Agent Nova (actually SPBT bassist Dale Flattum) had cut his teeth on electronic music partly through his initial band's interest in sampling and tape manipulation, then explored it further in the side project Milk Cult, which also featured SPBT guitarist Mike Morasky. Following their most acclaimed album, 2000's world music-heavy Project M-13, Milk Cult also went on hiatus, and Flattum reunited with SPBT drummer Darren Mor-X (b. Darren Morey) to form Novex. Their first album together, 2002's Kleptophonica, continued the surreal found-sound experiments of Milk Cult, but placed them in a more accessible, song-oriented context. ~ Steve Huey