Roberto Burgos: vocals, guitar, electronics
Valerie Cooper: vocals, synthesizer, guitar
Aaron Porter: bass guitar, percussion
Rob Uytingco: drums
It is not easy to describe what SF Bay Area band, Sweet Trip sounds like. Listeners could label them under shoegaze, electronic, or indie-pop music. Certainly these three categories are the foundation to their sound, but Sweet Trip manages to combine eclectic styles, textures, sounds, and dynamics not often seen in rock music today.
Their beginnings trace back to 1993, when Roberto Burgos met Viet Le while registering for a high school talent show. Influenced by Seattle grunge, alternative and metal music, the two would spend weekends playing their favorite songs in Viet’s garage with Roberto on guitar and Viet on drums. It was through these jam sessions and a common high school acquaintance that they’d meet Valerie Cooper (formerly Valerie Reyes).
She showed up with a cheap guitar and CD’s to swap of the latest Britpop, shoegaze, ambient & electronic music. From there, Roberto and Viet shed their grunge sounds for the more atmospheric tones of bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Seefeel or Aphex Twin. They asked Valerie to formally join their band and together, showcased original music under the name Ophelia Satellite. Despite the lack of a permanent bassist, they opened for well known local bands such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jupiter Sun, and Julie Plug. Their sound was reminiscent of shoegaze and dream pop; walls of reverb, delay, slow grooves and gentle vocals.
After failed attempts of finding the right bassist, O.S. decided to take a break from shows. Meanwhile, Roberto was cleverly producing songs slightly different from the O.S. format. More lo-fi electronic sounds and samples came into the mix. Processed drum machines and dubby bass lines made up the core of the music while the blissed-out guitar sounds were retained. Upon hearing the new songs, Viet and Valerie convinced Roberto to play them live. With drums programmed on drum machines, old samplers, and an Atari computer, Viet switched to playing bass. Alas, the no-bassist problem was solved and the hiatus was over---so was the name Ophelia Satellite. As a joke, Roberto labeled his new demo tapes “The Sweet Trip,” but somehow it stuck.
Their new sound was received with open arms, gaining a following in San Francisco. Due to their mix of electronic and pop, the trio was invited to play at conventional rock gigs, radio stations, goth shows, film festivals, as well as raves and electronic music events. After a short but successful Southern California tour, Sweet Trip signed to label Darla Records.
Sweet Trip released their debut album, Halica in 1998 which was rained with positive reviews. Their signature song, Fish became a favorite amongst fans and critics. Fish was also released as an EP with remixes and versions from label mate Junior Varsity KM. During this time Sweet Trip kept busy with compilation tracks (most notably “Ahh, Sealife!” on the influential Drum and Bliss record) and remixes. Sweet Trip also opened for Cornelius, Momus, Windy and Carl, Halou, DJ Me DJ You, Mates of State, Aisler’s Set, Arling and Cameron.
Roberto also joined Takako Minekawa on her 1998 American tour providing guitar support. After completion of the tour, Roberto remixed two Takako Minekawa tracks; Never/More, released only in Japan through Polystar, and Cat House, released through Emperor Norton. Sweet Trip also provided remixes for Club 8 (ex-Acid House Kings), Color Filter, Gnac, and released the highly anticipated Alura EP, which contained the track Alura, another live fan favorite. Viet gave up his job as bassist, taking over sound engineering duties to Sweet Trip’s ever growing live kit list. Aaron Porter, formerly of Sushi, became their permanent bass player. Sweet Trip performed at CMJ NY and SXSW in 2000 and was one of the most anticipated performances of the festival.
After a long break, and a year and a half of heavy recording, Sweet Trip released their follow up CD, Velocity:Design:Comfort on Darla Records in 2003 to raving reviews. Sweet Trip took the sound they pioneered in Halica and pushed it further, with glitchy textures, distorted beats, acoustic, electric, and electronic instruments. Sweet Trip brought a broader palette of styles ranging from disco pop, jangly rock, and jazzy overtones, to fast paced drum’n’bass, funky techno, and experimental production. V:D:C made it to many top 100 lists of 2003 and 2004, earning 4 ½ stars, AMG album pick at www.allmusic.com.
Sweet Trip reunited in 2006 with the exception of Viet Le, and addition of Rob Uytingco on drums, who also plays with Bay Area band Julie Plug. Their new live set consists of reinterpretations of songs from Velocity:Design:Comfort as well as newer material. Sweet Trip will continue to release new music through Darla Records or other labels, produce remixes, and tour the U.S.
Contact Information:
Email: info@sweet-trip.net
Website: http://www.sweet-trip.net
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sweettrip
Darla Records: http://www.darla.com