Collaboration: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Electronic music production can be -- and for me usually is -- a solitary endeavor. I've experimented with collaboration over the years, and while there have been successes (a couple ongoing, in fact) I still usually feel most comfortable writing music alone- at my own pace and on my own schedule.

I think it's important to recognize, however, that just because this is the way I'm used to working, it's not necessarily the most efficient, productive or even creative approach for me personally. I've long recognized that pushing boundaries and forcing myself to explore outside of my comfort zone is a valuable habit when it comes to generating creative energy; perhaps I simply have yet to stumble upon the right angle of attack when it comes to writing in synergy with others.

In considering the myriad "ways of being" in an collaboration with other artists, I consider Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' work on "The Social Network" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" soundtracks incredibly compelling case studies in effective musical partnership. Have a look:

Shadowless

Over the past few months, I've posted some cryptic photos and vague comments here and on my Facebook page about a new collaborative project I've been working on.  It's finally time to pull back the curtain (at least a little bit) and share a taste of what's been brewing.

The new project started out simply enough- I had some unfinished instrumental tracks that I thought would be perfect for vocals, so I got in touch with my friend Angie Donkin, lead singer for the LA band Vibrasol to see if she'd be interested in collaborating.  Luckily enough she was, and over the next few months we got together a handful of times here in San Francisco to share ideas and record some of what she'd come up with.  Angie's brother Adam (a talented musician, studio owner and audio engineer) initially came onboard to direct our first proper vocal recording session, but before long it became clear to me that the ideas he was bringing to the table necessitated his being part of the project.  And thus the unnamed project came to be.

Today I'm proud to present you with "Shadowless," one of the first tracks born of our new collaboration.  The version you can listen to (and download) below was only given a hasty mastering pass by Adam, but I think it sounds fantastic, and should give you a good idea of the vibe we're going for.

Nonagon - Shadowless by LoveTech2011Comp

We currently have five complete tracks in need of final mix and mastering sessions, and four or five fairly well developed demos that are well on their way.  We'll be giving our first live performance on Friday, January 28th, 2011 at the LoveTech 2 Year Anniversary party here in San Francisco (I'll also be playing a brief set of my solo instrumental work immediately beforehand), and presumably releasing a proper EP in the month or two that follow.

It's great to get a chance to work with other musicians with similar styles and visions, and I'm really looking forward to sharing more of what we've been working on very soon.

Sneak Peak

New collaborative project in the works...

Angie and Adam at the console.

Nonagon & CSTNG-SHDWS @ LoveTech SF

Earlier this year I collaborated with visualist duo extraordinaire CSTNG-SHDWS and my good friends Angie Donkin (vocalist) and Jay Golden (violinist) of Vibrasol for a blowout show at the LoveTech one year anniversary in San Francisco. CS have edited together a beautiful HD promo video from footage of that night, and I couldn't be happier to share it here.

CSTNG-SHDWS x Nonagon Live Video/Audio from Colin Sebestyen on Vimeo.