Chris Schlarb
Chris Schlarb is a musician, composer and producer based in Long Beach, California. His debut solo album, Twilight & Ghost Stories, a massive collaboration with over fifty musicians, was critically hailed as both, “40 minutes of avant-garde bliss” by the New York Observer and as “a monumental achievement” by FFWD Weekly.
A unique composer utilizing a wide range of instruments, musicians and techniques, Chris has recorded, produced, and scored music for both film and video games. As a musician and producer he has collaborated with Blue Note recording artist Dave Easley (of The Brian Blade Fellowship), Sufjan Stevens, Nels Cline (of Wilco), Mick Rossi (of The Philip Glass Ensemble), Ikey Owens (of The Mars Volta), Daedelus, Chad Taylor (of Iron & Wine), Dave Longstreth (of The Dirty Projectors), Diane Cluck, Ray Raposa (of Castanets), and Wooden Wand (James Jackson Toth) & The Vanishing Voice.
Chris Schlarb’s avant-garde duo, I Heart Lung, with drummer and fine artist Tom Steck, has been recognized as group capable of “work of great subtlety and profundity” by All About Jazz. Their album, Interoceans, was also chosen as one of the Top 5 Jazz Albums of 2008 by National Public Radio.
In 1999 he started the Sounds Are Active label specializing in jazz, experimental, electronic and other progressive musics. In 2006 he produced and released the Sean Carnage directed film 40 BANDS/80 MINUTES! which Ann Powers of the L.A. Times described as “frenetic… the spirit of this über-independent effort can’t be denied.”
Chris contributed four interviews with his collaborators about the state of music, art, life, improvisation, and other mind-altering things such as Phil Collins’ percussive abilities. These interviews are with Mick Rossi, Ray Raposa, Bhob Rainey, and Parker Paul.