Never before in music have we been privy to experience such a plethora of varying sounds. Rap and rock being fused together and computer sampling is assisting in creating sounds that can only be described as indescribable. Technology is paving the way for a whole new musical generation. One group that has utilized this trend within music is Self, a five-piece ensemble whose styles and sounds are as diverse as the current musical front itself.

The band hails from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and got their name for a very simple reason: the band basically started off as one person. Matt Mahaffey is the brainchild behind the group whose unique musical background and interests set the stage for creating incredibly dynamic and layered songs. He started banging on pots and pan in his kitchen and by the age of ten was playing drums in bands around the area with musicians twice his age. In more recent years he began using his love of hip-hop beats and samples and combining it with rock n' roll and other assorted sounds. What he came up with is a truly unique sound that was displayed on their first record back in 1995 and has kept doing so.

"I'm a fan of both poppy melodies and not-so-poppy sounds," explained Mahaffey. "When someone hears a Self song, I want them to know we're into both. Like peanut butter and chocolate - two great tastes that taste great together." Their first LP, Subliminal Plastic Motives, was just Matt and his brother Mike. Matt wrote all the material and played most of the instruments while Mike helped out with additional instrumentation. According to Matt, his brother was the reason why the album is as heavy as it is, with sonic guitar riffs thrown over poppy drumbeats and infectious vocal hooks. Self found small radio audience with the singles "So Low" and "Cannon."

Next came The Half Baked Serenade, which was Matt running around his home studio and playing every instrument in sight, including piano and various keyboards, guitars, and drums. "Kiddies," which has a chorus that goes "Let's go trick or treating dressed up like Marilyn Manson" and uses cheesy old school synth drums to keep the beat, gained cult status on underground radio stations around the area.

Their third release, 1999's Breakfast with Girls was more of a band effort, yet Mahaffey still acted as main songwriter and instrumentalist. The other members of the band are: Chris James on keyboards, Jason Rawlings on drums, Mac Burrus on bass and Mike Mahaffey on guitars. This album was a combination of the rock oriented SPM and the trip hop flavored HBS. Two of the songs off of BWG have made it mainstream. "Meg Ryan" found its way to the airwaves and "Paint By Numbers" was featured in the film Dead Man on Campus and on its soundtrack. Around the same time, they released a track on the Depeche Mode Tribute Album.

This year, the band has taken a new direction: Their latest album, Gizmodgery, was recorded using only toy instruments collected from various places, including Toys R Us and E-bay. Self has taken their music to a whole new level. Among toy drum sets, guitars and pianos, the band utilized toy cell phones, See-and-Says, and even ripped the voice boxes out of stuffed animals and dolls. However, they engineered the album so well that it's hard to believe that not one single "real" instrument was used on it.

Self could be one of music's best-kept secrets. They have opened for the likes of 311, Cracker and Marvelous 3, but have never really been able to break mainstream success. Using their blend of many different musical stylings, Self may just have a little something for everyone out there. Mahaffey has been hailed a musical genius by his fans and peers. To judge for yourself, visit their website, www.selfmusic.net. DreamWorks has also distributed some of their music and www.dreamworks.com has a site dedicated to Self.