Ahleuchatistas are an American instrumental math rock duo that mix influences of jazz, progressive rock, avant-garde, and experimental to create a unique sound. The band was formed in Asheville, North Carolina in November 2002.
Ahleuchatistas' sound is rooted in a wide variety of sonic influences and musical traditions. In addition to being an instrumental rock band, there are elements of noise, African music, ambient/drone, psychedelia, Chinese traditional music, garage rock, minimalism, classical music, and electronica. They employ block-form, thru-composition, and improvisational musical strategies. Sudden tempo changes, amelodic tones, and technically complex motifs are prominent characteristics of much of the band's recorded output. The original members of the band were Shane Perlowin on guitar, Derek Poteat on bass, and Sean Dail on drums. Sean Dail left the band in May 2008 and was replaced by Ryan Oslance, a drummer from Carbondale, Illinois. Ryan was found by a reply to a MySpace bulletin outlining the band's request for a new drummer. He then drove to Asheville, auditioned, and the band immediately rehearsed for 25+ hours over a four-day period. This was followed by a 3-week US tour. Ahleuchatistas have released six albums on different record labels, including Cuneiform Records, Angura Sound, Tzadik Records, and guitarist Shane Perlowin's independent label Open Letter Records. Their album The Same and the Other was reissued in 2008 on Tzadik Records after the influential avant-garde composer/musician John Zorn took a liking to them.