Telepathic Dub

The global sounds of Asheville's Telepath

Close your eyes at the record store and reach into the "World Music" bin. Whatever you come up with, Telepath has a spin to put on it.

The Asheville-based trio takes the sound of an Arabic chant or a South American horn section, fuses it with a consistent electronic beat, then plays live bass, drum, and keys over it. But unlike many DJs and producers, their samples are almost entirely self-created. The tone and melody of a part are envisioned by the band, then handed over to, for example, a singer from India to record. Those tracks are then mixed into Telepath's original songs.

"Contact," the band's latest release in 2008, is a mash-up of global sounds and styles, produced into a smooth flowing record that's just as at home in the record player of a Putumayo sampler subscriber as it is on the loudspeakers of a late-night rave.

"Think for yourself, make your own decisions -- that's what Telepath does with music," explains bassist Curt Heiny. "When they hear it, every single person is going to have their own thoughts and opinions. You take from our music what you let yourself take from it, and that's the goal."

Beyond borrowing from the world's musical traditions, Telepath has taken initiatives to give back. Contact was released at www.planetwize.com. Portions of the album's sales go to Foundation Rwanda, an organization that funds secondary school education for children in the impoverished African nation.

"Our keyboard player, Michael Christie, has a baby now, so we chose to help an organization that directly helps families, in this case, those affected by genocide," says Heiny. "We want to help out people who are treated unjustly."

Awareness of economic hardship in their own country recently led them to release a free five-song sampler for their fans, available at www.telepathmusic.com. "We're really conscious about keeping ticket prices reasonable," says Heiny. "Even though a lot of people don't have money right now, we still want them to be able to come and experience our sound live."

Telepath just returned from their first west coast tour, following a summer that included gigs at the fabled Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and a string of shows with STS9 and Umphrey's McGee.

"People definitely knew who we were (in California)," says Heiny. "It was really cool to have good crowds show up and be calling out the names of songs."

The band's next project is a full-length album called "The Remixes," featuring their own songs remixed by both themselves and other electronic artists. They've also put their own spin on songs by Richie Havens and STS9.

At the Pour House, Telepath will be supported by Asheville's Agobi Project and Charleston's own MO Theory. Heiny plans to sit-in with MO Theory's Justin Aubuchon, introducing a new side project that two have in the works -- a mix of electronic sampling and live keys and bass.

"I'd like to think that we're putting out the most positive, conscious music possible," says Heiny. "We've been blessed with this opportunity. Being able to make decisions that influence or help other people -- it all roots back to the music."

If you go

Who: Telepath, Agobi Project and M.O. Theory.

When: Saturday 9 p.m.

Where: The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Highway.

Cost: $10 at www.etix.com, all Cat's Music and Monster Music locations.

Hear His Music: www.telepathmusic.com.

Info: 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com.