While most electronic musicians simply trigger prerecorded tracks from a laptop on stage, Twintapes refuses to take this approach to their music-making or live show. They perform using all-analog synthesizers—a showcase that is both organic and raw. They focus intensely on creating a sound that is different than studio and album recordings, aiming to make their concerts a performing arts experience, rather than a carbon copy of their latest record. And while some of the sounds might be familiar, most are, in the words of The Deli Magazine, “…a perfect balance between groove and chill.”

Pavel Rivera, the band’s lead singer and producer, grew up in a house surrounded by music. His older brothers were DJ’s who constantly played records from influential 80’s bands like Depeche Mode, Erasure, The Cure, The Smiths, A-Ha, Duran Duran, INXS, New Order, Tears for Fears, and Michael Jackson.

His early love of music, also contributed to the band’s name, Twintapes, which stems from an incident that Pavel had as a child. He lost his favorite mixed cassette tape inside an old faulty cassette player. The fear of losing more of his favorite music prompted him to create copies of his tapes. These were known as his “Twintapes.” 

Pavel started Twintapes in 2008, after completing his second bachelors degree in music production at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He locked himself in his bedroom studio for months and wrote and produced the first album Somewhere Down The Road. In 2010, he collaborated with long-time friend, Jon Estes, and together they released the second album, Pluto. After that, Jon relocated to Nashville, but Pavel did not let that stop the project from moving forward. During the release of WDWG in 2012, Pavel brought in Landon Knoblock, synthesizer extraordinaire, and at the suggestion of former member, Jon Estes, auditioned Benny Reiner, who became the band’s drummer tour-de-force, and the trio began performing regularly in NYC.     

Today, with the band on solid footing, Pavel says he and the guys draw inspiration from Blonde Redhead, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Miles Davis, Maurice Ravel, and Bill Frisell. They continually seek to explore melody in their work, as well as create well-orchestrated and contrapuntal traits in the band’s music. So, if you like bands with, “A warm electronic sound underpinned by strong groovy beats and an experimental spirit,” as PopMatters describes their sound, check out Twintapes today.