THE TECHNOCRATS « drewschnurr.com

Drew Schnurr is a composer, sound artist, and performer from Los Angeles whose work blurs traditional lines in music, media, and sound.

As a composer for media, Drew has produced music and sonic branding for numerous world brands and media conglomerates. He is also an active concert composer and sound artist with a diverse range of international commissions and exhibits.

Revered by his peers, industry professionals, and critics, his work has been called both “rare” and “remarkable.”

“This composer bends and stretches rules within his own aesthetic, weaving his musical ideas in harmonious waves that threaten to drown, yet gently tumble the listener forward with intrigue and anticipation.” -Adam Rosenthal review for Persee: Orchestrated Perception

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Hyperventilations

for Piano with Four Hands [cat. sc26]

Hyperventilations of a Fire Dragon harnesses music from my early career as a performer in latin bands, jazz ensembles, funk bands, and rock and metal bands. The underlying fervency of these influences is felt throughout the work, leveraged by the power and agility of the piano, driving the performance often to the edge of playability. This piece initiates a compositional renaissance, a drilling down into the musical cores of “fire” that constitute the music of my youth. It comes from the gut—quite literally, was breathed into life. The melodic and rhythmic motives are all derived from vocal inflections (and hyperventilations) improvised, recorded, transcribed and re-composed by the composer.

DREW SCHNURR (2015)

Premiered by Vicki Ray and Aaron Kallay — Hear Now Festival, Los Angeles, May 2015.
Video performance by pianists Kookhee Hong and Minji Noh.

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watch HYPERVENTILATIONS

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THE TECHNOCRATS

11/22/05

There is an interesting article in “Audio Culture” comparing the work of modern sound artists to the work of Stockhausen, the grandfather of electronic music composition. I had the rare opportunity to participate in a discussion about this article last night.

Casey Reas (web site), a professor of interactive technologies and digital visual arts at D|MA, invited me to come and talk to some of his graduate students about the work of Stockhausen. We listened to recordings both new and old, and discussed the variances in approach, and creative priorities. It was a rare conversation, the type which only can occur amongst those who are inspired by the nuanced motivation behind artistic genius.

I continue to be struck by how I am drawn to the designers way of thought. There exists a pioneer spirit and imagination that I often find lacking in the norm of other creative disciplines, including music. The graduate students participating in this discussion were able to immediately engage, understanding the ideas behind Stockhausen’s innovations with out any “formal” knowledge of music. It would seem there exists a unity of thought amongst those who believe in life as an exploration of personal creative potential.

Wole Soyinka said, “The creative tribe is a very special one.” It is during exchanges such as these in which I feel at home, amongst members of my people, my tribe.

Thank you Casey for the invitation.

Drew Schnurr

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