Sonic artist Geoff Westen, possesses artistry--determination, hard work, skill AND a heaping dollop of creativity--and it shows in his work. His creativity, cynicism, and obsession mix together to produce some of the most original music of the decade.
The third and newest release in his Digital Activity Rock Ambient series is Activate (2011), a mind-bending musical expedition designed to excite aural neurons and invigorate the cerebral cortex.
What is Rock Ambient? Says one reviewer, "if you were to take Pink Floyd's Ummagumma and Animals and re-mix them with an '80s dance track, you might have something close to the Rock Ambient sound. Assuming you listened to it on acid."
Geoff is a unique artist who has thrown himself solely into the production of music for music's sake. A firm believer in escapism and endless possibility, in 2003, he expanded Disturbing Music Publishing, into an independent music label which allowed him to record music that would fall outside the scope of major labels. Under the nom de tune, Digital Activity, he released Xmas Vol. 1 (2003) then Birth (2004), an audio introduction to his Rock Ambient genre.
Most of Geoff's fans know him as a PowerPop artist. A perfect example is his 2006 album The PigsÑOINK! that lyrically showcased his dark humor and sarcasm alongside his distinctive Neo Wave sound. It was released to stellar reviews, was listed by Hybrid Magazine as one their "2006 Up and Coming Favorites," and was named one of the "Top 25 Indie CDs of 2007" by Indie-Music.com. Westen's 2008 follow-up, Vidiots Ð Tune In!! firmly established him as THE Neo-Wave specialist. His instinctive '80s feel and traditional songwriting chops deliver catchy melodies and memorable hooks... shifting his PowerPop chops closer to PowerPunk.
Through it all, Geoff remains highly unpredictable. It's been said that, "it doesn't matter what kind of music he takes on, he beats the crap out of it. You know it's HIS music. He owns it!" And amongst a menagerie of albums that can traverse the territory between Brian Eno and Daft Punk, Geoff continues to bang out a legacy that has no guidelines or boundaries. His works may sometimes seem chaotic, yet inside the chaos (for those willing to stick their heads far enough inside), there lies a safe haven. Like the eye of a hurricane, the music shares an ephemeral harmony, a living cityscape of sound and experience that provides both solace and stimulation to the true music lover.
For his Digital Activity Project, Geoff creates Rock Ambient soundscapes in his studio. He describes each track as an "instrumental painting" - each one with its own palette of colors and its own storyline - as he applies layer-upon-layer of sonic pigments until a song is complete. The auditory experience of listening to Geoff's instrumental work can be described as passively cerebral: each track is a journey that naturally moves and shifts organically, yet, under scrutiny, yields a wealth of hidden sounds and meaning that bear listening to again and again.
As you might expect, GW has a serious studio addiction and will remain there for weeks at a time, assuming he has a steady supply of stimuli. Advances in electronic music equipment have only fed this addiction, allowing him to stay in his studio without the bother of human contact until his track is perfection. "I love it. I can't wait to get going every morning, knowing that by the end of the day, I will have created something aurally or visually exciting that didn't exist when the day began. That gets me off!" I've also heard him described as an obsessed maniac.
Before I close things out...I've been spending a lot of time talking about Geoff and his music...let's talk about Geoff and his graphic design for a second. Many of you out there should know that GW does all the graphics, all the time, to keep everything consistently Disturbing. Whether it's the Disturbing Album Art, the Disturbing website or the infamous email campaigns, his design work is his own unique expression. In fact, there is a gallery of many of these graphics hidden on the Disturbing site. Drop me a note and I'll tell you where it is.
I hope you've enjoyed this bio. I'll let Geoff have the last word. "My career is a perpetual work in progress. So far my fans expect change and I try and challenge them. So, in the pursuit of new inspiration, I rarely have time to get out in front of the music and for the time being, I'm content to explore where my muse will take me. In the meantime, keep listening and watching what comes out of my Disturbing world and I promise that somewhere down my imaginary road, we'll meet up and get crazy. BFN!"
- Helena, Disturbing Music
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 musicians who put their ego aside and play it like I asked them to.
"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 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. I don't know if my fans have a clue that I'm doing this, but I always have, and probably always will.
"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. Stay tuned!"
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.
