Draft:Moreraspberryjam..

moreraspberryjam.. (often stylized in lowercase or abbreviated mrj..) are a Russian-Chilean experimental shoegaze duo formed in Normal in 2022, consisting of members Alex Diffor (drums, samples) and Lukas Oyarzun (guitar, vocals). Their sound is characterized by heavy drumming, sparse & washed-out vocals, and fuzzy/distorted guitar texture. They often incorporate tempo changes and lyrics that hint to "going back to my house ".

Their attribute their influences from math-rock and similar shoegaze bands such as They Are Gutting a Body Of Water and My Bloody Valentine.

As of 2024, they are working on producing their next self-titled album series "jam", having finished "more" and "raspberry".

2019-2020: Introduction, Drums, and First Music
The two met at Illinois State University in the Fall of 2019 through Alex's room mate Michael Remon. The three eventually learned that each were interested in making music.

In the Spring of 2020, while Lukas participated in pep band, the school lent out a key to access the drum room in the basement of John W. Cook Hall. Alex, Lukas, and Michael could often be found practicing well into the night. This was Alex's first exposure to drums, taught by both Lukas and Michael.

In April of 2020, the night before the beginning of Spring Break, Alex and Lukas worked on their first song (titled The First Song) made in Acoustica's Mixcraft 7 Pro Studio- an electronic piece about a minute in length, inspired heavily by The 1975, one of Lukas's favorite bands at the time.

2021-2022: The Return & Establishing the Band Name
COVID-19 put a halt on further music plans. Both returned home for the remainder of the Spring- Alex to Bloomington, Lukas to Glenview.

The following school year remained virtual. Alex stayed home while Lukas returned to campus to live in Manchester Hall. They did not get to see each other very often, and when they did, music sat on the backburner.

In their Junior year (2021-2022), Alex moved back into an apartment on campus due to in-person classes resuming. Lukas lived a short walk away, and they were able to see each other often. Lukas had brought his drums and guitar from home, so the duo practiced and created music in his apartment. Their first projects were experimental electronic. They eventually compiled them into their first album "Alex jams" in the Spring of 2022.

On an adventure one day, the pair sat atop a hill near campus and figured out their band name. On the list of potential names were "Skætes", "OLIVED", "KRIMSIN", and "CDJAM". It was from the last that "moreraspberryjam.." came to fruition.

Spring 2023: "more" and "raspberry"
Their senior year, Alex and Lukas each moved to a new place, but the momentum kept going. Alex would visit often and continue learning drums. They decided they wanted to start spelling out their band name in albums, separating them by the words "more", "raspberry", "jam", and ".." Each letter of their name is dedicated to a song, meaning there are 4 "r"s, etc.

The deo started doing exactly that, producing "more" themselves and releasing it on their Bandcamp page in April of 2023. The album begins with "m", a tribute to their electronic roots (an arpeggio, broken and panned lasting for just under a minute). This is followed by the first guitar and drum track of the album "o", which features lyrics written by both Alex and Lukas. "r" is a calming acoustic track, a one take on the iPhone. The final and longest song in the album "e" features both Alex and Lukas on guitar, each having a chance to express their skillsets and interests. It concludes with samples made by Alex, bringing the music back into an electronic space.

Soon after "more", the duo started producing "raspberry", an almost strictly-electronic sampling album with striking experimentation. It was home-produced in the same matter as "more", releasing in September of 2023. The duration of the album is just under 9 minutes, a representation of the shorter attention span seen across the younger generations.

Fall 2023-Spring 2024: The Jam Jar & The Show Era
After releasing "raspberry", mrj.. started writing "jam". On another skating adventure, they decided it was time to part ways with the electronic side and in true jam fashion, write the music for drums and guitar.

In November of 2023, the duo decided to host a show at Lukas's house, showing off their new songs. The line-up was mrj.., From Within (Clinton), and Monarch (Bloomington). The show went well, and they immediately decided to have another, held in December, featuring the same lineup, with the addition of Dayshift (Normal) and Wasteland (Normal). The venue was dubbed the "Jam Jar".

There were tensions from the neighbor, who had expressed previously they were displeased with the noise. In February of the next year, the Jam Jar hosted Far Side (Chicago), Trip Hazard (Champaign), and Dayshift. The show got shut down early due to a noise complaint from the neighbor.

It would be a few months before the Jam Jar would host it's next show in the basement. In the meantime, they performed at other venues around town, such as the Nightshop and The Tally. In April, mrj.. hosted Friizzlord (Normal), Bloom Kings (Bloomington), Wasteland, and Monarch. It was Bloom Kings first appearance on the Normal music scene. The show went smoothly, with a notable turnout and no noise complaints from the neighbor.

Spring 2024-Present: Looking Ahead
mrj.. is currently looking to finish "jam" and move onto other projects. They are also wanting to play as many shows as possible.

Current

 * Alex Diffor - drums, guitar, sampler, producer (2019-present)
 * Lukas Oyarzun - drums, guitar, sampler, producer (2019-present)

Discography

 * Alex jams (2022)
 * more (2023)
 * raspberry (2023)
 * jam (2024)