun, look around, but don't be thinking that this is all that there ever was”, suggesting that the listener "look past the surfaces."  The song sounds like a lost track from Meddle-era Pink Floyd (check out Chen’s keyboard solo) that was resurrected with an adrenaline shot to the heart, courtesy of Rico’s zealous drumming.  In fact, the closing section is arguably the rhythm section’s finest moment on the album, as Rico fills the gaps in Owen’s heavy bass chords with aggressive snaps to the hi-hat and snare. 

“Yam Fighter” follows, showcasing Silo’s playful exploration of these new dimensions.  The song seems to be powered by the excitement of discovery, with each member expounding on the song’s central riff from different directions, eventually culminating as the quartet locks together for the pounding, Sabbath-esque riff that closes the song.  In contrast to the floating beauty heard on the rest of the album, “Yam Fighter” displays Silo’s ability to get heavy and downright dirty. 

The album closes with “Flight of the Dog,” which according to Owen, is about “expanding beyond what the realm of expectations are.”  As Silo’s Treehouse journey has been about developing one’s understanding of reality and consciousness, this song represents the intent to continually explore and break new ground, as evolution is a ongoing, cyclical process and not a finite path.  The song closes with a reiteration of the What the Bleep Do We Know!? sound byte, bringing the album conceptually full circle while also signaling a sign of things to come.

As a supplement to their debut album, independent filmmaker Les Owen (father of Steve) spent three days with the band in the studio documenting the recording process.  The footage was edited down into The Silo Effect: The Treehouse Sessions, a film that details the band’s first attempt at honing their improvisation-based music into a concise recording.  The film profiles each individual member, as well as offering an honest look into the challenges faced by a young band in their first experience with professional recording.  States Les, “The film, in its most basic sense, is about the music; what it sounds like, how it was recorded, what they thought of it.  But it’s also about the musicians; how they came together and what they think of one another.  That’s why some of the shots I chose may not be cinematically great, but the moment was meaningful, and I wanted the dialogue and feeling of the moment to be true.”  In addition to capturing the truth of these moments, Owen also seamlessly merges footage of the recording process with actual, finalized versions of the tracks, so that one can see and hear the evolution of the material through its various stages. 

The film was premiered to the public on December 4 with a free showing at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown.  The film is dedicated to band’s fans, and according to Les, “The band members really wanted their friends and followers to have a chance to see the film on the big screen and insisted there be no charge.”  Les is also working on screening the film elsewhere, with both the Arlington Independent Media and the D.C. Film Alliance expressing interest.

Both the album and the film can be purchased at any of Silo’s performances, as well as on CDBaby.  Look for the Silo Effect to be producing ripples, if not massive waves, in the Richmond scene and beyond in this new year. 

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By Editor-In-Chief and Correspondent: Andrew Lutwin

Andrew is originally from Boston, but has spent equal time in Richmond and considers both home.  He graduated VCU with a B.A. in English and looks forward to seeing if his degree will be worth a damn.  While attending Northeastern University, Andrew began covering music for the Zig-Zag Live website and tour campaign, which won him the undying affection of Bostonians because of his access to free rolling papers.  He is fortunate enough to have parents with great taste in music and owes much of his musical sensibilities to them.  Some of his favorites include the Beatles, the Clash, My Morning Jacket, Mastodon, Mission of Burma, all 70s R&B, and anything that can be considered "outlaw."  Other hobbies include food, guitar, whiskey, hiking, Boston sports, and maintaining his beginner-level fish tank.