Los Angeles-based jam band Particle has outgrown its name.

Since forming in the fall of 2000, Particle has been making waves in the jam band scene.

Eric Gould, bassist for the quartet, says the band’s rise to fame was based on a unique sound and a lot of touring.

“From the get-go, we had a sound that was unique and fresh and kind of filled a niche at the time,” Gould says.

“We tried to get our music out to as many people as possible. We kind of just hit the road and didn’t stop.”

Gould says Particle meshes elements of electronica, rock and funk music to create music that has been labeled “space-porn funk” by some of the group’s admirers. The band improvises extensively on stage.

Despite, or perhaps because of this original formula, Particle was named Best New Band by Relix Magazine in 2002 and has since hosted several sold-out shows at major venues, had appearances at a plethora of high-profile music festivals and garnered a nomination at the annual Jammy Awards in New York City.

It’s not only fans and critics who are interested in Particle.

Gould says a former member of the Grateful Dead, Mickey Hart, took his interest in Particle to the next level and invited the whole band to his house for a marathon jam session.

From this session was born a tour, an album and a new project called Hydra.

Hydra is a fusion of the old with the new: Hart, a former drummer for one of the first jam bands ever, paired with Particle, a young, upstart jam band.

“It’s such an honor that Phil and Mickey are into our music and are into the art that we are creating,” Gould says. “[With Hart], we each offered new things to each other, and together, we created something new.”

Since the collaborations with members of the Grateful Dead, Particle has received substantial media attention within the jam band community.

Gould admits that Particle is usually labeled as a jam band, which is difficult since the genre includes so many different types of music.

“It’s always hard when you’re a creative entity and people put a label on it, especially something as wide-ranged as the term ‘jam band,'” Gould says.

“The parameters are more wide-ranged than any genre I can think of. The only similarity we all have is that we improvise.”

The jam band community, however, has some of the most loyal fans and peers, Gould says.

“The community of the jam band world, the fans and the musicians — it’s such a special thing and it’s such a great thing to be a part of, and I love that we’re embraced by that community.”