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Y2K9 Musician Biographies
SUNDAY
PERFORMERS
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Ariane Cap
bass
http://myspace.com/bassista |
Austrian born and raised, bassist/composer/educator
Ariane Cap now lives in Northern California.
As s a bassist, she is currently busy performing and recording with
bands such as The Sippy Cups, a psychedelic Rock’n Roll Circus
appealing to kids and their parents alike featuring jugglers and
aerialists, and The Palmwine Boys, who fuse acoustic African
Palmwine Music with Americana. Her playing is also heavily inspired
by many other projects she has been part of. Enjoying eclectic
styles she particularly loved playing with bands such as the
Mozartband (a fusion of funk, rock and Mozart featuring members of
the Viennese Philharmonic), and the Celtic Rock Band Tempest, who
she toured with for three years.
Inspired by the likes of Michael Manring, Steve Lawson Jeff Schmidt
and Steve Bailey, Ariane also performs solo, with and without
loopers. Her solo program is heavily influenced by various World
Music genres and the music of J.S. Bach.
A highly active educator, Ariane is the creator and director of Step
Up Music Vallejo, a music teaching studio that offers one-on-one
lessons, ensemble classes, workshops, as well as ORFF and TaKeTiNa
classes. Ariane co-conducts bass seminars and rock camps all over
the US.
.
As a freelancing composer and sound designer Ariane has turned out
music and sound for hand held and online games for Wolf Track Audio,
Karney Music and Somatone. |
Mike Crain
instruments
www.myspace.com/mikecraincom
or
www.mikecrain.com
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Mike is a composer and percussionist living in Northern
California. He currently spends much of his time teaching,
composing, looping, and riding his bicycle long distances
relatively speaking of course. |
MATT
DAVIGNON (USA)
Drum
Machine
www.ribosomemusic.com
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Originally
born in Agawam, Massachusetts, Matt Davignon has been developing
his own unique form of improvisation (for better or worse) since
1994. He spent his formative music years locked in a garage in Sonoma
County, California, tinkering with tools such as lo-fi samplers,
cassette tapes, contact microphones, household objects, extensive
chains of guitar effects, prepared instruments, and field recordings.
These explorations continued as he moved to San Francisco in 1997,
then Oakland in 2001. In 2003, he discovered he could make more
sounds than he could ever imagine by processing a drum machine in
real-time with various devices. This has been a focus of his work
since then. Characteristics of his music include a focus on textures,
arrhythmic patterns and musical imperfections, with a focus on evoking
biological systems.
On
some occasions he can still be seen playing turntable, cassette
tape recorders, live samples of other musicians or 'the bucket
of crap' - an assortment of household objects and toy instruments.
Matt has organized events such as the San Francisco Found Objects
Festival and Sound/Shift Oakland.
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Gustaf Fjelstrom
BASS CELLO,
LOOPERLATIVE LP-1
http://www.botched.com
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For more that fifteen years Gustaf Fjelstrom
helped anchor Maximum Indifference, developing and refining
their signature blend of cinematic instrumental rock music. Now,
with MI on an indefinite hiatus, Gustaf forges ahead with an
entirely new musical approach. Armed with an NS Design Bass
Cello, some simple processing, and a Looperlative LP-1, Gustaf
plunges head-first into the ambient realms of atmosphere,
conjuring up lush night-scapes of luxurious tones. Soaring
harmonics, deep, hypnotic bass, and hauntingly ethereal melodies
emanate and intertwine, cascading and enveloping with rich
cinematic ambiance. |
Laurel Murphy and Ryan Slemko (Canada)
www.laurelmurphy.com
www.fidgital.com |
Vancouver-born Laurel Murphy is a singer and
improviser. Her music has been described as soulful and
haunting, sometimes humorous and often unexpected. She started
looping in 1999 and believes it has helped keep her sane. “How
great it is to really be able to hear yourself-self-self.”
Laurel enjoys improvising with humans as well as electronics.
She has collaborated with singers, dancers, poets, and choral
groups, and in 1995 she produced “SongRise”--a five-hour
improvised soundscape involving 1200 voices. Laurel has had the
good fortune of performing and recording with Rhiannon and other
members of Bobby McFerrin’s "Voicestra” and was featured in the
documentary film "SING” in 2000. She has also spent time as a
jazz and studio vocalist and has been teaching workshops in
vocal improvisation since 1997.
Laurel is joined by vocalist and friend Ryan Slemko. His
jazz-infused electronica band, "Fidgital" frequently charted in
Canada, and their last chill-out album "Departure" peaked at #18
on the US electronica charts. Vocal experimentation and
in-the-moment song writing are now his focus. |
Planet Loop
acoustic drums, electric bass, pedals, pads and samples
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With just two musicians
wielding a full-band sized arsenal of acoustic drums, electric bass,
pedals, pads and samples, PLANET LOOP is a unique trip not to be
missed. Hailing from Berkeley, CA by way of Boston, MA, the duo
forges its unique brand of “live electronic global jazz,” combining
wild improvisation with the deep rhythms of worldbeat, funk, and
electronica music. Latin/Indian/African drum patches mingle with
cello loops, spoken word clips, otherworldly vocal lines, fat bass
effects, and just about anything else they can pull out of their
electronic hats.
“Part of the hypnotic nature of our songs comes from the loops
we create and the influences we draw from,” notes bassist Michael
Schaller. “But, we are a live band with jazz roots, committed to
creating all of our sounds in the moment, on the stage.”
The project is the most recent brainchild of longtime
collaborators Michael Schaller (bass/loops/samples) and Carrie Jahde
(drums/electronics). The two have collectively performed on stages
spanning all corners of the United States, Italy, and Eastern
Europe. Having played and released records together in various
projects for close to a decade, the duo takes spontaneous musical
communication to an entirely new level.
“Our music is an organic outcome of our long history together as
performers,” explains drummer Carrie Jahde. “We both have so many
ideas that need to come out; in this duo we find the perfect forum
to collaborate, take musical risks, and just enjoy the ride.”
Since 2007, PLANET LOOP has relentlessly spread their sounds,
touring across both US coasts and becoming regulars in the Bay Area
festival and venue scene. ENJOY YOUR STAY, PLANET LOOP’s full-length
studio album, was released in August 2007 and continues to receive
radio and internet attention throughout the country. |
Premonition Factory
Keyboards
http://premonitionfactory.com/
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Premonition Factory is the Ambient project of Sjaak
Overgaauw, born in
The Netherlands (1968) and living in Antwerp, Belgium.
Premonition
Factory has been started in September 2009 and is a spin-off
project
of demo material recorded between August 2008 and July 2009. The
debut
CD is scheduled to be released in February 2010 and will contain
Ambient live improvisation tracks. |
Dan Robbins
Bass
www.danrobbinsmusic.com |
Dan Robbins has played or recorded in settings
ranging from solo, duo, trio, etc. to big band and orchestra, and is
known for driving, creative, harmonically and melodically rich
background and lead parts on bass. He doubles on both acoustic bass,
and four, five, six, and seven-string electric bass, in styles
ranging from solo electric jazz chord-melody arrangements, to
hard-swinging jazz double bass accompaniment, acoustic and electric
funk, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Carribean, rock, blues, tango, Indian,
and fusion styles, as well as arco (played with the bow) classical
and comtemporary interpretations of composed music. He brings a
fiery improvisational spirit and energy to all the projects he is
involved with. Currently co-leading the funk trio Wasabi, he also
has an ongoing duo project with distinguished California Poet
Laureate Al Young, and plays bass for the Hristo Vitchev Quartet,
Joe DeRose & Amici, the Weber Iago Trio, Vandivier, the Martann Mann
Trio, the Roger Eddy Band, and also does solo concerts. He also
teaches privately and for the Monterey Jazz Festival and San Jose
Jazz Society, and freelances in studios and venues in the Bay Area
and beyond. |
Jay Robinson
Guitar, Bass, Drums and Percussion
lhttp://www.myspace.com/jrobinsonmusic
http://www.youtube.com/jasonr123guitar
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Jay Robinson has adapted a unique ability to
play solo performances with a full band set-up of instruments
creating layers and textures with the help of a loop pedal. Jay's
instrumental performances touch on Blues, Jazz, Electronica and
Reggae. Watching Jay bring the music to life in a live setting with
Guitar, Bass, Drums and Percussion is a unique experience that
should not be missed.
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TAIT-O
Guitar, vocals
http://www.myspace.com/taitosolo |
Taito is the guitar player and vocalist for the Tokyo
based band Noise Clinic, http://www.myspace.com/noizukurinikku and
for Oh My Cow! in Kyoto, http://www.myspace.com/ohmycow and
http://ohmycow.com and for the hard core noise band +DOG+
http://www.myspace.com/dogstevedog though some of you may still
remember Taito from back in the old Santa Cruz, California days of
Junk Sick Dawn http://jsdarchive.org/ in the mid to late 1990's.
Check out the unfinished wikiscum page at:
http://scum.wikia.com/wiki/Tait_Reed
Taito has been active in music on the West Coast of the USA since
the late 1980's. After nearly 4 years in Japan, he is now
sequestered to California, USA for some solo recording and shows. |
Daniel Shane Thomas
http://www.danielshanethomas.com
http://www.danielshanethomas.com |
A busy musician, recording engineer, and producer, Daniel has
contributed to dozens of CDs, soundtracks, and video game
titles. His work includes chart topping albums for international
recording labels, original compositions for film and television,
and genre defining sound design work for major instrument
manufacturers.
Daniel has travelled the world supporting many international
recording artists including, Bob Brozman, Martin Simpson, Tony
Levin Trio, Rene Lacaille, Debashish Bhattacharya, the
California Guitar Trio, Los Lobos, David Lindley, the Strawbs,
the Waifs, and more.
Daniel provides consulting services to major audio and music
technology companies. At one time or another, Daniel has
contributed to products from Creative Labs, EMU, Korg, Tascam,
Universal Audio, Mackie, and others. As a result, his sound
design and groove programming is heard in musical instrument
products the world over. |
UCCELLO PROJECT
http://steveuccello.com/
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Steve Uccello, the cofounder of UCCELLO PROJECT, is an
Upright and Electric Bassist, multi-Instrumentalist, Live Looper
and Composer. He's a versatile musician who authentically
approaches each style he plays. Steve has self-produced two solo
albums, the recently released SYMMETRIA, an instrumental
bass-centric journey comprised of 14 songs, and the 2006
release, Polar Vision, a vocal-psychedelic-folk-rock album.
Studying under the world-renowned bassists Stan Poplin and Ray
Drummond, Steve was the first Jazz Studies graduate from CSU
Monterey Bay in 2005. Steve provides the bottom end for the
Monterey Bay Jazz Orchestra, slated to play this year’s Monterey
Jazz Festival. Steve Uccello has shared the stage with artists
such as Steve Lawson and Joe Craven. Uccello was a featured
guest at the 2009 Mandolin Symposium, working closely and
playing with David Grisman and Mike Marshall. He has toured
and/or recorded with the unique singer/multi-instrumentalist
Dayan Kai, Kerrville & Telluride winner Keith Greeninger,
singer/environmental activist David Grimes, Jazz composer Kirk
Danielson, Spanish Nuevo Cancion artist Juan L. Sanchez, and
Italy based Gospel artist Nehemiah Brown. In October, Steve will
be playing solo at the Y2K Loopfest in Santa Cruz, California.
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Sayaka Yabuki
http://www.myspace.com/sayakayabuki |
Sayaka Yabuki is an electronic sound artist, vocalist
and DJ, currently based in California, USA. Born in Japan, Sayaka
immigrated to the USA with her family, during the 1980s, at the same
time beginning her classical violin studies. As a teenager, she
became fascinated with punk music and the visual arts. These
interests intersected in the culmination of her first song, written
as an anthem for a human-powered sculpture. As a university student,
while trekking through Europe in 1994, Sayaka discovered electronic
dance culture and became inspired to make music in that vein. During
her travels, Sayaka met Australian electronic music pioneer, Steve
Law aka Zen Paradox, who introduced her to experimental music
composition using both electronic and found sounds. Sayaka has since
been active as a performer in the US, Japan and Australia. Early
formative performances include TechnoFest (Heathcote, Australia),
The Lounge (Club Filter, Melbourne), Save the Robots (NYC), Fort
Thunder (Providence), Toneburst (MassArt, Boston) and Circle (Gnome
Fatty Tribe, Boston). Beginning this millenium, while living in
Japan, Sayaka created her techno pop project Sayaka Starlite,
simultaneously launching Holographic Heart Creations. As Sayaka
Starlite, she has performed around the world including
Bullet’s(Tokyo), Sputnik Beach (Tsujido) and Teriyaki Chill
(Melbourne). As DJ Sayaka, she has opened for bands including Sonic
Boom, Asobi Seksu, Brazilan Girls and Chk, Chk, Chk. Sayaka’s guest
vocals can be heard on Black Cab ‘s "13 Days", Memory Geist’s
"Deepest Reaches" and Steve Law’s "The Sensuous Sound". Sayaka gave
her first live looping performance in 2009 at the Santa Cruz Museum
of Art & History, as part of the exhibition Assemblage + Collage +
Construction, collaborating with live looper, Jack Schultz and
visual artist, Mark Shunney. Sayaka is currently composing a piece
for ensemble and electronics, to be premiered in January 2010, by
New Music Works. |
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