the new album
We Only Came to Dream
After a 20 year wait, the new Alias Zone album is finally out. Over the course of three extended pieces, Chris displays his Berlin School roots in the sweeping Ash Tree Window, while also revealing his spiritual, tribal/ambient side in the gentle Navajo-influenced Dream Catcher and the epic Aztec-themed Náhuatl – a special version of his SoundQuest Fest 2021 performance. Two pieces also contain flute solos by old friend Richard Bugg, who appeared also on Lucid Dreams.
Previews from the new album:
Dream Catcher
Ash Tree Window
Náhuatl
Chris Meyer
Alias Zone has been described as the “zen master alter ego” of Chris Meyer of LearningModular.com. Each piece starts with a sound that catches Chris’ ear – may it be an Aztec poem, a cold war spy broadcast, an experiment on his modular synthesizers, a particular rhythmic pattern, or even something as simple as a terra cotta pot or Tibetan bowl being struck. From this core, he builds a story by researching the background of those core sounds, and then expanding upon them by conjuring his own alternate or “alias” narratives that support that core sound to flesh out the new worlds he creates.
Musically, modular synthesis is at the core of each new Alias Zone composition. However, Chris is unafraid to blend in ambient arpeggios and soundscapes, ethnic rhythms & percussion, software synthesis, and samples including spoken word in many different languages.
Upcoming & Recent Events
January 22, 2022
Southern California Synth Society
This event will be streamed live on YouTube starting at 6 PM PST (9 PM EST, 2 AM Sunday the 23rd GMT; 3 AM CET – don’t worry; it will be saved on YouTube to play back later). I am performing “live from the studio” along with eight other artists, and going on seventh out of the nine artists: after Jnatra and before Primitive Heart. This will be my first performance with a brand-new live rig I’ve been putting together, and I’m quite excited about it.
February 11/12, 2022
Phoenix Synthesizer Festival
I am performing Friday night the 11th (opening for Steve Roach) and giving a workshop Saturday afternoon the 12th. Both will be streamed on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. The workshop starts Saturay the 12th at roughly 3 PM MST (2 PM PST, 5 PM EST, 10 PM GMT, 11 PM CET); I am waiting for confirmation of the concert start time. The button below will take you to the official event page, which will be updated with more details as they become available.
performance
Iceland
Premiered during SoundMiT 2021
Composed & performed by Chris Meyer of Alias Zone, using:
• “The Tardis” portable modular synthesizer
• Iridium, Vector, Hydrasynth, and Wavestation polyphonic synths
• ambient sound recordings
Most of the ambient sounds for this piece – including the surf, wind chimes, and Artice Terns – were recorded by Marcel Gnauk during one of his visits. This inspired in me a mythical visit to and journey around the island, including encounters with sea monsters and inspiring landscapes.
the new single
Sputnik’s Ghosts
I had the pleasure of performing a half hour set for the 2021 edition of Mountain Skies. It started out as a piece of laid-back, stripped-down space music…but then took a couple of turns into jazzy lounge, and even waltz territories(!). Rather than have it disappear into the ether after that night, I’ve tidied up the mix and am making it available on Bandcamp at “name your own price.” Sit back, relax, and enjoy…
Preview of the performance:
Sputnik's Ghosts – Live at Mountain Skies
The original album
Lucid Dreams
The album that started it all, 20 years ago: Chris Meyer creating rhythmic loops and textural atmospheres as the backbone for live improvised performances by Richard Bugg’s ensemble, Cosmic Debris. This release featured a strong ethno-ambient flavor combined with spoken word in a variety of languages, and won the 2002 AFIM award for Best Independent Electronic/New Age release. You can name your own price to get the digital version on Bandcamp, complete with PDF of the original artwork and liner notes.