Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart [ tickets ] and electronic jam-band Particle [ tickets ] are collaborating in a new group dubbed Hydra [ tickets ], which will debut with a 14-date April tour.

The band is described in a press release as a departure from anything either act has done before.

"Hydra is about extreme music," Hart said in a statement. "Extreme music for extreme people. I need it!"

Hydra's shows are expected to feature original material--song titles "Heart of the Hydra," "Creature of Comfort" and "The Glow"--as well as some Particle and Hart songs. Some re-workings of Grateful Dead classics are also being considered.

In recent years, the bulk of Hart's touring has been with The Dead [ tickets ], a band that features surviving members of The Grateful Dead [ tickets ].

Self-described "funktronic" quartet Particle formed in 2000, and built a strong fan base on the jam-band and festival circuits before releasing its debut album, "Launchpad," in 2004.

Photo (c) 2005 John Werner