My Background
I have been creating user experience sound for almost two decades. As a multi-talented artist transcending conventional music and instrumental approaches, I've cultivated a prolific body of work that defies categorization. During my time as a composer and sound designer at Time Warner, I created immersive sound experiences, showcasing my ability to think from the user's perspective and anticipate their needs.
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While my recent endeavors predominantly reside in the realms of ambient and drone music, my artistic journey began with a rich background in rock and jazz bands. Venturing into turntablism, synthesizers, and tape manipulation, I explored a wide spectrum of musical expression, spanning from minimal loop-based electronic and avant-garde jazz to neo-classical compositions, drones, and experimental sounds. I now work for a range of clients, satisfying an increasing need for highly specialized sound design in digital user experiences (Audio UX).
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As a composer and multi-instrumentalist, I've consistently embraced unconventional instrumental methods. My earlier works delved deep into guitar exploration, experimental ambient compositions, avant-garde improvisation, and world music, occasionally venturing into the realm of '80s-style synthwave. I've created film, television, and multi-media scores, music for ads, and interaction sounds and notifications for mobile devices.
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In 2020, my musical focus underwent a transformative shift. Inspired by my experiences as a junior priest in Soto Zen and the profound loss of my mother in the same year, I turned my attention exclusively to crafting ambient music textures, marking a significant turning point in my artistic journey. My sonic palette is diverse, shaped by a wide array of instruments, including computers, synthesizers, samplers, and unique guitar-like instruments from around the world.
My Approach
Sound has the ability to elicit emotions more than any other design element, whether positive or negative. Sound design and a focus on user experience should be centrally integrated into the overall product design process, reflecting detailed design aesthetics and sustaining a highly meticulous and considerate approach throughout. Collaborating with architects, engineers, and clients, my role as an acoustics consultant involved ensuring optimal acoustic environments. This fostered collaboration between design, development, and marketing teams, creating cohesive and user-friendly products.
My Services
Sound and audio UX design should increase usability, enhance the UX, and further communicate your brand. I work with you or as part of your design or UX team, ensuring that your audio experience is appropriately and expertly designed. I can design sounds for a pre-defined function list or work with you at a preliminary stage of design thinking. Expertise in audio branding focuses on key brand sounds, exploring an array of sonic palettes. The end result is a holistic set of sounds, including both highly functional and brand-identifiable sounds. I can also facilitate user testing at various stages of the process, based on a qualitative or quantitative approach. Experienced in project management, I've successfully run many complex projects throughout my career. I primarily work from my own studio, but can also work on-site for closer contact with your implementation and design team. My working contracts typically range between 1 to 6 months, reflecting the scope and level of collaboration. Please get in touch to discuss how we can work together.