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| Rock/Pop |
| From Rock to Pop and everything in-between. |
Geoffrey Keezer
LOS ANGELES, 2003 — Keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer has been a vibrant force on the jazz scene in the past decade, performing and recording with artists both classic and current. Keezer had the honor of playing with legends Ray Brown, Roy Hargroves and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and is currently in the keyboard chair with jazz bassist Christian McBride. He’s also released two albums of his own this year: “Falling Up” (Maxjazz), featuring collaborations with Hawaiian slack key guitarist Keola Beamer, and “Sublime: Honoring the Music of Hank Jones” (Telarc), an ambitious set of duets with pianists Kenny Barron, Chick Corea, Benny Green and Mulgrew Miller. But it’s Keezer’s work with McBride that has brought Moog keyboards into the forefront of modern jazz, and is pushing the envelope further.
On McBride’s recent “Vertical Vision” CD, Keezer used a Moog Prodigy as well as a wide array of vintage keyboards and effects pedals. Live, however, Keezer brings out the new Moog Voyager, and has high regards for the latest in the Moog line. “It sounds as cool as it looks!” says Keezer. “I love to build my own sounds, and the Voyager is very musician-friendly. Programming takes time, and saving patches makes it all so easy when it comes time to perform.” Keezer uses unique patches on every song on “Vertical Vision,” and feels the Voyager is in many ways more versatile than the Prodigy, helping him take his musical vision to the next level. His affinity for effects pedals lets him take the sounds even farther out, and with McBride, that’s alright.
“With Christian, we’re encouraged to cut loose and unleash the sounds,” says Keezer. “He gives us total freedom to explore and go as crazy as we want to. All of our diverse interests are not just tolerated, but welcomed.” Keezer’s approach to keyboards is self-admittedly old-fashioned. He likes a big rig and the look of being surrounded by keyboards. “When I want to double lines, I do it with both hands on two different keyboards,” says Keezer. He gives an example of a McBride cut where he doubles the acoustic piano solo with the Moog Prodigy.
“For most of my career, I’ve been known as an acoustic piano player,” says Keezer. ”But I’ve always had a love for electronics.” Keezer says he always gets comments on how cool the Voyager looks, and says the presentation is important for the entertainment aspect of the music. “I look like a mad scientist up there twirling knobs!” laughs Keezer. For a man who began playing piano at three years old under the tutelage of parents who were both music teachers, Keezer’s career has been a busy one. He’s had a host of his own solo records, including the recent “Falling Up,” and will be back in the studio with McBride in early 2004 to record a new jazz fusion record.
Since he got his first Moog at 10 years old, Keezer has used Moog keyboards on albums and stages worldwide, and there’s no slowing down now. At this pace, we’ll be looking forward to new music from Keezer and Moog for many years to come!
-Robbie Gennet 2003
Make sure you check out www.geoffreykeezer.com
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Chris Kilmore
Taken from a supreme vantage point overlooking the sea of Incubus fans.
Here are a few powerful words from Chris concerning Moog gear:
"I guess I should start with my set up. In the line channel of my mixer I have the Voyager which has a theramin plugged into the external audio input. I then go out of the efx loop on my mixer to an analog delay. The external loop on the delay goes to the high pass filter. The output of the delay goes to the phaser then back to the mixer. Sometimes I add a wah, but for the most all of that sits on its own table and is the land of Moog. The sounds I can get out of that chain are the warmest, phattest sounds on the planet... no the universe."
He goes on to say:
"I go through sort of a futuristic process when writing parts with my band. I first sit in the studio and literally dial up sounds that I feel are sonically fat. There is no comparison to the quality of sound that comes from Moog products... both highs and lows are mind-blowing. After recording a Sun-Ra like session on the Moog, I can dial up a sound, save it, tweak it and save it again. The micromoog was great, but the new Voyager is so far beyond its predecessors. Now I can tweak a sound, hands- on using analog technology and actually have midi control over it. What? It's ridiculous! I am like a kid in a candy store anytime I turn on my Moog equipment."
Thanks Chris, for supporting Moog products!
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Jamie Muhoberac
Keyboardist Jamie Muhoberac may not be a household name, but the list of artists he’s played with are known worldwide. From classic rock icons such as the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton to newer artists such as Seal, Bush, Buckcherry, Alanis Morrisette and the Goo Goo Dolls, Muhoberac’s keyboard playing has been in great demand throughout his career. Many acts outside of the rock arena have hired Muhoberac for their projects as well, from trip-hop pioneer Tricky to reggae legend Ziggy Marley, and even country diva Faith Hill. Having such a wide versatility of styles has allowed Muhoberac to musically adapt to these artists and help sculpt their sounds, and his Moog keyboards are always part of his keyboard arsenal.
As an artist who’s used both the original Minimoog and the new Voyager, Muhoberac is exceptionally qualified to compare the two models, and he had much to say about Moog’s legendary synthesizers. “Being able to write in sounds and store them gives the Voyager a whole new level of usability,” says Muhoberac. “In fact, when I got the Voyager, I wiped the presets clean and began building my own.” He adds that the factory presets themselves are great, but for what he does, his own presets take precedence. “I also like not having to use the third oscillator as a LFO,” he comments, “and the continuous waveform control is an added plus, versus the old switches.” Muhoberac points out the effects loop on the Voyager as a useful tool, and really likes the way the keyboard itself feels. “Some keyboards feel really plastic in the actual keys, but the Moog keys are really smooth and help facilitate some of the licks and tricks I do when I play.” He’s appreciative of the Voyagers’ bite in the upper register, as well as its sub lows, perfect for those speaker rumbling synth bass lines. Muhoberac simply states “The Voyager takes the intuitive design of the Minimoog and applies it to the 21st century.”
Currently, Muhoberac’s contributions to the 21st century have involved recent sessions with Phil Collins, John Mayer, Seal, Michelle Branch and newcomer Bonnie McKee. And if his last name seems familiar, it might be partly due to his father Larry Muhoberac, an ace session player in his own right who graced classic recordings by artists like Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, Hoyt Axton, Andre Crouch, Dean Martin, and the late great Elvis Presley. With a musical legacy behind him and a fabulous career well underway, Jamie Muhoberac has become one of the top session keyboardists on the scene, and Moog is there to support him all the way.
Robbie Gennet 2003
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Kevin Antunes
In the world of modern pop music, the rise of acts such as N’Sync and Britney Spears were made possible by the explosion of the New Kids on the Block over a decade ago. Besides the millions of fans, sellout tours and multi-platinum records, what ties them all together is the incomparable keyboard work of Kevin Antunes.
Straight out of college, Antunes toured from 1989-1992 with the New Kids, as well as offshoot Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, seeing the globe from the biggest stages worldwide. After a few more successful tours with bands like Snap! and SWV, Antunes finished his college degree by graduating Summa Cum Laude from Northeastern. He began working the other side of the business in the licensing and royalty departments of Atlantic Records. But the lure of the stage was too much, and in 1998, Antunes went out on tour with a new band called N’Sync, which led to 5 years of high-profile shows including the Oscars, the Grammy’s, the American Music Awards, and the MTV awards, among others. He’s also toured with Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, Samantha Mumba, and ex-New Kid Jordan Knight, adding to his top-notch pop music resume. Not surprisingly, Antunes has been a long-time Moog player, adding the classic Moog sounds to the hottest pop acts in history.
“I was raised on Gap Band, P-funk, all the good stuff that happened to have lots of Moog,” recalls Antunes. “I knew I had to get in on those sounds.” Antunes is truly enthused about the new Voyager, and puts it to use nightly. Of the Moog’s many features, Antunes really likes the glide function, and the playability of the keys. “When I do these great slides up and down the keyboard, the action on the Moog and the actual shape of the keys themselves make it smoother than any other keyboard I’ve played,” says Antunes, “and I’ve played em all!”
Currently, Antunes is on tour with N’Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake, who he calls “one of the most talented entertainers I have ever worked with.” Timberlake’s huge successes both with and without N’Sync translate to packed houses every night at arenas across the country, and the Moog Voyager is a high-profile member of Antunes musical set-up. He mentions the superb low-end sounds of the Voyager, and how it feels to vibrate the stage with that thick Moog bass. “Moog is the phattest keyboard out there- it’s the one that other’s imitate, but never duplicate!” beams Antunes, and you can be sure the thousands of fans who hear the Voyager every night are feeling the real thing.
Robbie Gennet 2003
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Roger Manning
Roger Joseph Manning is one of the most well-known keyboard players in the pop music world, and his contributions to modern and vintage keyboard music have created a musical legacy that’s hard to match. Manning was a founding member of seminal pop band Jellyfish, as well as Nineties rockers Imperial Drag, and has worked with artists as diverse as Beck, Blink182, Luscious Jackson, and French duo Air. He’s even appeared on the soundtrack to “Muppets in Space” playing drums and Fender Rhodes amidst a host of musical legends. But it is his work with the Moog Cookbook that puts him squarely in the Moog Hall of Fame, and helped keep Moog keyboards at the forefront of modern music. The creative product of Manning and musical partner Brian Kehew, The Moog Cookbook released two albums of covers recorded entirely with Moog keyboards, making over songs from modern and classic rock bands into analog synth masterpieces. Also in the realm of Moog music is “Logan’s Sanctuary,” which finds Manning collaborating with former Red Kross drummer Brian Reitzell on the soundtrack to an imaginary sequel of the Seventies sci-fi thriller “Logan’s Run.” Manning’s painstaking creation of Jerry Goldsmith’s retro-futuristic style of music was a labor of love, and also featured the vocals of former Jellyfish member Jason Faulkner, with whom Manning has teamed for his latest project, TV Eyes.
If Jellyfish was born of the Seventies, TV Eyes is firmly rooted in the synth-driven Eighties, giving both Manning and Faulkner ample room to play with the idiom. Collaborating with drummer Reitzell, the trio has begun to play shows, and Manning surrounds himself with a mix of new and vintage gear, including a well-used Moog Prodigy. But Manning is excited by the new Moog Voyager, and its numerous benefits. “They gave you all the frills,” says Manning. “MIDI, programmable patches, oscillators, cross-mods- all without sacrificing the great sounds that made us fall in love with the Moog in the first place.” Manning also mentions that Moog Cookbook collaborator Brian Kehew sold his Minimoog because “the Voyager has all the things I wished for.”
Manning stresses how crucial the Voyagers’ presets are. “For years I played a Moog Source mainly for the presets. Sonically, the Source had a more modern, new wave tone- great robotic dancey tones that I wouldn’t necessarily turn to the Minimoog for. Plus the touch sensor plate worked really well, though the new one on the Voyager is just great.” No stranger to Moog’s variety of models, Manning also praises the Moog Prodigy for its versatility and the instinctive setup of the knobs. Indeed, each Moog model has its own idiosyncrasies, though the Voyager collects them all in one keyboard.
Aside from TV Eyes, Manning has a few solo records in the works. One he describes as his “electronic statement” a la Fatboy Slim; the other he calls “pure pop” stemming from the styles he explored in Jellyfish and Imperial Drag. The ever-prodigious musical mind of Roger Joseph Manning has more in store for fans worldwide, and you can be sure Moog keyboards will be a part of it all.
For more info:
TV Eyes: http://tveyes.net/
Jellyfish: http://zenandjuice.com/music/jellyfish/index.html
Moog Cookbook: http://zenandjuice.com/music/moog_cookbook/index.html
Imperial Drag: http://www.imperialdrag.com/
Robbie Gennet 2003
Roger continures to stay busy:
"Today I am feeling incredibly fulfilled as I continue to do session work as a keyboardist, vocalist, and arranger. I still do remixes whenever they’re offered. I have enjoyed contributing music to various film scores including Sophia Copolla’s “Lost In Translation” with band mate and music supervisor extraordinaire, Brian Reitzell. I am on the staff of an amazing audio and visual design agency in New York called Expansion Team and as a result do lots of scoring for commercials and cable TV networks like Comedy Central and VH-1. Not only is my second solo pop album under way but an all electronic dance record of original material is also nearing completion. I am raising fruit trees, am a better skateboarder, thanks to the ramp I had built in my backyard, than I was in my teens, and am the proud father of six lovely pet animals: two rats, three cats, and a dog. Oh yeah, and I’m still together after fourteen years with my best friend, Charlotte. Some of you probably remember her as the first coordinator of the Jellyfish Fan Club."
- Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.
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Rich Robinson
Surely, you knew how he got that terrific sound... |
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby is a triple-platinum singer, pianist, songwriter, and bandleader.
Here he is playing a night of memorable music with the Moog Piano Bar to his fans delight.
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Roger O'Donnell
Alternative rock keyboardist Roger O'Donnell traced his classical music roots as he headlined the fifth Piano Chat online for The World's Largest Piano Lesson on October 3, at 8:30 EST. A former keyboard player for The Cure, The Psychedellic Furs, and The Thompson Twins, O'Donnell's talk included observations on concert performances as well as tech talk regarding Moog and MIDI Technology .
In a move reminiscent of 1970s prog-rock, O'Donnell recently created an entire album using just a Moog synthesizer.
Register for Piano Talk at World's Largest Piano Lesson and look under the achived transcripts for October 3, 2005.
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Rob Schwimmer-Moog Active!
"I now own and treasure 3 of Bob Moog's legendary theremins--a Melodia, an
Etherwave, and now the Etherwave-Pro. I used the Etherwave on the Simon and
Garfunkel tour to play the solo on The Boxer--People would go nuts! It also
features prominently in my band, Polygraph Lounge. I own and love my Moogerfooger
pedals and am using the Voyager in the studio this very afternoon!"
Rob Schwimmer is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and arranger who has performed and recorded throughout the world.
Learn more about Rob!
Pick up Rob's latest CD at CD Baby or at his website.
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Dan Schwartz
Dan Schwartz is an active professional musician and producer residing in Los Angeles who has worked with many notable musicians. Here are a few:
Bob Dylan
Rosanne Cash
Jon Hassell
Brian Eno
Geza X
Tuesday Night Music Club
Linda Perry
David Baerwald
Bernie Leadon
Dave Navarro
Stanard Ridgeway
Andy Prieboy
Susanna Hoffs
The Bangles (producer)
Sheryl Crow
Adam Sandler
Syd Straw
Michael Jackson
Dan told us that currently he is doing some session work with the Tuesday Night Music Club (Bill Bottrell producing) and working with mostly new or new-ish artists: Annie Stela, Sierra Swan and Toby Lightman to name a few. Also, he is very proud to be working on the new Rosanne Cash record. He remains quite busy and yet still finds time to produce some independent artists.
Dan first corresponded with Bob in the early 70's when he was in Jr.. high/High school and got his first minimoog in High school. He also has owned a big modular system for years.
Dan has quite a bit of history with Moog Music and has been a real asset to the company's future.
Thanks, Dan! |
Freshwater Collins
Moog Music is proud to introduce:
Chris Vos - Vocals, Guitar, Lap Steel
Josh Tovar - Guitar, Vocals
Brian Vos - Bass, Vocals
Justin Krol - Drums
Freshwater Collins' music is a perfect reflection of the diverse backgrounds of its artists, resulting in a sound that is both as emotional as it is captivating. Calling on a wide range influences from The Flaming Lips to Hank Williams, from Muddy Waters to Led Zepplin has resulted a soulful form of alterative/indie rock from the upper Midwest. Freshwater Collins is also building momentum through spirited live performances throughout the country, having shared the stage with Robert Plant, Robert Randolph, Steve Earle, Galactic, OAR, Gov't Mule, The Jayhawks, Better Than Ezra, Theory of a Dead Man, Killing Heidi, Will Hoge, Bob Schneider as well as a host of others.
Here is what Chris Vos had to say about using Moog gear, "In my experience, nothing has affected my consciousness as a musician as much as Bob Moog’s brilliant designs. Using a Moogerfooger gives you a feeling like you have been reborn as a player, as the pedals allow you to explore territory within yourself you previously didn’t know could exist. The Murf, for instance, is an instrument within itself that seems almost infinite in possibility by creating beautiful cascading runs or manic rhythmic accompaniment with an unparallel mix of chaos and control that time and time again yields something purely inspiring. There is no arguing that Bob Moog has changed music for the better with his amazing gift for design. I am humbled every time I activate my Moog pedals. That is wonderful feeling."
Learn more about these guys by visting either one of these two websites:
Freshwater Collins, or
My Space Link |
Victoria Lundy- Thereminista de las Inactivista
We had the pleasure to meet Victoria while she was in Asheville, NC participating in the 2005 Ether Music Festival back in August. Here, let's get to know a little about Victoria:
After seeing a Big Briar Etherwave at a show in 1996, Victoria was hooked. She still has a Big Briar Etherwave, which she played with the experimental group; The Carbon Dioxide Orchestra, but now plays her Moog Etherwave Pro with Denver band; The Inactivists.
Asked to describe their music, The Inactivists (Scot Livingston, ukulele, bassist Matt Sumner, drummer Chris Budin, saxophonist/ accordionist/ clarinetist Todd Burba, and thereminist Victoria Lundy) fail miserably. "Angry Lounge Nerd Rock" is often their glib reply. Instead, imagine the bastard love-child of Primus and Frank Zappa. They've recorded two albums, "Punching Each Other" (2004) and "Disappointing Follow-Up" (2005), as well as a split X-Mas EP entitled "It's An "The Inactivists" X-Mas!!!"(2004). Their current project is tentatively titled "Dreaded Concept Album".
"I hope people start to accept the theremin as a musical instrument , however, I don¹t want to see it lose its mystery or intrinsic humor", says Vic. "I think playing with the Inactivists has been great because we treat the theremin as an ensemble instrument --- like the guitar or the clarinet --- not just a gimmick. But it¹s allowed to be goofy, too."
"The Etherwave Pro's pitch linearity is extremely even compared to other theremins I¹ve played, and the intrinsic tone is very sweet. It¹s also a true gigging theremin. The fast set-up time, octave switch, and preset filters make playing in problematic situations much easier; once you¹re set up, you¹re good to go. And, it¹s beautiful and intriguing as an object, too."
Learn more about Victoria and her band by clicking here - The Inactivists.
Thanks, Victoria!!! |
Eric Lanzillotta
Eric Lanzillotta has been involved in sound in various aspects over the last two decades. In this time, a few fragments have been released for public consumptions on labels such as Anomalous Records,
Selektion, Alluvial Recordings, Beta-Lactam Ring Records, RRRecords,
EE Tapes and Jnana Records. Some of these recordings have involved collaborations with Ralf Wehowsky, Andrew Chalk, and John Hudak. He has also contributed to recordings by Hands To, AMK, Ultra, Edward Ka-Spel and irr.app.(ext.). As a live performer, he has appeared in
United States, Canada and Japan, both solo and in duets with Bernhard Gunter and Aube.
Speaking about Moog gear, Eric told us, "At this point, my entire set up is made of Moog gear: Voyager, MF-102, MF-105, MF104SD, CP-251, and VX-351. The ways to interconnect these pieces makes for almost infinite variations. One of the most important units for me is the CP-251 control processor.
To point out just a single example, the control voltage mixer allows me to combine voltages of various types and rates to make more complex control signals than a simple LFO. Starting from here I love to send signals to the other units and often back again to built up complex, interrelated, changing sounds. As all the MoogerFoogers
have control voltage inputs, it becomes possible to create unique effects that could not be achieved by manually manipulating the knobs. The set up comes close to the power of a modular set up, but remains portable. In fact when I went to Japan, I only brought my CP-251 control processor and MF-102 ring modular and I was able to create a full and varied set using only those two units (and a lot of patch cables). Even just using this small set up, I was able to deliver a punch, and with the whole set up even more so. The Moog equipment simply has a lovely, full and warm sound across the board."
(Photo credit to Arik Tillman)
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Mike Farrell
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Michael Kevin Farrell has performed and recorded throughout the world as a keyboardist, musical director, and multi-instrumentalist. Since 2004, he has worked with legendary recording artist Morrissey and has written and recorded on a number of his albums, including the platinum You Are the Quarry, Live at Earls Court and most recently Ringleader of the Tormentors. Prior to that, Michael was the musical director/keyboardist for Grammy winning Epic artist Macy Gray. He continues to collaborate with her as a writer and has contributed 3 tracks to Macy’s 2006 release, Big, produced by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas. Michael has also produced tracks for Macy Gray, Ben Lee and Angie Hart of Frente. and has performed with Mariah Carey, Vanessa Carlton, Melissa Etheridge, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Dave Navarro, Ben Lee, and Kimberly Locke.
TV appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night With David Letterman, the NFL on FOX, Top of the Pops-UK, Later with Jools Holland, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Live with Regis and Kelly, Entertainment Tonight, Live with Jimmy Kimmel, and Good Morning America.
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Eric Frampton
From early childhood, Eric Frampton enjoyed taking apart old
keyboards, making them work again, and then making music on them. He was recording by age 11, and had joined his first band at age 14. While his primary interest lay with synthesizers, Eric kept up his
piano chops, entering multiple Georgia All-state classical piano
competitions and winning Superior medals in every competition he entered.
In 1999 Eric finally landed his first major touring gig as keyboardist for seminal rock/funk band Mother's Finest. He was then asked to join prog rock band Agent Cooper. Their latest album, "Beginners Mind", was released on ProgRock records to worldwide critical acclaim.
Eric was also indispensable to other projects such as "My Kung-Fu Is Good," the debut solo album on Universal from Stuck Mojo guitarist
Rich Ward. Eric played keyboards, co-wrote, and co-produced several
tracks. Eric also co-produced and performed on the debut record
"Better Days for Broken Hearts" from Zerochance, and played keyboards on the debut record from rock guitar prodigy Mike Martin. He has also composed and produced music for dozens of corporate clients including the Atlanta Braves, IBM, and the Ford Motor Company. Eric Frampton also enjoys the change of pace from on-stage player to keyboard/computer technician and synth programmer for other acts such as Paul Simon and the B-52's.
Eric has been making music with Moog synthesizers for years, and is
the proud owner of an original Minimoog, a Polymoog Keyboard, a
Source, a Memorymoog Plus, and his most recently acquired treasured possession: a Tribute Edition Little Phatty.
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Bubba
A Word about Doctor Robert A. Moog
"I first heard about Bob Moog shortly after birth. My parents made it a point to read to me each night about their two favorite subjects; Bob Moog and the Caterpillar D11N Bulldozer.
As early as entering daycare, I had a hard time tolerating story time because I had never been exposed to Barney, the purple communist dinosaur. Then and now, Bob Moog and the D11N are far more interesting.
I have been a long time fan of Dr. Moog and all of his incredible inventions. I believe that all problems facing mankind today could be solved with any Moog Synthesizer, duct tape, and a loud amplification system."
-Bubba
Learn more about Bubba by CLICKING HERE. |
Brian LeBarton
Brian LeBarton is happy to receive a paycheck for the role of "keyboardist". But do not be surprised if half the clips or pictures you find of him on the internet are rather him playing percussion, being a "hype man", rocking the drum kit or behaving badly in a bear outfit. Perhaps best known so far for his work with Beck including touring the critically acclaimed "Guero", playing on and touring his current release, "The Information" and collaborating with Beck on the soundtrack and score for the Paramount Pictures film "Nacho Libre" starring Jack Black. Before touring with Beck he made his mark on the road with singer Nikka Costa, indie singer/songwriter Peter Walker and EMI recording artist Adam Cohen. He has also lent his talents in the studio to: Jewel, The Watson Twins (Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins), Gene Simmons, Nikka Costa, Ken Andrews (Failure, Year of the Rabbit) and TVT recording artists The Strays to name but a few. More recently he has established an alter-ego as the singer for the hard rock/metal band Wounded Cougar. |
Hydrovibe
Born in Louisiana, Hydrovibe began when vocalist Heather St. Marie joined forces with guitarist Mat Dauzat to create a sound that combined dynamic, guitar-driven music with extremely powerful and commanding female vocals. Experiencing great success in the south, Hydrovibe began to branch out - touring the Midwest and the west coast to begin building a loyal fan base. The band soon became known for their high-intensity shows and memorable performances, and the industry soon began to take notice.
Through industry suggestion and for the sake of taking the band to the next level, it became clear that Hydrovibe would need to move to Los Angeles. Half of the band was simply unable to make such a life-changing move across the country, leaving St. Marie and Dauzat the tough challenge of relocating and reforming Hydrovibe in the City of Angels. The very week of arrival in L.A., Mat was handpicked by Sharon and Kelly Osbourne to play lead guitar in Kelly's band. With many high-profile TV performances in the U.S and Europe, and touring all over the world with Kelly, Mat began making more industry contacts and expanding the Hydrovibe fan base worldwide.
Meanwhile, back in L.A., Heather began scouring the scene for musicians to complete the band lineup. She and Dauzat continued to work on songwriting back and forth via the internet. Heavily influenced by the excitement and struggles of the recent major life changes and impacts on relationships (both good and bad), the new Hydrovibe songs grew extremely rich in melody and lyrical content while maintaining the heavy sound that the band had become known for. Through rehearsing the songs together live, the sound of Mat's strong harmonies combined with Heather's already powerful voice added another dynamic aspect to the band. Dauzat and St. Marie began recording pre-production demos and releasing them on MySpace in late 2003, and the songs began receiving strong reaction and industry attention. In spring of 2004, Hydrovibe joined forces with Atlantic Records to record 4 songs at Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, California.
Armed with the newly recorded 4 songs, St. Marie and Dauzat underwent an extensive search to find the perfect members to complete Hydrovibe. Through industry friends they found drummer Philippe Mathys, a Swiss native who was playing in U.P.O. (Sony/Epic/Nitrus Records). Several months later, the band finalized its lineup when they found bass player Eliot Lorango through good friend and top L.A. musician-referral service owner, Barry Squire. Meanwhile Atlantic Records underwent "restructuring," and Hydrovibe decided to switch gears and release an album on their own. They formed their own label, Orleans Street Records, a tribute to their original Louisiana stomping grounds.
"We spent a lot of time playing the major label game just to find out that we were doing a lot of things right on our own all along," says Dauzat. "In order to remain true to our roots, we feel that it is time for the band to put out an album on our own."
"There's too much momentum for us to be slowed down by anything at this point," says St. Marie. "Our fans have waited long enough."
With the band lineup complete, Hydrovibe locked themselves in a North Hollywood rehearsal room for 3 months to write new music and get enough material ready to record. After the pre-production work, the band entered the studio in June 2006 to begin tracking their EP “Killer Inside”, which will be available online in mid November, and their as-yet-untitled upcoming album to be released in early 2007. Their song “Killer Inside” featuring guest vocals by actress Shawnee Smith can be heard in the box office hit Saw III and on the Saw III Soundtrack.
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Bobby Bilan
BOBBY BILAN - It's best to begin getting a small idea of the capacity of this artist/performer by first quoting Bruce Cockburn's producer/guitarist Eugene Martynec who described his first studio encounter with Bobby and his unique lead guitar playing as "A freight train out of control!" Jack Richardson the producer of The Guess Who, Alice Cooper and Aerosmith to name a few, called him "Thee Atomic Bobby Bilan" and "Mr. Chainsaw" since Bobby became the first in the world to nightly chainsaw his guitars during 1979 US tours which included rare theremin displays. Canadian columnist Randall King recently wrote "Bilan, who revolutionized the art of playing the guitar with a chainsaw", demonstrated to the world a commercially viable experimental freedom that modern music had never before embraced so as the chainsaw began to catch on, legions of performers not only on this continent but Europe and Japan began experimenting with power tools of all sorts and all manner of mechanical devices. In fact, Bobby a highly accomplished session player, worked on many clandestine sessions and other inspirational special projects throughout his colorful but decidedly under-publicized reclusive career. In it's history as a group, The Guess Who called on Bobby several times for his studio prowess, writing skills and showmanship, engaging him to help bring the band back to credibility and critical notoriety both in the studio and on the big stage concert touring circuit.
Bobby has been quite entrenched in the successful history of the band. He recorded on the demos that led to vocalist Burton Cummings signing first 1975 solo deal. Further, Bobby replaced Jim Kale during recording sessions, as well as altogether replacing Kurt Winter in the studio and for all live performances from 1979 until the end of 1980. The most recent tour of duty had Bobby this time replacing Randy Bachman as lead guitar late summer of 2003, performances spotlighting Bobby's solo portion of each concert featuring him playing the American National Anthem on his Moog Etherwave or Moog Etherwave Pro theremin. We see Bobby pictured here at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville North Carolina (home of Moog Music), with his brand new Etherwave Pro hand picked and delivered by Moog's Linda Pritchard, just the day after the road crew lost Bobby's equipment. In true professional stage spirit, Bobby displayed his mettle with ease and grace, the shows and the tours did go on. Bobby Bilan's playing of the National Anthem on theremin has changed the complexion of rock concert performance forever. Not one event has gone by that did not see the audience standing at attention, saluting, and singing along with Bobby's theremin to make for some of the most powerful memorable moments in rock concert history to date in this millennium. As well as being a producer, arranger, luthier and a meriad things musical, he is a prolific composer for the multi-instruments he has in his repertoire including the theremin. Throughout the 'experimental' phases of his music career, Bobby has until recently maintained a dependence on his Bob Moog modified vintage Maestro brand effects, many of which are now available in the much improved Moogerfooger line which he now prefers. He has performed and recorded with his home town Symphony Orchestra as a young guitar virtuoso in the '80s conducted by Arthur Polson and recently as guest thereminist under the baton of the celebrated conductor Bramwell Tovey who now makes his home in Vancouver.
Once again with full symphony accompaniment and coloratura soprano sensation Tracy Dahl, the theremin/voice piece performed was written by highly noted New York composer David Del Tredici who flew in for the occasion, personally re-notated Bobby's score and attended all rehearsals and final performance to a wildly enthusiastic sell out concert hall. To see Bobby in concert in any genre is not your usual experience. Often the audience will rush his side of the stage to see where and how the sounds are got. Both his skill and persona are most engaging as is his tireless appreciation of his audiences coupled with an uncompromising respect for his craft.
To watch Bobby in concert is a lasting multi level event that affects all the senses and sensibilities, often jarring the listener to some almost ancient sound memory that can last for quite some time after the event. He has written for independent film, performed live theremin music for live theatre, even performed live theremin while simultaneously mixing a soundtrack for film at various cinemas. Bobby was asked and performed live theremin at the Canadian opening of Steven M. Martin's film - Theremin "An Electronic Odyssey" plus far too many other accomplishments to list here. The advent of such media as the internet, will surely bring on more information on how Bobby Bilan has albeit quietly but expansively influenced the creative uplifting of modern electronic music.
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Nigey Nige aka Nigel Hopkins
1. What was your first experience with Moog?
I was given the album “Trilogy” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and heard all these unusual sounds. I couldn’t quite figure out what they were. It was some years later before I actually got to see a Moog synthesiser and actually buy my very own.
2. Which product is your favorite and why?
This is a tough one because I’ve used quite a lot of various models, but I’d have to say the Voyagers. They look ultra cool, they have endless possibilities programming wise, they give you the opportunity to create your own sounds very easily and it’s really fat and punchy. It also amazes me that in today’s world of midi and the internet, you can update your Moog’s operating system so that it brings new features, where as with my old Mini and Multimoogs, they were never going to improve over time, only in a financial capacity. Complete Spaceman Interview
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