They are known for combining guitar/bass doubleneck or fretless bass, with heavy looping, or vamping, and the use of an effects pedal, over acoustic or electric drumming.

The band has earned some attention due to many of their songs being featured in the soundtracks of Gary Hustwit's design documentaries Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized.

[1] Bassist and composer Kristian Dunn and drummer Tim Fogarty formed El Ten Eleven in 2002 while living in the Silver Lake community of Los Angeles.

Comparisons have been drawn to Sigur Rós and The Mercury Program, though reviews have heavily emphasized the duo's use of a limited number of musicians to create complex instrumental works.

[3] Spin, which awarded them the title 'Band of the Day', September 29, 2005, describes their work as "experimental instrumental music that's both highly skilled and deeply felt.

[8][9] In late 2007, Xtal Records released the band's second full-length album, Every Direction Is North in Japan, a version which included the bonus track "Jumping Frenchmen Of Maine."

In a January 28, 2008, blog post on their website, and MySpace page, the band released "Jumping Frenchmen of Maine" as an online download, stating that the song was from their forthcoming album.

It features remixes of songs from Transitions by electronic artists Com Truise, Slow Magic, D33J and Steed Lord, among others, and reached No.

According to Paul Simpson of AllMusic, El Ten Eleven is an instrumental post-rock band with compositions that have been described as "bittersweet", "upbeat", and "complex".

The band's sound is achieved through the use of fretless bass, a "double-neck bass/guitar combo", electronic drum kit, looping stations and effects pedals.