Chris Thomson

I have been recording and performing with many of the Twin Cities finest musicians; JT and Chris Bates, Jay Epstein, Bryan Nichols, Tanner Taylor, Michael Lewis, Adam Linz, Alden Ikeda, Tim Glenn, Greg Schutte, Adam Levy, Kelly Rossum, Yawo Attivor, and many others. It was when the short-lived Brilliant Corners jazz club opened up that I first entered the realm of leading and composing for my bands. After studying classical music and jazz over much of my early life, I started asking myself what a musician that plays instruments like saxophone and clarinet was going to offer in an over-saturated 21st century musical environment. I love music of almost any genre and appreciate the depth of history offered by all the artists that have come before. In the past few years I have been delving into the infinitely deep and ever-changing world of computer music finding new influences in the various styles of electronic music that friends have been exposing me to. It was after a bicycle accident almost three years ago that I began investigating creating my own music on a laptop. Since playing saxophone with an injury was not possible, creativity was sought out in new sonic territory. After listening to artists such as Autechre, Arovane, Bjork, the Notwist, Oval, Murcof, and many others, I realized that my music had to reflect the love and respect I hold for the brilliant minds behind these new sounds. The Three Elements is a combination of acoustic instruments and either electronically produced or manipulated sounds using various software sequencers and instruments. It is not techno. It is not jazz. The best way to describe it is minimal acoustic/electronic music--meaning if you are looking for blind virtuosity on display you best look elsewhere; the album strives to offer someone without expectations something unique to listen to.