Cason Trager and Sarah Hartman began collaborating shortly after meeting in 2014 via craigslist and happenstance. Cason Trager had earlier launched his professional music career as bassist and producer of The Coop. Meanwhile, Sarah Hartman left a budding career in neuroscience to put her heart into audio production. Trager and Hartman began combining their visions to create an entirely futuristic genre of electronic art pop. Their innovative compositions blend traditional instruments with analog synths and field samples that the two have collected in their living space, around Chicago, and on trips and meaningful experiences together. Hartman's classically-trained voice floats above melodic electronic beats, in stark contrast to heavy basslines. Their music draws from a range of genres, including classical, drum and bass, ambient-electro, post-rock, and nu-jazz. R34L's live performance features improvised elements and live-looping, often combined with psychedelic and 3D visuals that manipulate Hartman's artwork to create an immersive visual and sonic environment.