Guitarist Alan Imberg is a creator of idiosyncratic instrumental music that could best be described as Experimental in that experimentation is the common element in all his compositions. His music is the result of a continuous process of trying to bridge the spiritual gap between his own earthly limitations and the state of bliss that he knows exists by virtue of the brief glimpses he has experienced. Sometimes, the result of this process is frustration. Sometimes, the result is joy. In any case, the results are committed to recorded documentation, serving as a journal for his musical journey.
Alan Imberg’s musical journey began in 1975 when he heard the Elton John song “Funeral for a Friend†on a neighbor’s radio. Being literally stopped in his tracks by what was, at that point, the heaviest thing he had ever heard, it was then that the 9 year old Alan realized music could have a deep impact on one’s emotions. From there, he would go on to discover, and fall in love with, music from a diverse range of styles, each discovery equating to a whole new universe of possibilities.
On December 23, 1980, after seeing Michael Schenker perform in concert, Alan became inspired to pick up the guitar and "Rock Out", thus altering the direction of his life immeasurably.
From the mid-1980’s through the early 1990’s, Alan would play in various Hard Rock/Heavy Metal bands (Thyphoid Mary, Black Dog, Shakank, Bad Weapons) as a lead guitarist, playing various clubs and music halls throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. These band’s would not amount to much in regards to success and popularity but they sure had a lot of hair (ironic considering that Alan favors no hair at all these days).
In 1991, after a spiritual epiphany of sorts, Alan began to realize the correlation between his own spiritual state and the quality of the music that manifested from his playing. The more committed he became to spiritual improvement, the more productive and therapeutic the creative process became for him.
In the mid-1990’s, he “retired†from band performance in the Hard Rock context as he found the parameters to be too limiting. While he doesn’t disdain stylistic parameters, he would no longer be guided by them. He started to view the guitar in broader terms. Inspired by the likes of David Torn, Brian Eno, and Bill Frisell, he added the technique of “looping†to his repertoire to create music that created aural “textures†as well as melodic and rhythmic content.
During this time, Alan would venture into the world of film, writing and recording soundtrack music for local independent Bay Area film makers. His music can be heard on the films “The Joy of Reading: An Interview with U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Haas†and “The History of Petalumaâ€.
In 2000, Alan made his recording debut as a solo artist with the piece “Overview of Water†on the Dark Duck Records compilation “Ambient Landscapes IIâ€. This would be followed by the CD debut, “A Collection of Thoughts†in 2001.
To date, Alan has released 4 full length CD’s and contributed to two CD compilations. His latest offerings, the companion CD’s “You Are…†and “I Am…†are available via CDBaby.com.
His latest CD, "Prone to Wander" will be out autumn 2009.
Alan also publishes a podcast of Devotional Ambient music at http://alanimberg.podbean.com/ which showcases his music for free as well as spotlights various charities.
Alan presently resides in Florence, Kentucky with his wife and four kids.
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