Dana Countryman

Dana Countryman
Born November 11, 1954(1954-11-11)
Mount Vernon, Wash., USA
Nationality American
Occupation Musician, composer, publisher

Dana Countryman is an American electronic music composer and performer notable for his collaboration with French electropop artist Jean-Jacques Perrey.[1][2] In addition, he was a songwriter and performer in the cabaret-act quartet The Amazing Pink Things (1985–1991).[3] He published the magazine Cool and Strange Music Magazine (1996–2003).

Contents

Career

Countryman was born in Mount Vernon, Washington. In 1971, he was exposed to the music of Jean-Jacques Perrey and became "obsessed", according to one account.[4] He was drawn to Perrey's ability to convey the "feeling of happiness and downright joy" in his music.[4] Countryman performed with numerous bands and became a songwriter and performer with the group Amazing Pink Things.[3] The group performed with "garish costumes" and was described as a "mild-mannered musical comedy quartet".[3] The group featured two men and two women doing satirical songs with smooth harmonies somewhat similar to the Manhattan Transfer but without the jazz leanings.[3] Music critic Karen Mathieson in The Seattle Times described the Pink Things as "well-matched vocally."[5]

In 1994, Countryman contacted Perrey to do an interview,[4] and the two became acquainted. During the years 1996 to 2003, Countryman published a magazine entitled Cool and Strange Music Magazine.

After 2003, Countryman collaborated with Perrey musically.[1] Perrey flew to Countryman's studio in Everett, Washington which was described by a reporter as an "analog-synth wonderland."[4] They finished songwriting and mixing their music partly by collaboration over the Internet.[4] They created several albums including The Happy Electro-Pop Music Machine as well as a second album based on "classic spy themes."[1] Reviewer Skylaire Alfvegren in the Los Angeles Examiner found their album Destination Space to be a "more sophisticated understanding of the type of folk drawn to electronic music".[2] The album had "mewling kittens", harpsichords, "bubbly dementia", "astronaut patter" which "flies through the musical cosmos," according to the reviewer.[2] When performing with Perrey, Countryman "spun dials, twisted knobs, and pressed buttons to produce a sweet rush of sugary, sci-fi melodies" and which had a "synthesized, surreal sheen."[6]

Discography

Dana Countryman:

(Recorded at age 16, and released under the name The Cincinnatti Ice Cream Factory Explosion Relief Commitee, 1971. SAYS Records, 36980.) (out of print)

As a member of The Amazing Pink Things:

Dana Countryman:

Jean-Jacques Perrey and Dana Countryman:

References

  1. ^ a b c Alfred Hickling (28 February 2008). "The godfather of techno". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/feb/28/electronicmusic.alfredhickling. Retrieved 2011-07-27. "Most recently, Perrey has worked with Seattle-based electronic composer Dana Countryman, with whom he collaborated on The Happy Electro-Pop Music Machine. ..." 
  2. ^ a b c Skylaire Alfvegren (March 5, 2009). "Destination Space!". Los Angeles Examiner. "... “Destination Space” at times displays a more sophisticated understanding of the type of folk drawn to electronic music, even in its most extremes ..." 
  3. ^ a b c d STEPHEN HOLDEN (August 07, 1988). "Review/Cabaret; Satire by Four Living Dolls". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/07/arts/review-cabaret-satire-by-four-living-dolls.html. Retrieved 2011-07-27. "... Under the musical direction of its resident songwriter, Dana Countryman, ..." 
  4. ^ a b c d e Dave Segal (August 21, 2006). "JEAN-JACQUES PERREY & DANA COUNTRYMAN". The Stranger. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/data-breaker/Content?oid=55910. Retrieved 2011-07-27. 
  5. ^ Karen Mathieson (August 6, 1990). "Pink Things Stay Classic, Yet Fresh". The Seattle Times. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900806&slug=1086528. Retrieved 2011-07-27. "...Old-timers Dana Countryman and Tamara Martin are joined by Tricia Meier and Robert Overman in the current lineup. ..." 
  6. ^ Nate Cavalieri (Sep 6 2006). "Way, Way Out". SF Weekly. http://www.sfweekly.com/2006-09-06/news/way-way-out/. Retrieved 2011-07-27. "Over the next hour, the darkened audience sat rapt while Perrey and Washington-based composer Dana Countryman..." 

External links