DBAR- Dancing Bear Audio Research is the
codename for a vortex of projects and collaborations that i am or was involved in: I have been using
computers as sound making instruments since 2002.
Crystal Awareness, 60 CYLE HUM, Your Brain on Drugs, AEON, Holy Rodent,
Crystal Awareness Projekt, Synaptic Tendrils,
SpaceBrane, Crystal/Shirzad, as well as many other audio
projects, and creations.
I started out playing electric bass guitar in the late 70s. At first i didn't really have much of a direction
joining my friend playing simple rock and roll covers. One day, a drummer friend of mine nd i went to get some
concert tickets at a record store. While we were in tthe back waiting in line, this cool guy behind me asked me
if i wanted some Long Sunshiney Days. I answered, "yes, certainly i do." When i got home i decided to road test
a couple (not my first time). This was early afternoon. After the light started to shine on me i realized
my mom would be home,
screaming and yelling at 4:3--5:00PM. Oh, noes. I went down in the basement, later named "the Dungeon", and
for the first time put and office chair on wheels in front of my might Yamaha B115 (that was on a milk crate),
all the
pedals in the bassement (so, an EH Big Muff, phase shifter, and EH Electric Misstress) in front of the amp,
faced the amp, and did my very first attempt at White Light, White Heat. My life has never been the same after
that afternoon. I had Moog Sonic Six synthesiser i bought used. I got quite fmiliar with it but it ended up
being used by the other half of 60 Cycle Hum, as a synth and as a ring modulator in his FX line.
60Cycle Hum
--- 1981-1992 An acid soaked noise/feedback/space jam duo (with a long standing drummer
/percussionist, Wes Jensen),
we started out doing rock n roll covers with extended improvisations
and quirky minimalist/maximalist originals.
Your Brain on Drugs--- was a solo effort by me during a slow
period towards the end of 60 Cycle Hum.
Two cassette tapes were released and about 10 live performances performed including one memorable outdoor jam
when the troopers showed up at 2:00am (after most listeners had bedded down ,or fell down, for the night)
and said they could hear the noise for over a mile ;^) much laughter from the tents, fun.
AEON --- 1991-1994 was
a duo of bass guitar, feedback, electronics, and didjeridou
that lasted about 3 years, 25 performances. Very trance
inducing, spacey and earthy all at once ...
I met and played with Holy Rodent in 1993 and then went on to collaborate with Don Haugen for years.
He played in Crystal Awareness Project a few times and then hosted a NoiseFest in OR where i debuted
a duo called CrystalDew which was computer noise and processed guitar from my lifelong friend Dewey.
This same year i met and did some wild shows with Onomatopeia,
I also met another electronic improv band Grismog.
Aeon did shows together with them and often ended with
all of us jamming together.
Crystal Awareness Project---was the working/playing name of some various
electro-acoustic ensembles formed and unformed during 1999-2001.
Crystal Awareness --- since 2001 i have been performing solo gigs as Crystal Awareness.
With Deborah Heron and (and often) Rich Waryan on anything that makes music. This was a wild gig as
both Deb and Rich had perfect pitch and could play almost any instrument while i conducted.
We played many gigs in AZ USA. We often played on a bill (and, again, often ended our show together) with another space/improv band called
KriyaShakti.
Deb and i did many jams at a bookstore in Phoenix AZ called Metropophobobia.
It was there that i met the members of
Life Garden whom i had traded tapes with many years earlier. We did some very intense jams together
at the bookstore.
It was there that i also met Voice of Eye whom i had also traded tapes with years earlier.
In 2002 i was hanging out at a friends when someone open up a laptop and showed me Reason. When i saw
the back of the racked, i was in! I bought it later
that week. I went to NAMM LA CA soon afterward and saw the Native Instruments booth. I approached and a
friendly guy with
a thick German accent said "hi, would you like to see something cool?" Never have i declined that offer. He
show me this virtual synth panel with all kinds of cool functions, i was wowed. Then, he said "watch this"
and opened the wiring window and my head exploded! I bought it when i got back home.
I had been building and playing hardware modulars for years
at this time. My introduction to
using computers for sound started with Cool Edit Pro and two
modular synths.
I also played some really far out Dadaist stuff with CIII.
I played with his band Herd of the Ether Space a few times.
I was fortunate enough to meet Rob from
another great space/improv/electronic band called
NBC (Neighborhood Bass Coalition)
after a few sessions we then played a guerilla gig at
Golden Gate Park, SF, CA USA one sunny afternoon.
I was also fortunate enough to finally meet and record a session with
Hal McGee in FL USA, which resulted in this cassette
Signal Load Patterns
and I moved into a town 8 miles from
Don Campau. whom i not
only traded underground homebuilt tapes with but we also traded live jazz and rock shows. I played on his radio show
No Pigeonholes and we did a CD Overlay Network
I had known Hal and Don since the late 80s, when we all were part of a network of cassette culture.
I met Ayesha Anne when i attended a performance by Gamelan Sekar Jaya in Bezerkeley CA.
We only did one duo public performance at an event called Gratitude.
I got involved in Koinonea 2012, performed a few gigs at their events and was honored to open and close
the Koinonea 2012 event of Winter Solstace, 12/21/12.
and more synthesizers. There are hours of this yet to be edited. We played a few gigs organized by
Jack Hertz and one great sunday gig at woodstockhausen
just outside of
Santa Cruz CA, organized by Wayne who is doing some great work in virtual synthesis
The same day i met Wayne i also met Tom Nunn who was known
for his very original work on homebuilt devices made
with cardboard, combs, found objects and such.
Synaptic Tendrills---2006-2010 was a duo , trio,
with Joe Wisgirda "Big Joe Daddy"
(digital trumpet) and Crystal/Shirzad,---2022-present
is a duo of Shirzad Sharif (Middle Eastern percussion and strings) and Crystal (virtual synthesizer soundscapes).
sometimes Winston Berger (Just about everything). We did a few duos and trios and a few back to back performances.
copyright 2025 Crystal Awareness