Midnight Masquerade is the newest album from experimental rock group Snow Nerds. This album is defined by its enticing beats, unique instrumentals, and charming absurdity. Stylistically it occupies an intriguing space between jazz, funk, and post-punk; a space in which dance music can live along side experimental improvisation.

"Snow Nerds has a bright, zippy sound and a warm sense of humor...[they] have an excellent rapport, and Sucher’s knotty melodies leave plenty of room for some excellent improvisation."
-Lee Rice Epstein, freejazzblog.org

At the heart of Snow Nerds is the musical history of saxophonist Ted Taforo and guitarist Jake Sucher. The pair have been writing music and performing together since their days in music school years ago.

In 2017 Snow Nerds released their debut album Gup Life on Orenda Records. While this album served as a fairly unaltered documentation of the band’s live sound, Midnight Masquerade embraces multi-tracked layers of drum samples, synthesizers, and live instruments to create a radiant collage of sound and rhythm. As the album begins, the unsettling mystery of "Temporaria Ch. 1" gives way to the thumping kick and bright melodies of the title track. The album continues on with a variety of textures and feels. From the seductively lazy groove of "Green Dortch", to the twisted euphoria of "Millionaire", to the sensitive instrumental duet "Quit Your Job", listeners are lead on a fantastical journey through sound and emotion.

Overall, Midnight Masquerade serves as a refreshing reminder that serious music can be made while not taking oneself seriously. With audio mastering by David Aguila, artwork by Yoo-Jin Oh, and original music videos by Evan Sucher and Ted Taforo, this album embodies a striking and unique aesthetic.

"This band will have you smiling and scratching your head!”
-Larry Koonse, Jazz Guitarist

GUP LIFE, the vibrant and subversive debut of progressive jazz quartet SNOW NERDS, comes onto the Los Angeles improvised music scene with attitude, ernest, and no shortage of absurdist humor. With devilish hooks, hard-hitting instrumental performances, and thought-provoking composition, this record is a breath of fresh air to those who seek an alternative to the desire-to-impress that so often plague the world of academic music.

At the heart of Snow Nerds is the musical history of saxophonist Ted Taforo and guitarist Jake Sucher. The pair have been writing music and performing together since their first days as students at CalArts. In 2015 Sucher and Taforo joined forces with the explosive rhythm section of bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Jesse Quebbeman-Turley. As individuals the band members are emerging staples of LA music, with Butterss appearing with Dick Oates, Bob Mintzer, and Jeff Parker, Quebbeman-Turley with Bill Frisell, and Taforo getting performance and writing credits on Spoon’s newest album Hot Thoughts. Each composition on Gup Life harnesses these individual voices in a way that dawns the possibility of a new positive energy in motion.

"From the short chuckling burst of ‘Skylanders' to the steady meditation of 'Felix Found A Tire,' Sucher’s compositions display thoughtful intent and mindfulness towards the bigger picture. Great attention is paid to varying song length and form, which defiantly energizes the album, subverting expectation at every corner. The fragile 'Real Life Reprise' is the most notable example, decaying from a single verse into delicate noise-making, sustaining interest and potential for its duration. 'Gup Life' is incredibly vibrant and grooving clocking in at only two minutes. In that time the combo joyfully incorporates a soundbite of famous Australian TV veterinarian Dr. Harry Cooper. “
—Ben Levinson, Gup Life liner notes

As a complete package, Gup Life has a story to tell. Striking artwork by Vanessa Lilak, package design by Eron Rauch, recording and mixing work of Greg Hartunian, Ben Levinson’s insightful liner notes, as well as recurring themes in the lyric and track titles shape a record that is reflective, complex, and just plain fun. At times the narrative also dips into the political. Do Your Job, inspired by a protest chant, evokes the hair-raising inertia of a mass of people pulling together. Taforo’s composition How I Felt About What The Delta Smelt Got Dealt honestly and explicitly addresses the effects of California’s mega-drought on a threatened indigenous species of fish. With this release Snow Nerds sets out to connect dots, pull people in, and leave them with something to think about.

www.jakesuchermusic.com/snow-nerds/