The Bakersfield Astral Troupe is a local group of musicians who play experimental ambient electronic music at places like Dagny’s coffee shop and Metro Gallery.

Andrew Koeth, a member of the group, describes the sound of the group as “ambient” and “improvisation.”

“We never practice with this group,” he said. “There’s no set notes we’re going to play. Everyone gets together and clears their head.

“It’s a really extended improvisation, an open-ended free exploration. We may start a piece, it could be 10 minutes, it could be 20, you never know.”

Improvisation is important to the troupe.

“It’s a large element of the group,” Koeth said. “We just go for it. Maybe once or twice we’ve tried to put together two or three little passages to go for, but I would say it’s the center point of the group.”

The troupe consists of a large group of musicians with about eight to 10 people playing at once.

They play synthesizers, drum machines, and live percussion.

More traditional instruments, such as guitar and vocals are used, but all of the instruments use electronic effects to create the ambient, free form feeling of their music.

The 20 or so musicians that form the group did so casually.

“This group is just everybody put together,” said Koeth. “We just come together and jam. It didn’t even start with a name.

We just knew that we like doing this big melange, this big ambient group.

We always have a great time, it sparks conversation.”

The Troupe plays at Dagny’s on Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

For Koeth, it is one of the most memorable moments playing with the group.

“It’s really interesting to play music in the morning, since venues and shows usually go on at night,” he said.

“It’s a really organic kind of communion. That’s why a lot of times we call it church, we all focus on one whatever it is.

It’s communal, fun, a different vibe. I really enjoy it, seeing people getting ready, getting up.”

Koeth describes locals’ reaction to their music as “mixed.”

“Some people seem pretty interested and positive, other people don’t know how to classify it, and it’s interesting. It’s cool, though,” he said.