Computerchemist

computerchemist is the ongoing solo project of Dave Pearson, (born March 1964), an English musician who lives in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, after moving from the UK in 2008.

Biography

Dave's love of electronic music started as a teenager when he first heard Tangerine Dream's Cloudburst Flight ^[1]

During the early 1980s he played synthesiser in a number of rock bands, including Lichfield UK-based Monteagle with founder Mark Thwaite,^[1] as well as simultaneously composing his own solo music.

In 2003 he had sold all of his synthesisers and had moved over almost completely to a virtual instrument environment using Cubase SX3, only using the guitar as a "real" instrument.^[1]

Since 2006 he has issued a number of albums on his own label "Terrainflight".

His music has been likened to "Berliner Schule/Berlin School style jazz-rock".^[2]

Bruce Gall of ARFMs "Sunday Synth" has remarked on the crossover style of his playing,^[3] invoking comparisons to electronic artists Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk, and the progressive sounds of Pink Floyd and David Gilmour solo work, Ash Ra Tempel, Mike Oldfield, Steve Hackett, Brian Eno and King Crimson.

During April 2008,SynGate started producing re-issues of the first two albums atmospheric(2006) and icon one(2007), however the agreement was short-lived and SynGate ceased production of the SynGate re-issues in June 2009. The original terrainflight editions are still available.

Guest musician Robin Hayes played cello on the third release landform(2008), the first time a guest musician had appeared on a computerchemist solo album.

Uwe Cremer, otherwise known as Level Pi, was the guest musician on the fourth album, aqual measure(2009), and played guitar on the title track.

A collaboration project started in July 2010 between Computerchemist and "Nemesis", ex-Hawkwind dancer and singer has produced several tracks, some of which were initially released for free under Creative Commons licensing which had been available on the computerchemist website for free download, with a full album promised at a later date entitled Chronicles of Future Present. The link as of August 2011 to this project is no longer active. The single and first track Sky Turned Black, a rework of Mirage from Aqual Measure, was however released on a charity compilation in October 2012 entitled Space Rock: The Compilation on bandcamp on the "Sound for Good" label.^[4]

Computerchemist was featured through the month of August 2010 on WDIY’s Galactic Travels show with Bill Fox, as the “Special Focus”, where each album was consecutively played back-to-back each week.^[5]

A different approach was taken for his fifth album, Music for Earthquakes(2011), involving the conversion of seismograph readings into musical form. It was inspired by the 4.8 richter scale earthquake in Hungary in early 2011, and featured on the national Hungarian news channel Hir24^[6] and Hungarian English Language news site pestiside.hu ^[7] shortly afterwards.

His sixth double release album, and second collaboration, launched January 2013, Signatures I. and Signatures II. feature the Hungarian drummer Zsolt Galántai, formerly of the Hungarian metal band Ossian (Hungarian band).^[8]

A single track was specially composed for the "Sound for Good" charity release The Human Condition - Dedications to Philip K. Dick entitled The Pink Beams of Light, He Said, published in March, 2013. ^[9]

The work-in-progress collaboration “Audio Cologne Project” with Uwe Cremer of Level Pi (and Zsolt Galántai featuring again on drums) will be released some time in summer 2013.

Discography

Studio albums

• 2006 Atmospheric (terrainflight TF001); (2008, SynGate CD-R 2090 reissue, now withdrawn)
• 2007 Icon one (terrainflight TF002); (2008, SynGate CD-R 2091 reissue, now withdrawn)
• 2008 Landform (terrainflight TF003)
• 2009 Aqual Measure (terrainflight TF004)
• 2010 The Scheming Machine EP (feat Nemesis) (terrainflight TF005)
• 2011 Music for Earthquakes (terrainflight TF006)
• 2013 Signatures I ft. Zsolt Galántai (terrainflight TF007)
• 2013 Signatures II ft. Zsolt Galántai (terrainflight TF008)

Compilations

Germany

• 2009 Schwingungen auf CD #164 with "Atmospheric" (Cue Records 164 (Germany))
• 2009 Schwingungen auf CD #165 with "Timethorns" (Cue Records 165 (Germany))

United Kingdom

• 2010 Musiczeit Sampler CD #12 with "Mirage" (Musiczeit Sampler 12 (UK))

United States

• 2012 Space Rock: The Compilation with "Sky Turned Black" ft. Nemesis (Sound for Good, (US))
• 2013 The Human Condition - Dedications to Philip K. Dick with "The Pink Beams of Light, He Said" (Sound for Good, (US))

References

• Computerchemist on Discogs.com
• Computerchemist on MusicBrainz.org
• Shanahan, John. Review of "Aqual Measure" at Hypnagogue (archived at http://www.webcitation.org/5nFGVIIB1)
• Metcalf, Dick. Review of "Landform" at IMPROVIJAZZATION Nation
• Allen, Greg. Review of "Landform" at Planet Origio (archived at http://www.webcitation.org/5nMxsu2YO)
• Pugachov, Artemi. Review of "Landform" at Encyclopedia of Electronic Music
• Pugachov, Artemi. Review of "Icon One" at Encyclopedia of Electronic Music
• Shanahan, John. Review of "Icon One" at Hypnagogue
• Meurer, Jürgen. Review of "Atmospheric" in Progressive Newsletter Nr. 65 (German)
• Howarth, Matt. Review of "atmospheric" at Sonic Curiosity

External links

• Official computerchemist homepage