Rena Jones

“Multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer Rena Jones is a force to be reckoned with. At age 30, she boasts more than 30 collaborative albums, 3 full length solo albums, 20 years of classical violin study, and 12 years of cello–and she is considered one of the leading women in audio engineering today.” -- Strings Magazine
Her extensive background in music and sound covers a colorful spectrum from award winning video games “Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution” and for various films as a sound editor, sound design and composition.
Rena Jones slips through the veils of defined sound, weaving cello, violin, woodwinds, rhodes, electronics and sound design through unique instrumentation. Her most recent album “Driftwood” was given the honor of the sixth most essential albums of 2006 on NPR Echoes Radio.
"The revered daughter of San Francisco's electronic music scene" -- OEM Radio -- Jones has made a mark on the world of downtempo music.
Jones’ live sets are a potent sonic session. She orchestrates her violin over hand crafted beats melding the organic with the electronic. Her performance is a sophisticated example of the modern movement in electronic dance and ambient music.
Multiple tours around North America and Europe have lead Rena to perform at some of the worlds most established cutting edge electronic music festivals; The Glade Festival (UK), Shambhala Music Festival (Canada) and Burning Man (USA).
Rena Jones has released tracks with such reputable international labels as Iboga, Spun Records, Aleph Zero and Native State Records.
Currently, Rena is in the studio working on her fourth solo album, which will feature the New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago.
Review for Driftwood
"For some reason, cellists--more than any other classical instrumentalists--seem drawn to electronica. Recent CDs by Zoe Keating, Jami Sieber, Hans Christian (Rasa), and Gretchen Yanover find cellists riding electronica atmospheres. Rena Jones is a bit different from most of them. They use electronics to extend their cellos' range and sound. Jones plants her cello next to her laptop in fractalized grooves. Driftwood is an entrancing album that's as much about Jones's translucent laptop compositions as her gifts ..o, guitar, violin, and clarinet. But all those instruments give her music a different feel from many laptop jockeys. Compositions like "Photosynthesis" and "Driftwood" have an almost classical flow, as her strings and clarinet articulate Arvo Pärt-like lines of liquid inevitability while rhythms pulse, shudder, and ping through the melodies. But it's not all airy on Driftwood. "Open Me Slowly" finds her plucking a cello bass line with a funky grit you can't get with a computer sample. Rena Jones's soulful cello lines lend her music a somber tone and soulful beauty, which is all the more striking when cast against her chromium-plated arrangements. The combination makes Driftwood intoxicating". - John Diliberto, Echoes.org
"Gorgeous and so completely alive, Driftwood is a triumph in electronic and classical instrument fusion. String instruments such as violins and cellos are often used in gothic and electronic music as an auditory focus, carrying the tune while backed by abstract melodies and heavy beats, abusing the instruments to force a traditional sound or mood. But San Francisco's multi-talented Rena Jones did something decidedly different when she integrated them into the very soul of every composition. Sometimes as expressive as a voice, the cello will waver above the electronic beats, fluttering and flying as if on a soft breeze. At other times, keyboard loops will tell a story while the violin carries the rhythm like vibrations in a deep pool. Jones calls her musical style "down-tempo sounds from another dimension" and she couldn't be more right. These sounds come from a place where down-tempo doesn't mean sleepy or morose, but can create dreamscapes so vivid that they practically replace the reality that surrounds you. The stimulating "Undercurrent" has a life all its own, toying with the listener and seducing one to come out and play. "The Passing Storm" features a subtle cello duet that hints at gentle longing, while "Seedling" practically illustrates the time-lapse of a budding plant or thought or emotion. And these are only a few of the amazing offerings on Driftwood. Subtle and never over the top, Jones maintains a beautiful mellow vibe that in no way feels forced. You may never look at classical instruments the same again." Charity VanDeberg - ReGen Magazine.com
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Buy Driftwood!
New compilation on Aleph Zero records!
New compilation on Iboga records!
New compilation on Newport Classic!
undefined Open me Slowly Phidelity and Rena Jones
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