Echo Orbiter

Echo Orbiter
Echo Orbiter performing at Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, 2010
Background information
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genres	Indie rock, lo-fi, dream pop, shoegazing
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Looking Glass Workshop
Associated acts	of Montreal, The Three 4 Tens, Medicine, Lilys
Website	Echo Orbiter on Myspace
Members	Justin Emerle Colin Emerle Jeremiah Steffen Rob Hart
Past members	Bryan Michael (Alka)

Echo Orbiter is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, based indie rock band founded by brothers Justin Emerle and Colin Emerle, described by Philadelphia Weekly as being "Widely considered two of the most inventive songwriters on the Philadelphia scene."

Echo Orbiter formed in 1996 in Westville, New Jersey when brothers Justin Emerle and Colin Emerle began performing with drummer Jeremiah Steffen. Still in high school, the band entered Miner St. Studios in Philadelphia to record their first album, A Moment In Life That’s Right. Engineered by Brian McTear, the album was “a consistent incorporation of pleasingly-textured pop tunes.” with what one writer called a resemblance to “Guided by Voices when they made albums that didn’t suck.”

Soon after the release of their first album, the appearance of the track “Spring is Here” on a compilation of Philadelphia’s newly emerging indie bands helped EO gain a spot at the Philadelphia PopFest in 1998 and 1999, and a headlining spot at the PopFest in 2000. The band received widespread coverage after “group members pummeled a giant cardboard robot head, obliterated a couple of guitars and violently dismantled their drum kit,” while destroying the venue’s stage equipment in a “Who-like” manner at the 1999 PopFest.

The band re-entered Miner St./Cycle Sound Studios in 1999 and recorded their second album, Laughing All The While, which was again engineered by Brian McTear and partly co-engineered by Kurt Heasley of Lilys. At this time, EO began to associate with the Elephant 6 Collective, appearing on compilations with of Montreal, often performing with Beulah, of Montreal, and the Minders, and releasing a split-45 with Calvin, Don't Jump!.