For many students, the music labeled 'ska' maintains an enigmatic aura. Advertised on increasing numbers of fliers for local clubs, many wonder at its content and the culture that inspired such a genre. But Viskasity, a local band made up of students from Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is helping to take the mystery out of ska.
Coming to the fore as one of the rising ska bands in the area, members of Viskasity include Trinity sophomore Carlos Rodriguez, Trinity sophomore Dana Long, engineering sophomore Andrew Wang, Trinity junior Aaron Deter-Wolf and four students from UNC.
According to the members, ska is unique in that it includes an eclectic mix of musical styles and influences. When describing one of the band's concerts, Deter-Wolf said, "One minute, I felt like I was in the house of blues, the next I was at a big band revival and then all of a sudden I was at a punk rock show with a mosh pit."
Viskasity, which formed only a year ago, has become popular in the recent months, playing on campus and in more notable venues such as The Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill and The Brewery in Raleigh. The band has already recorded a professional tape and one of its songs has been included in a ska compilation produced and scheduled for national distribution by Simmerdown Records.
Like most fledgling bands, Viskasity members aspire to achieve greatness.
"We're expecting to put out a full length CD by the end of next summer. We either hope to get discovered or else make a name for ourselves through our performances," said Rodriguez, who plays trombone. "We're thinking about going on tour at the end of the school year, maybe heading down to South Carolina. We've played with a lot of well-known ska bands, so we hope to build on those contacts."
Ska originated in the early sixties in Jamaica and is considered to be the grandfather of reggae. It was later fused with punk rock and became known as "two-tone music"-a name that alludes to the multiracial makeup of the bands.
Before turning to reggae, Bob Marley performed ska music and several of his songs, including "One Love/People Get Ready" and "Stir It Up," were originally recorded as ska. There are a variety of styles of ska; some focus more on instrumental music while others emphasize vocals. Other well-known ska bands include the Scofflaws, the Toasters and Less Than Jake.
Those who flock to hear Viskasity's tunes are of an eclectic nature-the composition of the audience often depends on the venue of the performance. Audiences can comprise straight-edged, Hootie-loving college students, as well as punks and skin-heads, said Jeremy Barr, a band member who is a student at UNC.
Band members maintain that there are numerous benefits to being a part of Viskasity. "The best part about being in the band is getting the chance to write and perform your own music and having the freedom to develop your own style," said Rogriguez. At the same time, though, Viskasity members say they struggle to make time in their schedules for up to 12 hours of practice each week.
Viskasity's next performance will be March 22 at Springfest in Chapel Hill.
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