GEOFF WESTEN has a long history in music and design, working on scores of projects with hundreds of musicians and talented artists in all fields. He has taken his considerable artistic experience and packaged them all under the Disturbing Media banner; comprised of his two major disciplines—visuals under Oz Studios, and audio under his Disturbing Music label.
Geoff apprenticed his musical craft with pop music masters in the studio, on television and on the road. His apprenticeship took on various forms—owning a recording studio where he worked with artists as diverse as David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Dr. John; on the road with his own bands and top commercial pop artists; and on television in the house band on a network show.
As a teen, he gravitated to music—more because of the music "scene" than any thought of becoming a musician, and dove head first into the drug-guzzling, mind-altering rock and roll lifestyle. Those were exciting yet controversial times, and he became immersed in the revolution. He soon saw beyond the chaos and gravitated to the music. He developed an appreciation for good rock and roll, frequenting L.A. clubs.
For Geoff it was going to be all about making the music! Being part of several promising but ill-fated bands were all part of the learning experience, as well as enjoying the highs and lows of two bands signed to major label deals before he took off on his own.
"Don't get me wrong," Westen furthers. "I love the band experience—the camaraderie and sharing of ideas. There is nothing better than a great live rock and roll band." Recently he's had numerous offers to perform music from his last album, The Pigs, live, but having to put a band together via the traditional audition model, isn't in the cards. "I spent a few years touring with a group of amazing professionals. The difference between working with them and the 'garage band' musician was an epiphany for me. Now, I just can't settle for working with anything less."
Those players were the real deal, they had backed-up top songwriters (from Neil Diamond and Elton John to Alice Cooper and Mac Davis—he appreciated the process and soaked up every detail like a sponge. But when the band started playing Vegas, he knew it was time to move on.
After years of being on the road as a sideman for other artists and in his own bands, he burned out and went off in a more solitary direction. Thus came the studio years and the study of songwriting as a craft. "I had to learn how to work more on my own, less as part of a team, and the advancement of technology allowed me to recreate what I heard in my head, without other musicians and techs."
This led to the formation of Oz Studios, a graphic design and demo recording workshop (which still exists today as a multi-media design shop)—a place to exercise his graphic skills and to start recording song ideas. His design clients included a "Who's Who" of Rock and Roll, and Geoff decided to settle down and devote his energies to making Oz Studios a success.
But after some time away from music, Geoff developed a musical itch that needed to be scratched. Once again it was time to think about new musical ideas and concepts. This would be more about following his personal muse to see where it would lead. He went back into the studio and took it over for himself. He began putting down songs; he couldn't stop the flow. VIDIOTS, THE PIGS and DIGITAL ACTIVITY are just the latest projects in Geoff's on and off love affair with a professional music career.
Westen's style is a life-long amalgam of pop influences. He laughs at the comparisons heaped on his music. "I understand why people want to compare you to some other artist or band as a point of reference, but it really gets ridiculous. If I showed you the list of 'whom Geoff sounds like,' you would be amazed. It's a diverse group ranging from Oingo Boingo to The Killers to Chromeo. Wow! But, I'm not griping about it. It's great that everyone hears something different. It means if you're into rock 'n roll, you should be able to find something you like about my music—and that's what I'm striving for."
"Writing and producing for me is a never-ending road, it's never complete," Westen explains. "But at some point you have to let the piece go so you can move on. 'Action Man' on the newest CD breaks that rule. It's another version of the song 'Saturday Night' from The Pigs' CD. I wasn't done with it yet—I kept hearing a different way of doing it in my head."
Rock veteran Westen has spent a whole lot of years involved in the production and performance of music. You can hear this wealth of experience and hear the maturity in his arrangements and production style. It's his "Wall of Pop" sound that sets him apart.
GEOFF WESTEN'S MUSICAL LEXICON
"One of the things I look for while listening to new music is whether or not it continues to hold my interest. You have to listen to a lot of bad shit, to find the good. No matter how awful I think a track or CD is on first listening, if I respect the artist, I'll make sure I listen to it 2 or 3 times. When I find a track that keeps revealing new textures and flavors, it will ultimately become a favorite even if I didn't respond to it on first listening.
"I hope my first time listeners will do the same. There's always a lot going on in my tracks. I even put a lot of invisible parts in there—you don't really hear them as much as you feel them. They add a special ingredient. They don't stand out. I consider the layering of sound and parts to be the defining aspect of my process or style. You'll always hear new things on my tracks with repeated listening.
"Technology has given me the tools to use my best attributes in the creation process. I can record what and when I like, I get no grief from players who want to do it their way. But that being said, I've been very lucky to find a few wonderful players who put their ego aside and play it like I asked them to.
"Not being a schooled musician, I use alternative and perhaps unorthodox methods in the creative process. I approach creating music very much like I do my artwork; each new piece of music, whether it's a straight ahead pop song with lyrics and all, or a rock instrumental or rock ambient track, starts with a silent blank canvas.
"I paint my music as an artist applies paint to his canvas; one color or texture at a time. I paint my creations by applying sound, layer upon layer. Aided by my bank of digital gadgetry, I like to create unusual blends, or space and depth, add lightness here, darkness there or the occasional splash of color or glint of glitter.
"As far as the stories in my songs are concerned, I get plenty of material from where most other songwriters get their inspiration: the world around us. I try to tell stories in my songs. I'll often put myself into the story and live out the experience. I try and give each lyric/story a beginning, a middle and an end. Maybe the Vidiot connection is responsible for that. You could make a movie out of most of my lyrics.
"I guess I'm a musical actor of sorts—I love the adventure of making myself the central character in the song rather than telling stories about other people. If you notice, I write lyrics in first person most of the time. It's always 'I' did this or 'I' did that rather than 'he/she' did this or that. I don't know if my fans have a clue that I'm doing this, but I always have, and probably always will. I hope the listeners can relate to my fantasies.
"I really try not to be predictable. I've been doing this too long to put out the same album every time, so don't expect to hear the same thing over and over again. I find that boring and I would like to think my fans would find that boring too. It's always worth the risk of reinventing yourself as a creative force. If my fans reject it—I'll find new fans that will embrace it. I figure—good music is good music, and if you're good, they'll find you.
"Enjoy the new CD and keep in mind, every note you hear came from the heart and by the time you are reading this, I have moved on to something new and exciting. An important requisite for me is that at the end of each day, I have created a piece of art or music that didn't exist when the day began. I recommend this for all of you out there. Leave the world something 'bright and shiny' each day. It feels soooo good!"
LAST FEW WORDS
With each Disturbing project, Geoff attempts to create a new experience for himself, those that work with him, and especially his fans. You can count on the fact that each future project will result in a unique and exciting musical journey. Keep checking out www.disturbingmusic.com to see what Geoff will come up with next.
A QUICK NOTE ABOUT OZ STUDIOS
OZ STUDIOS is responsible for the look of all of the Disturbing Music Projects and has been commissioned for commercials, websites, advertising and graphics for numerous other artists, companies and products. Check some of this out at www.ozstudios.com or the Disturbing Alerts page.
