The group — a duo onstage and atrio in the studio — creates a lushly layered song that’s at once languid anddanceable. Wrench-tight precision meets a dirty downtempo feel. But that method comes from a background in symphony and marching bands.

Singer-songwriterMolly Kummerle played trombone, piano and guitar. Producer Isaac Gottfried gothis start on clarinet. Percussionist Dave Mathes has a degree in music and hasmarched for Carolina Crown drum and bugle corps. From those beginnings, Mollybecame jazz singer Ruby Slippers and DJ Molly Parti; Isaac launched his careeras DJ/producer MINGLE; and Dave performed in electronic bands Sonmi andHi-Alta. “We all approach music in a different way,” says Molly. “But we allhave enough live musicianship to where we’ll take a clean sound and dirty itup, reverse it or give it something unexpected. A little bit of angst.”

“This Time Around,” from Paper Tiger’s new album, Daylight, begins as a shimmy of a beat that melts into horns and keys. Coolness layers and blankets this song, coloring and texturing it innear-palpable ways. It’s jazz stripped of edifice, soul pared back to its thrumming essence, and R&B boiled down to its heavy-breathing intent.

This new collection of songs fits in the Paper Tiger arc while also demonstrating the band’s directions. The project formed, initially from a meeting of the minds —Molly and Isaac’s minds, to be exact. Her songs and his beats togetherfashioned a dreamy, dance-y sonic tapestry. On stage, Paper Tiger produced amultimedia experience with visual projections and Molly’s expressive fashiondesigns. Their debut, Me Have Fun,was voted into the top 20 Regional releases on WNCW; the band toured with OTTand shared stages with Bonobo, King Britt, Gift of Gab, Mark Farina and Eliot Lippamong others. In addition to traveling the Southeast, Paper Tiger playedMoogFest, Camp Bisco and Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit. Molly hascollaborated with Midelixer and Emancipator. The band signed with booking agentAutonomous Music in 2011 and released a self-titled album the same year.

The addition ofDave to Paper Tiger’s lineup energized the live show. For the stage, hereplaces many of the electronic drum parts with dynamic, real-time percussion.“I’ll always make sure there’s enough space made for the live renders,” heexplains. “It also still translates to the album version, but with a more visceral quality.”

As Isaac’s role shifted to that of behind-the-scenes producer, Molly and Dave honed their performance into a duo. The streamlined setup is highly mobile, but takes nothing away from the band’s sonic intensity.

“For the new record, I like having a combination of sounds that are pretty and sounds that are old and gritty,” says Dave. He darkened produced drums with filters and overdrive.Vocals are roughed up.

“We all really love vinyl and the band started out as mostly vinyl samples and vocals,” saysMolly. Lately, however, she’s been inspired by synthesizer sounds and nativeinstruments. “But we all want to keep that analog warmth,” she says.

Those high-low and alt-pop sensibilities find a happy medium in Paper Tiger’s approach. “I tryto have something in every track that’s unique in the way its produced,” saysDave. Layered instruments and vocals share space with reversed tracks and prominent beats.

The sound design is complex, say the musicians. But it’s not complicated.