Strata

Around 2000 the band that became Strata first assembled in suburban San Jose under the initial name Downside. The four-piece lineup of vocalist Eric Victorino, guitarist Ryan Hernandez, bassist Hrag Chanchanian, and drummer Adrian Robison began performing regularly in the area, and by 2001 they had issued their own independent LP. An online-only release came shortly afterward. Shared bills with fellow Bay Area acts Alien Ant Farm and Dredg increased their visibility, and although multiple labels pursued the group for its post-grunge sound comparable to Trapt and Hoobastank, Strata ultimately joined the roster of Wind-Up. Their largely self-produced, self-titled debut album reached stores in July 2004. Three years later the follow-up Strata Presents the End of the World appeared. The remaining trio spent the intervening two years writing new material while touring the United States and United Kingdom, then returned to the studio to complete the record issued in July 2007. After Eric Victorino announced his departure in 2008, Strata disbanded. Victorino subsequently formed the electronic-pop duo the Limousines, while Hernandez and Robison launched Beta State.