Playing live breakbeat, jungle, drum'n'bass, and other electronic styles, Plexus came together in New York City in 1999. Though other bands (such as the Disco Biscuits, the New Deal, Sound Tribe Sector 9, and Lake Trout) were also contemporaneously beginning to assimilate electronic approaches into their music, few were doing it with as hard and uncompromising edge as Plexus.
The instrumental trio -- comprised of guitarist Allen Towbin, drummer Tobias Ralph, and bassist Ernie Adventoivich -- quickly found a Wednesday night residency at Manhattan's Izzy Bar, and soon were playing other New York City venues (such as Wetlands, where they encountered other groups experimenting with live electronic fusion). Soon, the band was touring up and down the East Coast, taking up monthly residencies in Boston, Baltimore, and New Haven.
In late 2001, the band recorded their self-titled debut, which was released in early 2002 by Mother West Records. It featured eight original compositions, including a remix by Frank Heiss and a collaboration with New England Conservatory professor Ran Blake.