In 1996 I started requiem with no concept, goal, theory, or theme. The music came first, the title second. The accumulation of my first efforts ended in the release of “no solace†in 1997. I was soon immersed into the growing scene of experimental acts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I played my first show, of many, at the now defunct Millvale Industrial Theater. Opening up for acts such as KK Null, Kaffe Matthews, Cerebrus Shoal, and The Shalabi Effect, was a humbling learning experience as I experimented with different live setups and collaborated with various other artists on stage.After releasing “unrequited†in 1998, I was asked to join the Pittsburgh industrial act Hedra. Heavily influenced by the Swans and Godflesh, Hedra provided a perfect outlet for the harsher elements of my music. While in Hedra, I continued to compose as requiem and released “illumine†and “beyond the shadow of angels†in 2001. Hedra split shortly after and I focused on my next release entitled “recluseâ€. While I worked on “recluse†Pittsburgh promoter Manny Theiner compiled and released “Circuits of Steelâ€, a double cd compilation featuring 30 Pittsburgh electronic music artists. In support of the CD a tour was booked for the summer of 2002. Requiem was on the southern leg of the tour. Released in 2002 “recluse†showed an expansion in the requiem sound that was influenced by my time spent in Hedra and included a bonus live CD recorded while on the “Circuits of Steel†tour.After the crescendo of the “Circuits of Steel†tour and CD release, the Pittsburgh experimental scene was being flooded with an outburst of activity. With more acts performing idm and breakbeats, there was less space for the “isolationist†form of music requiem was producing and I became frustrated with the scene. In 2003 a band began to form between me and Pittsburgh noise artist Manherringbone (Bob Saunders). In time the line-up would include ex Creation is Crucifixion guitarist Ryan Unks, bassist Tom Phillips, and would be called The Actuary. This project lasted only a year and was a reminder to me of the complexity and drama that a band ignites. With The Actuary behind me, I would set out to create a new requiem release entitled “bête noireâ€. “Bête noire†is a meditation on one's own mortality and the miniscule part we all play in the time we have.
I continue to perform and record as “requiem†refusing to be pigeonholed into one genre: Dark Ambient, Experimental, Post Industrial, Electronic, Metal, Psychedelic, Neo Classical, Noise. . . Not one of these, but all, can describe requiem.
..This profile was edited with Thomas' myspace editor™ V2.5
Trailer for "Double Dose Of Terror!!" with music done by requiem.
