“We were very nervous,” said Roman(US)’s laptop wielding singer, Felix Duque, after the band’s inaugural gig in front of a packed house at The Press Room on Saturday. Duque’s apprehension was attributed to the fact that the performance marked the first time that all three members had ever played in the same room together. Based in Barcelona, Spain, Felix and his cousin, local drummer/synth player/yoga aficionado José Duque, began collaborating as Roman(US) via the Internet for the 2006 RPM Challenge. Two years later, they continue their musical collaboration with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Nick Phaneuf. Phaneuf, a former Dover resident who recently moved to Hamburg, Germany, returned to the Seacoast to play a series of shows with the Duque cousins and work with them on their submission to this year’s RPM Challenge. The vast geographic distances that separate these musicians were not evident during the solid night of music they presented in Portsmouth.

The evening began with a performance from Phaneuf’s improvisational trio, Fiveighthirteen. Featuring live drums, guitar, laptop manipulation and a stunning Minimoog synthesizer, the three bearded players constructed muted instrumental soundscapes that flowed and shifted constantly over the course of their set. Shuffling drumbeats skipped along beneath thick sustained analog synth tones and crystalline digital signal processing, all overlaid with Phaneuf’s sparse, ambient guitar lines. One could easily surmise that, during his short time in Germany, Phaneuf has been actively absorbing the rich musical heritage of Teutonic greats like Cluster, whose 1978 collaboration with Brian Eno, “After the Heat,” was groundbreaking for its subtle mix of ambient electronics and live instrumentation.

Roman(US) took the stage behind a veritable wall of laptops and keyboard controllers. But, rather than lapsing into an evening of mouse-clicking and virtual knob twiddling, the band immediately showcased its strength as a group of energetic live performers. Anchored by José Duque’s tight, expressive drumming (and very Neil Pert-like headset mike), the three seasoned musicians quickly launched into the first of two sets of down-tempo ambient rock. While the band channeled a proggier version of Mezzanine-era Massive Attack, Felix Duque’s powerful and rich vocals commanded the audience’s attention.

Constantly in motion behind his mountain of gear, the bespectacled Felix clearly enjoyed the experience of finally being able to play live with his cousin after several years of Internet collaboration. Right from the start, the band’s songs stacked layers of synth parts and live instrumentation under Felix’s emotive vocals. Things began to hit their stride during the fourth track, which found José building a percussion track by triggering a sampled hand clap sound with his own hands on a Roland electronic drum pad. (It should be noted that this correspondent is very, very fond of sampled clap sounds, so this was a welcome addition to the evening.) Later in the tune, Felix clapped along with this loop as a synth bass line churned under his soaring vocals. Meanwhile, Phaneuf wrestled fast, ringing tones from his guitar.

After a short break, Roman(US) returned with the strongest set of the evening. The band members had finally locked firmly together, and they played with an increased sense of confidence and communication. The first track found Phaneuf fingering a syncopated bass line that was offset by one of José’s most intricate drumbeats. The next tune continued the momentum, beginning with a barrage of sampled Middle Eastern percussion and gradually incorporating a beautifully distorted synth bass line and sweeping synthesizer pads. The rest of the set carried on in a similar manner, with the atmospheric electronic elements delivered courtesy of each member’s laptop, forming a lush sonic bed for the live drums, e-bowed guitars and striking vocals. The audience clearly enjoyed the music, though most remained seated, with the exception of two adventurous women who got up and danced toward the end of the set.

My only complaint is that, occasionally, the mix became too busy and muddy, making it difficult to pick out individual parts. (I’m pretty sure the sound system at The Press Room wasn’t designed for the frequency range that was pumped into it that evening.) Since many of the songs were similar in tempo and dynamics, the sonic subtleties need to remain clear in order for the audience to really appreciate the band’s songwriting abilities.

The end of the evening found the band covering Radiohead’s “Creep.” I’m not particularly fond of seeing performers play cover tunes—I only appreciate them when the band brings a different perspective to the track. An electronically infused live band playing a pretty straight version of a song by another technologically augmented rock band isn’t doing anything new with the source, especially since Radiohead is clearly such a strong sonic influence for all members of Roman(US). I would suggest that even a minor change—such as having Felix sing it in his native Spanish—would give it a crucially interesting twist. That being said, the band performed it with the same combination of talent and enthusiasm that they brought to their own material throughout the evening. Overall, the performance was a solid live debut by a geographically challenged but talented group of musicians. Let’s hope the various members find a way to converge on the area more often in the future.