Aspects of Physics was, fittingly enough, an offshoot of the San Diego-based Physics, who played a loud, trance-inducing brand of post-rock that combined electronics and guitars. After seven years of functioning as a loose-knit collective, Physics called it quits in 2000, and longtime member Jason Soares -- who'd previously played in the hardcore band Rice and in bandmate Rob Crow's indie-pop outfit Thingy, among others -- formed Aspects of Physics with latter-day Physics keyboardist Thatcher Orbitashi. AOP drew from some of the same influences as Physics -- Krautrock, ambient post-rock, classical minimalists like Reich and Glass -- but sported punkier guitar work and a stronger IDM influence, with glitchy beats and a distinct Autechre/Aphex Twin/Squarepusher flavor. With Soares handling synths, guitar, and computer programming, AOP spent its first year playing live shows, which turned into multimedia experiences with visual input by collaborators Matt Lorenz and Michael Kaufmann. Orbitashi left after about a year, and was replaced by another former Physics member, Jeff Coad (aka JFRE Robot). Coad brought a stronger interest in technology to the group, and worked chiefly with computer programming and various modified electronic gadgets. AOP's instrumentation expanded to include laptop experiments, MIDI controllers, wireless transmitters, vintage Commodore 64 sounds, and even a Speak & Spell toy. These were the elements audible on their debut album, 2002's Systems of Social Recalibration, which appeared on the Imputor label. ~ Steve Huey