Lubomir Velev

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================================================ I've always wanted my music to be part of the World globalization process – culture identity, ethnic mixture, free borders and free travel. That's why I never felt comfortable in one music style alone: first with my school beat group The Flowers (1971-74), then with my rock-jazz group Stalactone (1975-79), the new age group Dilemma (1980-91) and the blues duo Blues Mama (1984-85). Things have changed with the live improvisations of LuToEd (1993-96) and mostly with the "Transcendent Eclectic" music of The SLAV group (1991), with which I took part in several Art In Action Association performances and recorded and released 5 albums from 1991-1997 and a CD sampler in 2006. I even co-released a music and poetry album, but that came very naturally in 1996. ================================================ I was interested in the expressive side of the guitar ever since my brother thought me the first guitar chords at the age of 8. Over a decade later I found myself wanting much more than clean, distorted and processed acoustic and electric guitars. So, 5 years after the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) revolution came in the beginning of the 80's I was the luckiest guy to afford a MIDI guitar and then a guitar synthesizer. Since 1987 I've used many models of these new instruments, as well as synths, samplers, modules and guitar multi-effect processors. As technology developed rapidly, so does my music has changed. ================================================ But apart from the technological side, it is always the quality of music that matters for me. Music-making is up to thinking, it's about having good ideas. I'm fascinated by the hybrid forms, the contemporary treatment of ethnic motifs from the world musical folklore and free improvisations. I think the future is in these three aspects, so my direction is more than clear. The rest is the challenge of timbers, rhythms and the whole presentation.
..================================================ 1960 - Born in Sofia, Bulgaria on March 23rd. ================================================ 1968-1971 - Singer in Bodra Smyana children choir. ================================================ 1971-1974 – Musician. Formed and played in The Flowers (beat). ================================================ 1978-1981 – Rank Xerox operator in Bulgarian Brewery Ltd. ================================================ 1975-1979 – Musician. Formed and played in Stalactone (rock-jazz). ================================================ 1978 - Graduated 23 ESPU Frederic Jolio Curie High School in Sofia. ================================================ 1980-1997 – Musician. Co-formed and played in Dilemma (new age). ================================================ 1981-1983 – Rank Xerox operator in BZNS Publishing Co. ================================================ 1983-1984 – Financial agent at X district “Hristo Botev” in Sofia, Bulgaria. ================================================ 1984-1985 – Musician. Co-formed and played in Blues Mama duo with Kamen "The Barel". ================================================ 1985 - Producer of the concert-performance "A Man Like You And Me" of Ground (27-30.08). Tone engineer. ================================================ 1985 - Co-formed Dilemma Studio with Ivan Valkov and Stoimen Surbinov. ================================================ 1987-1989 - Assistant director at Sofia Music Agency variety hotel shows. ================================================ 1989-1997 - Co-formed the first private registered Dilemma Studio in Bulgaria with Ivan Valkov and Stoimen Surbinov. Tone engineer. ================================================ 1989-2002 - Constant participation in the Electroacoustic Festival, Festival for Electronic & Computer Music and Festival for Electronic Music (FEM) with Dilemma, The SLAV group, LuToEd and solo. ================================================ 1990-2004 - Manager of The Shopland Grandmothers folk group. ================================================ 1991-1998 - Co-formed and played in The SLAV group with Svetoslav Bitrakov (musician), Any Mitova (dancer) and Valentina Pouliova (painter). ================================================ 1991-2004 - Joined Art In Action Association with The SLAV group – avant-garde association of Bulgarian artists in different art forms. From 1999-2004, Vice-managing director. ================================================ 1992-1997 - Co-established DS Music Label with Ivan Valkov and Stoimen Surbinov. ================================================ 1993-1996 - Co-established the first Bulgarian rock & jazz club “Funky’s Pub” with Ivan Valkov (DS Music) and Sofia Music Enterprises Ltd. ================================================ 1993-1996 – Musician . Co-formed and played in LuToEd with Todor Mirchev and Edmond Demirdjian. ================================================ 1994-2002 - Co-organiser and host of The Festival for Electronic and Computer Music and Festival for Electronic Music (FEM) with Ivan Valkov (DS Music). ================================================ 1997-2003 - Tone engineer at Almar Co. Ltd., Sofia, Bulgaria - Analog & Digital Recording and Mastering in studio and on location. ================================================ 1999-2002 - Teacher-educator of "Electronic & Computer Music" at University of Sofia, Faculty of Primary and Preschool Education Music Center. ================================================ 2000-2002 - Music agent for submitting Bulgarian music in all genres to Peoplesound.com for worldwide Internet distribution. ================================================ 2001-2003 – Musician. Co-formed LOVEROSE with Rozalina Despotova and Alexander Neychev. ================================================ 2004 - Retrospective concert “A Free Spirit In Sofia” (18 years creative work with electronic instruments and computers) at the Forum-Festival Computer Music Space, Electroacoustic Autumn 2004. ================================================ 2004 -2005 – Tone engineer on appointment in various studios in Sofia, Bulgaria. Relocation to USA. ================================================ 2006 - In Sterling Heights and Farmington Hills, Michigan. Looking for an agent to represent him in Audio & Film Industries to get contracts for his 5 unreleased albums as well as contracts for Music for Film! ================================================ ================================================ I. RELEASED ALBUMS: ================================================ 1. Two compositions with Dilemma in the CD "Synthesizer Music from Bulgaria" from the "Looking East-Electronic East" Series (1992, Erdenklang, Germany). ================================================ 2. With The SLAV group: - Breathing (1992, Riva Sound); - Enlightenment I (1995, DS Music) - All In One (1995, DS Music); - Birds On Wire (1997, DS Music) - Timeless Journey (1997, DS Music, distributed worldwide by Peoplesound.com, London, England). - 7 Years Somewhere in Europe (2006, DS Music) ================================================ 3. Computer & Electronic music in the recital of Miroslav Mindov after the poetry of Georgy Konstantinov "I Love You Up To Here" (1996, DS Music). ================================================ 4. Solo - Free Spirit (2001, DS Music, distributed worldwide by Peoplesound.com London, England). ================================================ Up-coming albums: Suspended Disbelief, Fear, Thoughts Of You, Take What I Got. ================================================ II. Music for documentary films: 1. The Air We Breathe - directed by Miroslav Stoyanov, 1986 2. Between Heaven And Hell - directed by Miroslav Stoyanov, 1988 3. Bardos - directed by Plamen Sjarov, 1991 ============================================================ ====================================MUSICIAN: The Flowers (1971-74), Stalactone (1975-79), Dilemma (1980-91), Blues mama duo (1984-85), The SLAV group (1991-97), LuToEd (1993-96), LOVEROSE (2001-03); solo (1998-2006). ================================================ COMPOSER: Started composing at the age of 11 in 1971. ================================================ MUSIC COMPANIES CO-ORGANISER: Dilemma Studio (1989-95), DS Music label (1992-97). ================================================ FESTIVAL PARTICIPANT: Bulgarian Electronic Music Festival (1994-2003). ================================================ FESTIVAL ORGANIZER AND HOST: Bulgarian Electronic Music Festival (1994-2003). ================================================ PRODUCER: Different projects in various music genres and styles (1985-2004). ================================================ MANAGER: The Shopland Grandmothers folk group (1990-2004). ================================================ VICE MANAGING DIRECTOR: Art In Action Association (1991-2004). ================================================ COMPUTERS USED: Atari ST, STf, STfm, STe (1989-2004), PC Windows 95/08/XP (1996-2005). ================================================ PERSONAL TRAITS: Always do the best of me in all jobs that I practice! ================================================ PERSONAL INTERESTS: Contemporary computer and IT technologies, electronic music-making and recording/editing technologies, music for film, movies, sports, graphic design, etc.! ================================================ LANGUAGES: Bulgarian /native/ and English, both spoken and written. ================================================ PERSONAL MOTTO: Constant improving! ================================================Comments:*In 1988 a charity electronic concert was done by one of the most unique electroacoustic Bulgarian guitarists, Iliya Fortunov in the Youth hall in Sofia. Lubomir Velev, along with Dilemma group and some of their guest musicians were invited to perform a 30 minutes programme. The success of the concert led to a next logical step – the first Bulgarian Festival for Electroacoustic Music was organized by Lubomir Kavaldjiev, Angel Andonov and some other well respected electroacoustic music artists in 1989 and held in the town of Gotze Delchev. Dilemma took part in the first two events there in 1989 and 1990. Lubomir Velev was invited to take part in the subsequent one in the town of Sandanski by Simo Lazarov, the most prominent man associated with electronic music in Bulgaria. ================================================ In 1993 the Festival moved to the National Palace for Culture in Sofia and became part of Computer Space Forum organized by The Student Computer Art Society and its manager Rosen Petkov . That same year it was organized by Simo Lazarov and DS Music (Lubomir Velev and Ivan Valkov) and turned International with many respectable guests from abroad. ================================================ From 1994 to 2002 the Festival was organized by DS Music and Lubomir Velev and Ivan Valkov were able to invite some special people like the 1991 Grammy award winner in New Music/New Classics category Mitch Gallagher and Paul Wiffen, Sound On Sound contributor and music technology guru. DS Music established a successful collaboration with The British Council in Sofia who turned to be the main supporter, co-organizer and sponsor of the lectures and live events through these years. ================================================ In 1998 it turned to Festival for Electronic Music (FEM), offering the ever growing audience much more live and recorded music from Bulgarian and foreign artists. Lubomir Velev was its organizer, host and participant with The SLAV group, Art In Action Association, LuToEd and solo till its 2002 edition. ================================================ **In 1989 Lubomir Velev co-established the first Bulgarian private Registered recording studio – Dilemma Studio. ================================================ ***In 1992, DS Music Label was established by Ivan Valkov, Lubomir Velev and Stoimen Sarbinov, the original Dilemma group members. ================================================ ****Lubomir Velev has 2 compositions (with DILEMMA) in the CD “Synthesizer Music from Bulgaria” from the “Looking East - Electronic East” Series, released by the German Music Label Erdenklang in 1992. ================================================ *****From 1999-2002 he was a teacher-educator in Electronic and Computer Music in Sofia’s “St.St. Kliment Ohridski” University. ================================================ ******In 2001 DS Music released his first solo album Free Spirit which was distributed worldwide by Peoplesound.com, London, England. ================================================ *******In 2004 Lubomir Velev finished mastering his following albums: Suspended Disbelief, Fear and Thoughts Of You and made his own QuickTime movie, My Life In Sofia, Bulgaria, with 3rd Dawn composition from his Thoughts Of You album. Prior to his immigration departure for the USA he was invited by Simo Lazarov to make a retrospective concert - “A Free Spirit In Sofia”, paying tribute to his respectable 18 years creative work with electronic instruments and computers. … and so the story goes! ================================================ ================================================ *Lubomir Velev has played through the years: Peavey Destiny and Marathon electric guitars, Ibanez MG2010 and Casio PG380 MIDI guitars, Roland GK-2A guitar synth driver connected to Roland GR-1 guitar synthesizer and MIDI-ied to synth modules: Roland MT32, Casio VZ-8M, Yamaha TG500, Alesis QSR with Alesis World/Ethnic ROM card installed, MIDI controller Roland PC 200 MkII , Kurzweil K2000R synth/sampler module, E-mu Systems Emax sampler, Roland R8 human rhythm composer and Yamaha RM50 rhythm/trigger module. Programming: Atari ST, STF, STFM & STe and PC computers. Soon to switch on iMac 24"! ================================================ ** Computer software constantly used: Steinberg Cubase, Nuendo & Wavelab for MIDI/Audio recording/editing & mastering. ================================================ ***Fluently speaks and writes in Bulgarian and English. ================================================ Additional info and more compositions on: http://www.songramp.com/homepage.php?Who=lvelev============= ===================================