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Veteran musician takes music to new level
"I'm very much my own artist and into my own music," said Currell, whose goal is to help elevate consciousness, making listeners more aware of their lives and surroundings through music and technology. Currell has been researching the relationship of music and sound and their effects on the human mind for years, and he's developed a 3-D audio technology to further this endeavor. "Christopher has advanced the science of guitar to the next level," said fellow musician Tom Novak. Currell has been one of the true visionaries in the musical world for decades, according to professional audio product developer Mike McRoberts. His musical vision is influenced by future technology but is always achievable by utilizing current advanced technology. "He's one of the nicest people I've known in the music industry," McRoberts said. During his 30-year careerCurrell has composed, performed and synthesized a broad range of music, including classical, jazzrock, avant-garde and pop. The exceptional musical career started when Currell began to play the guitar in high school in Michigan. "That's all I did, walk around the house with a guitar strapped around my neck for 11 to 12 hours a day," he said. After moving to California in 1977 he became known for his ability to perform using the hightech instruments of the day. He started out with the Synclavier, an integrated system for music synthesis and recording created in the late 1970s, and it didn't take long before Currell forged a name for himself in the music industry. He worked as a sound engineer and produced artists independently until he was invited to discuss electronic music on a TV show. At that point he was contacted by Warner Bros. to produce albums and soon began to work as a studio musician and producer for several record labels. C u r r e l l founded Audio Cybernetics in 1981, so he could produce and compose his own music and work on post-recording mastering, television and film. He also became more involved in research and development of digital-signal processing technology for the musical instrument and professional audio industries and advanced into the realm of three-dimensional sound and virtual reality. Currell worked with the likes of Paul Simon, Luther Vandross and Meat Loaf as well as Jones and Jackson. He most notably played on Jackson's award-winning album "Bad" and helped Jackson and Jones arrange the hit that named the album. Jackson's feelings about Currell are made evident on a signed platinum album cover on Currell's wall The pop legend wrote: "Chris, a friend and fun guy. Thanks for creating the magic." The sentiment is mutual. "Michael has done a lot of positive things in his career and it seems that people's memory becomes very short when there is controversy," he said. "I think people should use common sense and not believe everything they are told through the media," Currell said. As a Jackson band member Currell toured the world for 18 months. He worked for Jackson for another 18 months before the "Bad" tour began and also participated in projects after the tour. After 31/2 years with Jackson, Currell was ready to move on"I had another calling," he saidCurrell spent a few years in Japan and enjoyed working with performers in that country"They don't have a lot of the preconceptions about coming up with new ideas and I like that," he said. Japanese people also like to work as a team, he said, with all members dedicated to making the projects work, he said. Currell also spent 10 years developing his craft in Boulder, Colo. Presently, he's working with vocalist Beth Quist on a project called Aural Vibrational Manifestations. The pair has worked together in the past. Quist is finishing up a twoyear stint as the lead vocalist in the Cirque du Soleil production of KA at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. She's also a member of Bobby M c F e r r i n ' s Voicestra project, which will perform at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on Jan. 27, 2007. "She's a trained dancer and has a true four-octave soprano voice," said Currell, who particularly likes improvisation. "Beth likes to create vocal loops in real time and improvise over them. She's also a gifted composer," he said. "My current work involves the creation of music, video and sound improvisations that can transport the listener to new realms of experience," Currell said. Artist manager Cynthia Butman has been "transported" by Currell's music. "I had the honor of attending the concert that Christopher held in the Ojai Mountains last summer, and the music I heard that day touched me in a way that very few other kinds of music have," she said. To learn more about Currell, visit www.audiocybernetics.com/ AVM.html. |
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