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9 White Orchids EP review from CDBaby

With incredible craft for nuance and a careful, intentful way with subtlety, String Theory mixes instrumentation such as cello, violin, voice, guitar, bass, percussion, sampler and drums to prepare a succulent, atmospheric texture behind all their songs. With hints of classical composition here and there as well as colors from around the world, at their core, they are a rock band, pushed ahead by their highly evolved approach to songwriting and genre-mixing. Overall, the 9 White Orchids EP captures an individual ambience, casting a spell of receptivity over their listeners. It's rare to find such creativity and agility as we find in this noteworthy disc.

Philly.comphilly_com

Making debut on a high note
Henry J. Holcomb

Cira Centre, the gleaming glass office building next to 30th Street Station, will become a giant musical instrument during a grand opening ceremony for invited guests Thursday evening.

String Theory, a Los Angeles trio, will attach 12 100-foot-long brass wires to the 29-story building, in the atrium lobby, and to a huge harplike instrument.

"Every space has its own sonic character," said Luke Rothschild, whose wife, Holly, will play what he installs. Looking at the $177.6 million building's plans, with all the metal and glass, he predicted that the Cira Centre would be a very lively instrument.

String Theory, together for 3 1/2 years, has turned concert halls and a 52-story building into musical instruments, Rothschild said.

Its only other Philadelphia engagement, with a smaller version of the harp, was at the Art Museum this year.

The large harp, which costs $10,000 to ship to the East Coast, was available because it will afterward be put on a ship to Grand Cayman, in the Caribbean, where it will be part of the opening of a Ritz-Carlton hotel next month.

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Multimedia
Golden Bridge Festival of Light feat. String Theory

The creepy, quiet sounds of shadows are Halloween's natural symphony, and String Theory replicate them to a blood-tingling tee. The group is known for homemade string instruments that double as art installations, stretching as long as 1000 feet. Here they bring All Hallow's Eve to life early, creating a blanket of otherworldly chimes by playing two immense brass-wire harps that shoot out over the audience. In addition, a video installation and a smorgasbord of other sounds — including cello, guitar, violin, voice, and bass — ensure that you not only hear the music, but see and feel it as well. Along with DJ P2 fingertippin' on turntables, vegetarian cuisine, and a costume contest, this is a celestial event worthy of the living. (KH)

How long was the harp that String Theory created during Walt Disney Concert Hall's opening festivities? The second and fourth correct answers each receive a pair of tickets to this event, as well as a String Theory CD.

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Venice Centennial, String Theory

Boy, how our little baby's grown. Venice is celebrating its centennial, and all the other LA neighborhoods are invited: Abbot Kinney, Oakwood, and even Venice's prettier sister and uptight, tidier brother are sure to attend this classy affair. The festivities include a carnival and a parade, as well as a multimedia performance by String Theory - a group who create beautiful, rich symphonies, with large harp-based sculptural installations (some 1000-feet long). Their constructions are as awesome to look at as they are to hear. So, rush to the beach this weekend, and don't forget to grab some birthday cake. (KH)