Junk Culture hits Black Cat

To Deepak Mantena of Junk Culture, music is like a sculpture.

"It"s taking samples of things, whether it"s other people"s music or me playing a guitar or something and trying to sculpt it into something new," he said.

His "sample-based music" is of the "cosmic R&B" variety.

"I like a lot of R&B music and stuff" but there"s definitely an element of what I"m making that feels kind of spacey," he said.

He can still remember his older brother, recording music on an old four-track. It"s part of the reason he took the music plunge. Then his parents bought him a piano, and he was officially pulled under.

"After I learned about using computers to make music, that elevated it even more," he said.

Now, years later, he"s played all across North America, into Vancouver, Canada, and across the East Coast. With a tour leaving next week to the West Coast, he"ll have the nation covered, but he"s making a High Country detour.

Oxford Miss.-based Junk Culture makes its Boone debut Feb. 19 at Black Cat Burrito (127 S. Depot St.). For more information, visit myspace.com/nojunkculture.