Martin Bisi | |
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Background information | |
Born | 1961 (age 62–63) |
Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Genres | Alternative rock Punk rock Psychedelic Electro funk |
Years active | 1981–present |
Labels | New Alliance / SST Celluloid Black Freighter [1] Bronson Recordings [2] |
Website | Official website |
Martin Bisi (born 1961) is an American producer and songwriter. [3] He is known for recording records by Sonic Youth, [4] Swans, John Zorn, Material, Bill Laswell, Helmet, Unsane, The Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop, White Zombie, Boredoms, Angels of Light, J.G. Thirlwell, Live Skull, the Art Gray Noizz Quintet, and Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning song "Rockit".
Martin Bisi was born in 1961 to Argentinian parents and grew up in Manhattan. His mother was a concert pianist who specialized in Liszt and Chopin and toured extensively, and his father played tango-style piano as a hobby. As a child in the 1960s his parents sent him to a French school, gave him music lessons, and took him to performances by the New York Philharmonic and the opera, all of which he rebelled against. [5]
In 1981, he started B.C. Studio (initially named OAO, Operation All Out, Studio) [6] [7] with Bill Laswell and Brian Eno in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn, [8] [9] where he recorded much of the No Wave, avant garde, and hip-hop of the early 1980s including Lydia Lunch, Live Skull, Fred Frith and Afrika Bambaataa. In 1982, he recorded the instruments for the first song Whitney Houston recorded as a lead singer, "Memories" off of Material's One Down LP.
Soon after recording Herbie Hancock's "Rockit", Bisi split from Bill Laswell but continued working from BC Studio till present time, with a specialty in loud, dense, often noisy sound, with a focus on local NYC music such as White Hills (band), Clone and Weeping Icon
In 2021, he worked with the Hypnagogia album of Travis Duo. [10]
in 2014, Sound & Chaos: The Story Of BC Studio [11] was released, directed by Sara Leavitt and Ryan Douglass. It followed Bisi's path via the recording space itself, and the music scene and changing urban landscape around it
Bisi also recorded his own material
The 35 year anniversary of BC Studio was marked by the release of 2 albums BC35 (2018) and BC35: Volume Two (2019) on Bronson Productions. The material on both was recorded in a weekend of performances at BC Studio for the actual anniversary in 2016 by close to 50 musicians who'd worked there over the decades. These were developed into pieces and songs in the following year, as opposed to being purely live recordings
William Otis Laswell is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, world music, jazz, dub, and ambient styles.
"Rockit" is a composition recorded by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and produced by Bill Laswell and Michael Beinhorn. Hancock released it as a single from his studio album Future Shock (1983). The selection was composed by Hancock, Laswell, and Beinhorn.
Material was an American band formed in 1979 and operating until 1999, led by producer and bassist Bill Laswell.
EVOL is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Released in May 1986, EVOL was Sonic Youth’s first album on SST Records, and also the first album to feature then-new drummer Steve Shelley who had just replaced Bob Bert.
Massacre was founded in 1980 in New York City by guitarist Fred Frith, bassist Bill Laswell and drummer Fred Maher as an improvising and experimental rock band. They performed live for just over a year and recorded a studio album, Killing Time (1981). Frith and Laswell reformed Massacre in 1998 with drummer Charles Hayward, and released four more albums, Funny Valentine (1998), Meltdown (2001), Lonely Heart (2007) and Love Me Tender (2013). The last three albums were recorded live, the first in London, and the others at European festivals between 1999 and 2008.
Blind Idiot God is the debut album by Blind Idiot God, released in 1987 through SST Records. Produced by Martin Bisi, the album was released on CD, cassette and vinyl record. The album showcased the band's eclectic tastes for punk rock, heavy metal, dub, free jazz, and classical music. It was critically well-received and attracted the attention of John Zorn, Alex Winter and Henry Rollins, who all became devoted admirers of the group.
Celluloid Records, a French/American record label, founded by Jean Georgakarakos operated from 1976 to 1989 in New York City, and produced a series of eclectic and ground-breaking releases, particularly in the early to late 1980s, largely under the auspices of de facto in-house producer Bill Laswell.
Future Shock is the twenty-ninth album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released in August 1983 by Columbia Records. It was his first release from his electro-funk era and an early example of instrumental hip hop. Participating musicians include bass guitarist Bill Laswell, guitarist Pete Cosey and drummer Sly Dunbar.
Live Skull is a post-punk/experimental rock band from New York City, formed in 1982.
Killing Time is the debut album by American experimental rock trio Massacre. It was released in September 1981, through record label Celluloid. It consists of a compilation of recordings made at Martin Bisi's OAO studio in Brooklyn, New York City in June 1981, and live recordings taken from their April 1981 Paris concerts. The group disbanded shortly after, eventually reforming 17 years later with Charles Hayward replacing Maher on drums. They recorded one more studio album and three live albums for John Zorn’s Tzadik Records. Killing Time was generally well received by critics of the time.
Master-Dik is the third EP by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released on November 4, 1987, in the United States by record label SST, and on January 22, 1988, in the United Kingdom by label Blast First.
Bad Moon Rising is the second studio album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on March 29, 1985, by Blast First and Homestead Records. The album is loosely themed around the dark side of America, including references to obsession, insanity, Charles Manson, heavy metal, Satanism, and early European settlers' encounters with Native Americans.
Temporary Music is the 1979 debut EP and 1981 debut album by the New York based no wave music group Material.
Memory Serves is a 1981 album by the New York based No Wave music group Material.
"Bustin' Out" is a 1981 EP by the New York based No Wave music group Material. The vocals here are by Nona Hendryx. This single sees the band move further away from their experimental beginnings and in a funkier, more club-friendly direction.
One Down is a 1982 album by the New York based music group Material. The album finds Material moving away from their noisy no wave roots towards funk and R&B. The album was self-produced by Material, and was recorded by Martin Bisi in Brooklyn and Robert Musso in Manhattan. The album sees the band reduced to a duo of keyboardist Michael Beinhorn and bassist Bill Laswell, collaborating with different musicians and singers on each track. Whitney Houston made her recording debut as a lead vocalist on this album, for a version of the song "Memories".
Hallucination Engine is a 1994 album by the New York based music group Material. The album mixes jazz, dub, funk and Indian music.
"Change the Beat" is a song written and recorded by Fab Five Freddy, and one of the most sampled songs in music history.
Andrew Benton Hawkins is a composer, record producer and guitarist from Missouri as well as a founding member of the band Blind Idiot God. He has also recorded as a solo artist under the moniker Azonic, releasing two experimental drone albums that were more abstract and feedback-based compared to his more structured work in Blind Idiot God.
White Hills is an American psychedelic rock band that was formed in 2003 in New York City. Founding members Dave W. and Ego Sensation have been the only constant members.