Though the two members of Experimental Dental School may have grown up on opposite sides of the world, their common musical interests brought them together with one goal in mind — to break any musical barrier that stood in their way. Hailing from the Bay area, guitarist/vocalist Jesse Hall was initially looking to put together a “noise” band. Drummer/vocalist Shoko Horikawa of Japan answered the call.
Hall advertised in a straightforward manner — “Noise: Person Wanted” — calling the band an art project of sorts. Horikawa responded simply: “I can do noise.”
The duo began performing together in 1998 under the moniker “Meyow.” In 2002, Experimental Dental was formed as a trio, but by 2008, the group settled in Portland, Ore., and officially became a duo.
The band will play the Picador, 330 E. Washington St., at 9 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5.
“We see our music as a collage, and we are trying to smooth it out so it’s less jarring,” Hall said. “We hope to always have our own unique take on rock music.”
Experimental Dental can succinctly describe its sound with the following phrase found on its website: “Pretty? Yes. Ugly? Yes.” As Hall explained, the group makes music that’s sometimes pretty, sometimes dark and dissonant, and sometimes both simultaneously.
“To me it’s like a romantic comedy — having these two strong elements going in both directions,” Hall said.
Pairing pretty with ugly has shown potential for mass appeal, and the group has embarked on several tours overseas. Horikawa admits that while seeing the world via performing is a great advantage, life on the road can certainly take its toll.
“We stay up late after the show, packing and talking to fans, then drive hours to the next city,” she said. “Usually after the show, I try to pack up as quickly as possible and sleep. It’s really a tradeoff.”
Experimental Dental recently released the album Forest Field, with an angle any music fan can appreciate — all of the tracks are available for free download. This allowed Hall and Horikawa to record themselves at a relatively modest cost.
The idea — or “experiment,” rather — to offer the album for free was a conscious decision on the band’s behalf with the goal of distributing the music to more people.
“I certainly never started playing guitar thinking I was going to get rich,” Hall said. “In that spirit, I thought that this might be a good thing to try.”