OKC-based rock band Net combines tastes on debut

I like chicken. I love Cheetos. I never thought I’d enjoy Cheetos crusted chicken in a burrito. Well, that was until I tried it.

I think tastes are just fine individually, but something special happens when everything gets thrown into a blender. Net is a great example.

The Oklahoma Citybased rock act features Kyle Vasquez (guitars/vocals), John Baber (keyboards), Tommy McKenzie (synth/ bass) and Andy Escobar (drums). Each member has a home in another band or two. Net combinespunk talent from Copperheads, a tinge of psychedelia from Stardeath and White Dwarfs and pop sensibility from Gum. Vasquez told

about the recently formed band’s kinship.

“We’ve all been friends for a while and really enjoyed one another’s music,” he shared via email. “There’s a place where we all meet with our tastes, and that lead us to Net.”

The debut stream of the track “Radiowaves” evolved from a number of influences, includingKraftwerk, Gary Numan and Malaria. Net was an attempt to cross into a new genre.

“I wrote the majority of the songs on keyboard,” Vasquez said. “Since I’ve never really learned to play the keyboard, the entire experience of writing was new.”

The band completed demos foran EP worth of new music.

“To create the songs on the EP,I would think of a ‘science fiction’ short story in my head before writing the music. Then I would try to take that story and make music out of it,” Vasquez said. “So, I guess it’s a concept album. Whatever that is.”

You can catch Net’s debut concert 9 p.m. Friday at 51st Street Speakeasy alongside Applied Music Program and Cosmostanza. The concert is free. Vasquez described the live show as full of experimentation.

“The songs can be expanded upon live, so that will be a progression from show to show,” he said. “After the Speakeasy show, we’re playing Everything Is Not OK III, Charles Fest and more to follow.”