Music

Mint Condition has managed to maintain respectable sales, cultivate admiration from its peers and keep a worldwide fan base for nearly 20 years because of its ability to evolve by combining classic songwriting with a contemporary approach. So it's no surprise that these musicians continue to stretch their artistic boundaries by including a digital edge to their sixth studio CD, E-Life.

The CD, which debuted in May at No. 8 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, explores love and life through the murky maze of the Internet. Combining instruments with computer-created tracks, the CD features traditional ballads and up-tempo songs ("Moan," "Right Here," "Nothing Left to Say") in between funk ("Goldigger"), hip-hop ("Somethin' ") and even electronica ("Why Do We Try").

The concept, according to the band, is both timely and universal. "Everybody's using text messages, MySpace and e-mail," says keyboardist Lawrence Waddell. "We're all having the same old relationships, but the Internet's changed their context in our world today."

Bassist Rick Kinchen channeled a moment with his daughter at the computer into E-Life's first hit, "Baby Boy, Baby Girl."

"My thing was being on the Internet," he says. "My daughter, who's 8, came and sat on my lap one day, and I just started singing the hook to her. I didn't want the song to be only about me, so I included other situations that I've watched my friends go through."

And Mr. Kinchen, along with the rest of the group, continued the theme throughout the CD.

"Somethin'," featuring Phonte of hip-hop group Little Brother, was inspired by a buddy's girlfriend who apparently used technology to juggle multiple men.

Even "Why Do We Try," a collaboration with Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, demonstrates how never-ending access to communication can taint the intentions of a well-meaning bachelor: "Can I not be afraid to leave my cell at home? When I get a ring, can I keep it on?"

And what does the band have in store for fans as the group performs at Nokia tonight?

"They're gonna get energy," Mr. Kinchen says. "There will be some surprises, but mostly, it's gonna be Mint Condition at its best." Plan your life

Mint Condition performs with Maze and Dwele at 7 tonight at Nokia Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. $37.50 to $59.50. Ticketmaster.

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