So called "jam" bands — those groups who mix improvisation into their usually funky sonic stew — are faced with a particular challenge when they enter the studio. They can play like a non-improv band, cutting songs back to what usually proves to be woefully undeveloped fluff, or they can make a record that’s heavy on the instrumentals but lacks the energy of playing in front of an audience. On their debut full-length, the LA electro-jam quartet Particle try to have it both ways, working with a noted engineer (Tom Rothrock, who’s tweaked knobs for Beck and Foo Fighters) on songs that are glossy yet lengthy and give the band plenty of room — maybe too much — to flex their collective technical muscle. On each track, keyboardist Steve Molitz finds a spot where he can oscillate in front of the dance-happy funk; so does guitarist Charlie Hitchcock, who nails aggressive power chords as regularly as he does knee-knocking solo licks. But that’s the problem as well: performing 10 similar-themed, similar-tempo’d instrumentals, Particle get very repetitive very quickly. Live, where there’s beer and a dance floor, that’s okay. But when you’re listening to a CD, it’s hard to get excited about tapping your foot.