The Ninth

Imagine being propelled into the forces of the unknown only to be reeled back in by a grandiose epiphany. That’s the feeling Electric Beethoven’s “The Ninth” evokes out of its listeners. While fleshing out the arrangement in Todd Stoops’ basement, Reed Mathis observed that Beethoven’s iconic ninth symphony actually has three melodies that occur simultaneously. Stoops suggested that they should introduce the lesser known motifs first and then drop the famous “Ode to Joy” melody last with the other two melodies steeping beneath it. That’s the “a-ha” moment where the audience unites—whether it’s the familiarity of playing the melody in grade school, or nostalgia for a summer concert series or cinematic work, the vast majority of the world unities in the solidarity of “Ode to Joy” awakening memories. Taking it a step further, the lyrics are based on a Schiller poem that Beethoven enjoyed. After he re-worded it, its message became one of universal oneness where all races, religions, genders, and creeds are equal. This gem of a history lesson is restored with Mathis’ signature jazz-funk that embodies the pocket of The Meters with the harmonic approaches of Aphex Twin.