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The Puppet Master
I took piano lessons from age 7 until I was almost through high school. It was mostly classical training, with a little jazz thrown in here n\' there. In college, I got away from playing music for a couple of years, until my involvement was rekindled by joining up with a hip-hop band called The Yellow No. 5 Orchestra (www.y5o.com). I played alongside them for a little over a year, doing shows in Binghamton, Ithaca, and NYC. We managed to cut a CD, but after college ended, distance and differences got in the way and I eventually left the band. My first exposure to REAL electronic music was the sounds of Frankie Bones, c. 1995. That, plus a steady diet of Orbital, Aphex Twin, Chemical Brothers, and The Prodigy, started me off on my journey. It wasn't long before I began going to parties regularly, and dancing my face off. The music moved me in so many ways, and I happily embraced my addiction to it! After graduation, I went out and got me a keyboard, the Alesis “QS8.1” Expandable Synthesizer…my constant companion for the past 4 years. Purchasing that keyboard was probably the most significant contribution to my continued musical exploration and performance. It opened up innumerable possibilities for me, one of which was the wide array of drum patches it featured. I played around and experimented with them day and night, and it wasn't long before I began to actually find rhythms and beats that I could sustain for long periods of time…using only my bare hands. Since I didn't feel like reading through the manual to learn how to use all the sequencers and whatnot, I simply hit the keys with my fingers, creating deep, thumping, live rhythms. Most of them came out pretty raw and hard, and I wasn't sure if any of it even sounded good...but I was having fun, and that was enough at the time. Up until this point, I had never actually performed on my own...until one day, somebody discovered me (thank you Trish!). By the winter of 2000, I'd been going to parties for about 4 years. But it wasn't until December 29 of that year that I had the opportunity to actually play at one. The party was put on by Phlux, Generic, and Stress the Point. It was called "Elation", and looking back on that night, the name could've have been more fitting. A technical difficulty in the main room forced me to play in the 2nd room, hosted by Generic (a collection of local Buffalo djs). Those guys let me play at 1am...the most coveted of all time slots. I won't go into details, but basically, that was the night that The Puppet Master was born. It was quite possibly one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Had it not been for Phlux and Generic, I'd probably still be playing the keys alone in my basement today. The name “The Puppet Master” was inspired, in part, by my lifelong obsession with horror movies and all things dark, scary and evil. The name was also inspired by Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” album, which seriously rocks. In addition (and I have been told this by others who have watched me play), my fingers sometimes resemble those of a puppeteer’s…pulling strings and making the little marionettes dance (or in this case, ravers). Since that wonderful night, I've played all over the place in Buffalo, NY. In addition to doing percussion sets on my own, I've also teamed up with some very talented local djs, vocalists, and musicians for a few performances. Lately, I've been playing out regularly with an absolutely brilliant local dj known as The Oracle. We've rocked out together on multiple occasions, one of which ended up being converted to our first cd entitled "Let the Light In." Listed Below are some of my more memorable gigs, along with some of the headliners that were featured (so far, all of these have been in Western New York):
"Elation" - Morgan, Josh da Funky 1, Rob
Solo @ Club Meltdown
"Seeing Things" - R351570R, Cosmic Babies @
the Pleasuredome
Since I'm writing a freakin' novel here, I might as well go ahead and list some of my most prominent influences...groups, artists, and musical styles that have inspired me in various ways:
- STOMP! (definitely #1 on the
list!!!!! human-powered percussion, using everything...even the kitchen
sink!!!) Early on, I got a lot of criticism from people who thought my style of playing was too imprecise and sloppy for people to dance to. I guess that's to be expected...but I'd rather be criticized for thinking "outside the box" than be praised for conformity. My goal as far as electronic music goes is to continually move in new and interesting directions. I want to expand the possibilities of live music, and continue to collaborate with musicians who are open-minded and passionate about what they do. I want to create rhythms in ways that defy explanation, and I want to smash people\s preconceived notions about what techno music "should" sound like. For years, the music moved me. Now, finally...I have the chance to MAKE the music move.
Thanx for reading. Peace.
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