Dave Bowmer

Aloha! I am a composer, soundtrack producer and Chapman Stick® player.

I create cinematic music for film and contemporary dance performances, enjoying collaborating and integrating my music with the visual arts.

A keen surfer, whenever possible I pack the surfboards into my old VW van and head for the Atlantic waves. The ocean, riding waves and my surfing travels continue to provide a rich source of deep inspiration for me. In winter storms after surfing I also enjoy spending many hours on the beach recording the sound of the waves.

'Point Break' captures the pure adrenalin rush of surfing. Its pulsating rhythmic backing is created from the sound of a highly tuned classic VW Beetle engine driven into feedback using special audio gating techniques. Thanks to Phil Walton for letting me record his beautifully restored blue VW. It adds an exciting soundtrack to the video shown here with the kind permission of leading motor sport company Prodrive.

‘Viva Mundaka’ is a live-looping version of a track I wrote on my first surf trip to the Basque Coast. It is a celebration of Europe’s longest wave, breaking at the mouth of the river Guernica overlooked by the church square in Mundaka. It is a magical location at the end of a beautiful valley, deep in the heart of Euskadi.

In ‘Darkest Blue’ I try to express the oceans deep lament at the damage we are causing it through pollution and over-fishing. Both of these tracks feature fellow Restless Blue musicians John Duggan (keyboards/vocals) and Dave Holmes (percussion).

'At The Point Of Stillness' suddenly appeared out of nowhere, an expression of grace. It now features a new arrangement & mix inspired by artist & surf buddy Allan Giddy , based in Bondi, Australia.
'V-Dubulation' was originally written for a contemporary dance performance about dodgem cars, and features more of Phils VW engine sounds, with a dubbed-up electro approach inspired by the amazing William Orbit. It would also be a good soundtrack to having fun surfing lazy summer waves in the sunshine.

'Bai De Trepasses' (Bay of Death) is one of my favourite stormy & desolate surf spots right on the tip of Finistere in Brittany, France, where the power of the ocean can be amazing during the Autumn swells.
As a member of Restless Blue I am working with the band on the completion of our forthcoming CD release, and we are currently performing in national theatre shows with the exciting Crossover Intergenerational Dance Company.

Before joining Restless Blue, I recorded and toured playing guitar in a number of innovative groups, including Iron Clowns, The Guitar Orchestra , Graffiti, Labottiflo and The Dwoms

My primary instrument is the Chapman Stick, a 2 handed tapping instrument that combines the range of both bass and guitar on a single fretboard. It is a powerful compositional tool with its own sound signature, which I expand further through processing and looping technology. I studied initially with the Stick maestro Jim Lampi , later with Daniel Schell at his European Tap-Guitar Seminars held annually at the Académie d´été de Wallonie in Belgium, The Institute of Music Technology in London, and I continue to benefit from ongoing study of the Guitar Craft principles taught by Robert Fripp .

The European Tap Guitar Seminar is a great opportunity for anyone wishing to learn the 2 handed tapping technique. It welcomes guitarists of all levels, and takes place in Libramont, Belgium from 16th to 22nd July.

I would love to hear from any budding film producers, especially surf video makers, ocean fanatics, natural world documentary makers, and dance choreographers that may be interested in my music.