Features
Cezanne – The Art of Bangladeshi Progressive Metal Bass
Artcell Bassist Cezanne…
Progressive Metal is perhaps not a genre you immediately associate with Bangladesh, but there’s a thriving scene there. Tim Fletcher talks to Artcell bassist Cezanne about the Bangladesh metal community, the history of the band, and their upcoming album.
Opening Photo, Chowdhury Sifat
One of the most pleasing things about the Bass Musician Magazine FaceBook page is the wide range of people that engage with it. Bass players from all over the world join in with the discussions, and sometimes that can lead you to places that you hadn’t expected.
A few months ago, I was interested to see a profile of Ayan Upadhaya, a bass player from Bangladesh, and he related the story of how he became a bassist in a Bangla Rock band. Having never heard about Bangla Rock, this intrigued me, and I asked Ayan to recommend some bands to listen to. He immediately suggested Artcell, a progressive metal band, and I listened to a few of their songs – I was very impressed. I soon discovered that they are a very popular band in their home country, playing regular gigs across Bangladesh, but they have also played major events in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne), India (Kolkata) and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur).
This led to searching out their bass player, Cezanne who is now resident in Sydney, Australia, and he was kind enough to agree to a long-distance interview.
Hi Cezanne – many thanks for talking to us.
My pleasure and thanks for approaching me as well.
You’re based in Australia – have you managed to stay musically productive during the lockdown?
The lockdown hasn’t been easy. However, I guess we were very lucky as the COVID situation was very well managed here in Australia. However, it was a tricky time to adjust to the new normal of working from home. The way it works for me is, I like to take breaks from my music. It helps me keep a balance with the other things in my life, and weirdly it makes music more enjoyable for me. I know not many musicians would agree with this approach, but I didn’t really play a lot of bass during the lockdown, although I knew I could get back and play when I felt like it.
Have you been writing new material?
As we are in the middle of recording our third album, the focus is on completing that for the time being. However, I do have a bunch of new stuff that I would love to share with the band to work on after we are done with the third album.
How do you organise collaborating with the other band members over such long distances?
Thanks to all the new technologies, it’s not difficult at all to be in touch. I speak to the band members almost every day. However, obviously we can’t jam and that definitely doesn’t help. This is not the ideal situation to work together for sure. However, we are trying to make the best out of it and the band is sharing their demos and I am providing my input online. This is how we recorded the last released track ‘Avoy’ – meaning ‘No Fear’ in English – and it came out pretty well.
Did Artcell have to cancel any concerts, and are you looking forward to being able to play more live shows once this is over?
As a band Artcell is one of the busiest in Bangladesh. So, yes, we had to cancel a lot of shows. The sooner the COVID-19 crisis is over the better, not only for us, but everyone everywhere. I can’t tell you how much I miss being back with the band and playing for a live audience, but I do realize the seriousness of the crisis and for now it is VERY important for everyone to follow the social distancing requirements.
Artcell had a major show to celebrate its 20th anniversary last year – was that an exciting milestone to reach?
This was definitely a career highlight for Artcell and a very special moment in my life. This was probably the first time a prog rock band had an open air concert in Bangladesh, which also was a full house with over 8,000 people. We were overwhelmed with the support we got not just from our fans and listeners, but also from the organizers, partners, and sponsors. It was a milestone for the Bangladesh rock music scene, as far as we are concerned.
Let’s go back to the beginning – what prompted you to take up bass?
I just liked the bold fat sounds of the bass. I started playing bass when I was about fifteen. I played guitar for three years before that, but only so I could learn the basics so that I could pick up bass one day. So, yes, bass has always been my weapon of choice. Besides, as a kid, I didn’t want to play what everyone kid in my school was playing…. and that worked out for me pretty well!
Who were the bass players you tried to emulate when you first started playing?
The first name on the list would be Steve Harris from Iron Maiden. He’s one of the reasons I play bass. Then I was heavily influenced by Stuart Hamm, Les Claypool and Flea. I was also a huge fan of Billy Sheehan – I watched his Advance Bass Instruction video tape so many times that I remembered all the jokes Billy would pull in the interview! So, I picked up a lot my bass techniques (at least tried to) from Billy Sheehan.
What was your first bass?
I got my first bass, a used Indian ‘Givson’ Bass, not Gibson, when I was around fifteen and played the heck out of it. I got my first proper bass, a Peavey, when I was seventeen or eighteen.
How did you learn to play? Did you have lessons?
I was very lucky to have the acquaintance of Schumann Zaman (from Bangladeshi pop/rock band Paper Rhyme) as my first bass guide. He’s the one who introduced me to Billy Sheehan.
Were there any other local players that helped you?
Apart from Schumann Zaman, I was massively influenced by Shafin Ahmed (Miles), BassBaba Sumon (Aurthohin) and Babna Karim (Warfaze) – the great bass players of Bangla Rock music.
I understand that there was a great music shop in Dhaka that stocked metal albums that weren’t generally available in Bangladesh. Did you find lots of influential stuff there?
I think you are referring to Rainbow, at Elephant Road, Dhaka! Yes, back when I just started listening to metal (and music in general) there were only cassettes available and the Rainbow was one of the very few sources (along with Shur-Niketon, right beside the Rainbow and another music shop) where we could find the music we liked. The best part was, when anyone would give them a 60 or a 90 min cassette to record some album, if there were few minutes left after the album was transferred, they would fill that in with other good music of similar genre. And that’s how I was exposed to Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
Were there many rock gigs to go and see in Dhaka at that time?
In normal situations, there would be underground rock gigs in Dhaka every weekend. But in the winter we have some of the biggest festivals, like the Joy Bangla Concert that’s held in March and other open air shows.
How did Artcell begin?
We started Artcell in October 1999. I am one of the four founder members of the band. Before me and Shaju (Drummer) started playing together, Lincoln (Vocals/Guitars) and Ershad (former Lead Guitars) used to play together in another band called Tantrik. After we started jamming together, we decided to start a new band. Before coming to the name Artcell, we tried few other names, such as Zapatista, and Anubis. But Ershad came up with the name Artcell and that stuck.
Would you say that Artcell were the biggest progressive metal band in Bangladesh?
I don’t know about biggest. But it surely is the most loved one by the fans for sure.
Do you think of Artcell as part of the ‘Bangla Rock’ scene, or as part of the more global progressive metal genre alongside bands like Dream Theater and Tool?
It is a matter of great pride that Artcell made it so big in Bangladesh. So, we do see this a major part of Bangladeshi music scene. But since it was a conscious decision to do our music in Bengali for the people and the culture. However, it doesn’t get enough attention in the international scene because of the language, but people who are open to the universal language of music, they certainly can relate with the band. So, Bangla Prog-Rock definitely offers world class music, unfortunately something that is not common knowledge.
Artcell sing in Bengali – do you think that the band (and other Bangladeshi metal bands) would possibly have a bigger audience if you sang in English?
English songs would naturally attract a wider audience. However, it is also our responsibility to enrich our Bengali music culture and contribute to the rich history of Bangla Music.
Apart from singing in Bengali, do Artcell songs have any influences from Bangladeshi music styles?
Growing up all of us had some level of exposure and experience learning and performing Bangladeshi folk songs, Rabindra Sangeet, Lalon and Nazrul Songs, which helped setting up a strong base when we picked up the western instruments. The fused influences are obvious in Artcell’s melodies and arrangements, I think.
One of your most famous songs ‘Oniket Prantor’ has had over 8 million views on YouTube. It’s a very complex piece with lots of shifts of time signatures – what was the writing process for that song?
I remember it grew from the tapping section I came up with that comes after the first couple of verses. But since it wasn’t sounding right to start the song with the tapping section, Ershad came up with the plucking and the whole thing just took off from there. The intention was never to make it such a long song [16m 21s], but we just followed what each section demanded. Although I don’t really think the views on YouTube is a proper measure of an artwork, we are nevertheless very happy with the response.
Do you contribute to other parts of the writing process?
Playing with Artcell has always been about band effort and all of us have contribution in all the songs. I guess that’s you will see different sections and vibes in each of the songs. I specially enjoy working with the overall sound and arrangement of songs.
How has your own playing style developed over the years?
Well, in early days, I used to practise a lot (no surprise). But as other things in life started taking over, I realized, even a small amount of time I would give to practising, it would have more impact on my playing then it used to in my earlier years. Not sure why, but I am a more confident bass player than ever, as I know it’s not how many notes you play, it’s what the song requires.
I understand that you briefly played in Warfaze (another Bangladeshi Metal Band) – how did that come about?
Growing up I was always a huge fan of Warfaze. And when they needed a bass player and the lead guitar player of the band Kalam, who is like a big brother to me asked me to join the band, it was a dream come true. But since it was at the early days of Artcell, I could manage time to play for both bands. But after a certain time, I had to prioritize. But it was a great experience playing some of my favourite Bangla Rock songs with the band on stage.
Did you play with any other bands?
Although Artcell was my main band, I did play as guest bassist for funk rock band Wire (to feed my appetite of Flea influences) and heavy metal band DeathRow.
The more recent Artcell material has moved towards a more concise style with nods towards bands like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers – was that a deliberate move to be more mainstream, or is it just how the writing has developed?
The last two songs released were ‘Shongshoy’ (Doubt) and ‘Avoy’ which is some of our heaviest songs to date. I guess you are referring to couple other tracks that was released prior to these, which is ‘Obimrisshotta’ and ‘Sporsher Onuvuti’ which is a mixture of different sounds, I think. RHCP, although is a huge influence for me, as you would see in the bass lines for ‘Obimrisshota’, but the songs are more like new-age metal more than funk. The bass for the other track was influenced by Opeth, another one of my recent favourites.
When is the long-awaited third Artcell album coming out?
I can’t promise a timeline, but the work is almost 80% complete. We will also need to sort out the platform and the sponsorship deals before this is released. But it will definitely be in 2021.
I understand you’ve been instrumental in developing the ‘Gaan’ music player app. Can you tell us about how that came about?
When I moved to Australia, I realized how difficult it was to listen to Bangla songs. Also, there’s a demand for a platform that the musicians and listeners can rely upon. Based on our understanding of the music scene in Bangladesh and with the support from fellow Bangladeshi IT Developers (Zayed and Saud) me and Shaju (Artcell’s drummer) decided to create Gaan, a Spotify like service, exclusively for Bangla and Bangladeshi Music. So far it’s been doing great with over 100K+ downloads and available on both iOS and Android platforms. But it still is a long way to go to solve the sustainable music platform requirement for the industry.
Do you think that the app might help to promote Bangladeshi music to a wider audience outside its home country?
Outside Bangladesh, Gaan has the second highest number of downloads in India, followed by the USA, Australia, and UK. So, yes, that’s definitely the plan to provide easy access to a huge collection and all the latest Bangla music to people around the world, specially the NRBs [Non-Resident Bangladeshis].
What is the next thing on the horizon for Artcell?
Now the entire focus is to complete the third album and then do a few concerts both in Bangladesh and around the world to promote the album. After that we already have enough materials to start working on the fourth.
Thanks for taking the time to speak to us – it’s been great!
The pleasure was all mine. Thank you so much for your interest in Artcell and our music.
Follow Cezanne on Facebook here
If you are an electric bass player, this is an exciting time to be alive as this relatively new instrument evolves around us. Some creative individuals have taken an active role in this evolution and made giant leaps in their own direction. Lee Barker is one of these inventive people having created the Barker Bass.
Fortunately, Lee is also an excellent writer (among so many talents) and has recently released his book “Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass”. This book is a very fun read for everyone and shares a ton of details about Lee’s life in general, his experiences as a musician, a radio host, and a luthier. Now I am fortunate to have the great opportunity to gain even more insights into this renaissance man with this video interview.
Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass is available online at Amazon.com
Interview and photo courtesy of Holly Bergantino of Bergantino Audio Systems
With an expansive live show and touring, Mt. Joy bassist Michael Byrnes shares his experiences with the joyful, high-energy band!
Michael Byrnes has kept quite a busy touring schedule for the past few years with his band, Mt. Joy. With a philosophy of trial and error, he’s developed quite the routines for touring, learning musical instruments, and finding the right sound. While on the road, we were fortunate to have him share his thoughts on his music, history, and path as a musician/composer.
Let’s start from the very beginning, like all good stories. What first drew
you to music as well as the bass?
My parents required my sister and I to play an instrument. I started on piano and really didn’t like it so when I wanted to quit my parents made me switch to another instrument and I chose drums. Then as I got older and started forming bands there were never any bass players. When I turned 17 I bought a bass and started getting lessons. I think with drums I loved music and I loved the idea of playing music but when I started playing bass I really got lost in it. I was completely hooked.
Can you tell us where you learned about music, singing, and composing?
A bit from teachers and school but honestly I learned the most from just going out and trying it. I still feel like most of the time I don’t know what I am doing but I do know that if I try things I will learn.
What other instruments do you play?
A bit of drums but that’s it. For composing I play a lot of things but I fake it till I make and what I can’t fake I will ask a friend!
I know you are also a composer for film and video. Can you share more
about this with us?
Pretty new to it at the moment. It is weirdly similar to the role of a bass player in the band. You are using music to emphasize and lift up the storyline. Which I feel I do with the bass in a band setting. Kind of putting my efforts into lifting the song and the other musicians on it.
Everybody loves talking about gear. How do you achieve your “fat” sound?
I just tinker till it’s fat lol. Right now solid-state amps have been helping me get there a little quicker than tube amps. That’s why I have been using the Bergantino Forté HP2 – Otherwise I have to say the cliche because it is true…. It’s in the hands.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that you’d like
to explore on the bass.
I like to think of myself as a pretty catchy bass player. I need to ask my bandmates to confirm! But I think when improvising and writing bass parts I always am trying to sneak little earworms into the music. I want to explore 5-string more!
Who are your influences?
I can’t not mention James Jamerson. Where would any of us be if it wasn’t for him? A lesser-known bassist who had a huge effect on me is Ben Kenney. He is the second bassist in the band Incubus and his playing on the Crow Left the Murder album completely opened me up to the type of bass playing I aspire towards. When I first started playing I was really just listening to a lot of virtuosic bassists. I was loving that but I couldn’t see myself realistically playing like that. It wasn’t from a place of self-doubt I just deep down knew that wasn’t me. Ben has no problem shredding but I was struck by how much he would influence the song through smaller movements and reharmonizing underneath the band. His playing isn’t really in your face but from within the music, he could move mountains. That’s how I want to play.
What was the first bass you had? Do you still have it?
A MIM Fender Jazz and I do still have it. It’s in my studio as we speak. I rarely use it these days but I would never get rid of it.
(Every bass player’s favorite part of an interview and a read!) Tell us about
your favorite bass or basses. 🙂
I guess I would need to say that MIM Jazz bass even though I don’t play it much. I feel connected to that one. Otherwise, I have been playing lots of great amazing basses through the years. I have a Serek that I always have with me on the road (shout out Jake). Also have a 70’s Mustang that 8 times out of 10 times is what I use on recordings. Otherwise, I am always switching it up. I find that after a while the road I just cycle basses in and out. Even if I cycle out a P bass for another P bass.
What led you to Bergantino Audio Systems?
My friend and former roommate Edison is a monster bassist and he would gig with a cab of yours all the time years ago. Then when I was shopping for a solid state amp the Bergantino Forté HP2 kept popping up. Then I saw Justin Meldal Johnsen using it on tour with St. Vincent and I thought alright I’ll give it a try!
Can you share a little bit with us about your experience with the Bergantino
forte HP amplifier? I know you had this out on tour in 2023 and I am pretty
certain the forte HP has been to more countries than I have.
It has been great! I had been touring with a 70’s SVT which was great but from room to room, it was a little inconsistent. I really was picky with the type of power that we had on stage. After a while, I thought maybe it is time to just retire this to the studio. So I got that Forte because I had heard that it isn’t too far of a leap from a tube amp tone-wise. Plus I knew our crew would be much happier loading a small solid state amp over against the 60 lbs of SVT. It has sounded great and has really remained pretty much the same from night to night. Sometimes I catch myself hitting the bright switch depending on the room and occasionally I will use the drive on it.
You have recently added the new Berg NXT410-C speaker cabinet to your
arsenal. Thoughts so far?
It has sounded great in the studio. I haven’t gotten a chance to take it on the road with us but I am excited to put it through the paces!
You have been touring like a madman all over the world for the past few
years. Any touring advice for other musicians/bass players? And can I go to Dublin, Ireland with you all??
Exercise! That’s probably the number one thing I can say. Exercise is what keeps me sane on the road and helps me regulate the ups and downs of it. Please come to Dublin! I can put you on the guest list!
It’s a cool story on how the Mt. Joy band has grown so quickly! Tell us
more about Mt. Joy, how it started, where the name comes from, who the
members are and a little bit about this great group?
Our singer and guitarist knew each other in high school and have made music together off and on since. Once they both found themselves living in LA they decided to record a couple songs and put out a Craigslist ad looking for a bassist. At the time I had just moved to LA and was looking for anyone to play with. We linked up and we recorded what would become the first Mt. Joy songs in my house with my friend Caleb producing. Caleb has since produced our third album and is working on our fourth with us now. Once those songs came out we needed to form a full band to be able to do live shows. I knew our drummer from gigging around LA and a mutual friend of all of us recommended Jackie. From then on we’ve been on the road and in the studio. Even through Covid.
Describe the music style of Mt. Joy for me.
Folk Rock with Jam influences
What are your favorite songs to perform?
Always changing but right now it is ‘Let Loose’
What else do you love to do besides bass?
Exercise!
I always throw in a question about food. What is your favorite food?
I love a good chocolate croissant.
Follow Michael Byrnes:
Instagram: @mikeyblaster
Follow Mt. Joy Band:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtjoyband
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtjoyband
I am sure many of you are very familiar with Mark Egan as we have been following him and his music for many years now. The last time we chatted was in 2020.
Mark teamed up with drummer Shawn Pelton and guitarist Shane Theriot to produce a new album, “Cross Currents” released on March 8th, 2024. I have been listening to this album in its entirety and it is simply superb (See my review).
Now, I am excited to hear about this project from Mark himself and share this conversation with our bass community in Bass Musician Magazine.
Photo courtesy of Mark Egan
Visit Online:
markegan.com
markegan.bandcamp.com
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Bassist Adam Sullivan…
Hailing from Minnesota since 2012, By the Thousands has produced some serious Technical Metal/Deathcore music. Following their recent EP “The Decent”s release, I have the great opportunity to chat with bassist Adam Sullivan.
Join me as we hear about Adam’s musical Journey, his Influences, how he gets his sound, and the band’s plans for the future
Photo, Laura Baker
Featured Videos:
Follow On Social
IG &FB @bythethousands
YTB @BytheThousands
Bergantino Welcomes Marc Brownstein to Their Family of Artists
Bergantino Shares: The innovative bassist/sonic explorer/DJ Marc Brownstein discusses his life of touring with Disco Biscuits, the current tour with the new album “Revolution in Motion, and more!
By Holly Bergantino
Marc Brownstein is the king of “Trance-Fusion” – a subgenre that his band Disco Biscuits has been in the center of for the past two decades. As a founding member of the band from their days at UPenn, Marc has quite the experience under his belt, and each tour has gotten more and more exciting. Disco Biscuits is currently on tour with their new album Revolution in Motion, a full multimedia experience accompanied by a 25-minute animated film that tells a story of intergalactic travelers finding their way on Earth.
D. J. Brownie! What made you want to be a musician and start playing bass and who drew you to it?
I was drawn to music after John Lennon was assassinated. I was raised in NYC and the city was just going crazy. I was 7 years old at the time and my thought was, wow why is everyone freaking out so much, this guy must be really special. And so I started to check the Beatles out and that was the beginning of my journey with music.
A question from one of your fans and fellow bass players Karina Rykman: “How do you keep your bubble of positivity intact and thriving”?
Well it’s funny she should ask. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the run of positivity we are experiencing now began right at the beginning of tour at the beginning of January 2023 when we had Karina opening for us for a week. I can say that her positive energy on tour definitely left its mark on the rest of our tour. Some people are so naturally happy and positive that it leaves you feeling that way, sometimes permanently!
Besides the bass guitar, what other instruments do you play?
I dabble with piano, guitar, and I can make my way around a drum kit if I get into it for a few weeks. I’ve played flute and saxophone as well at different times. I also play the double bass. But I would say Piano is my second instrument at this point. I play everyday.
What is your favorite (and least favorite) thing about touring?
The best part of touring is the 4 hours on stage with the band. But also getting to visit so many great places all of the time. That’s the silver lining. The only thing I don’t love about touring is missing my family.
Tell us about your first music teacher. What lesson did you learn from this person and still use today?
My first music teacher, Mrs. Koslov, 2nd grade, I just was at her funeral a few weeks ago. I eventually became best friends with Mrs Koslov’s son and we stayed in touch for my whole life. She taught me a lot but really she was the one who gave me the courage to perform. My first public performance ever was a piano version of Eleanor Rigby.
What was the first bass you had?
This is tough. I think I had a standard Ibanez jazz style bass first. Within a year or two I got an American Fender Jazz bass.
What are the basses you have and use now?
My main bass is an Elrick 5 string by Rob Elrick. I also have a Q5 Modulus and an Alembic 5 as well. Oteil (Burbridge) sent me a Roscoe custom 6 during the Pandemic that I like to play. I also have a Sire Marcus Miller, a newer American Fender Jazz bass, a custom Ibanez SDGR, an Ibanez BTB and an Elrick 5 string Fretless bass which is my main bass at home.
Who were the musicians who inspired you and what qualities do you admire about them?
I was deeply influenced by Phish when I discovered them in college. I admired their ability to mesh jazz, classical and rock Improvisational styles. I was very inspired by classic jazz musicians. Miles. Monk. Coltrane. Dexter Gordon. Cannonball Adderly. Mingus. This is the generation of musicians that laid the groundwork for what we do now.
You studied and started the band Disco Biscuits at UPenn. Tell us more about the origins.
The band just sort of linked up in the quad (dormitory) and we started to set up our gear and jam for fun. Within a short time I realized the guys I was playing with were really talented and so I applied to the New School for jazz and went and spent a year crash coursing music at a high level so I could return to Penn and start a band with them.
You have a new album “Revolution in Motion,” that you’re currently touring on. How is it going?
The tour has been amazing. It’s one of the best tours we ever had in our career. We sold out more than half of the shows and are receiving really great feedback across the country.
I watched the video on YT for Revolution in Motion. The Choreography, production, color, cartoon characters, and theme were so much fun. Space aliens and psychedelic art, pop ups like a comic book, and you in your alien jump suit with your baseball cap were amazing. Loved! How was this collaborated?
We have a co-writer on this project named Joey friedman. He conceived of the concept for the album and he had a very specific vision for what the visuals would look like. He spent hours and hours with the animators (Blunt Action) and the AI animator (Todd Kushnir) working through each iteration to make it come to life in the way that it was conceived.
How would you describe the music you create for Disco Biscuits?
We always hoped that the music we created would be the weirdest and craziest music of all time but we describe it as Trance-Fusion, which was a name that was drawn from jazz-fusion, the mixing of jazz with rock and roll instruments. We found our own sound by mixing trance music with rock and roll instruments, hence the genre title. It was renamed jamtronica many years later by the folks over at SiriusXM who started a radio show called the Jamtronica show to highlight acts from our scene. I was the host of that show for the first 3 years.
Describe the creative process when you write new music.
These days the creative process is a team effort. Usually we start by combing through improvisational sections of music from the tours to see if we can find any melodies or chord structures that are song worthy. When we find it we bring it into our DAW (ableton) and creating a grid. This is easy for us because we often play to a time clock on stage. From there we start building out the structures of the new piece of music while Joey and maybe me or Aron or Jon will start working on some lyrical concepts. Within an hour or two we start to record some of these initial lyrics and melodies and Jon usually starts to adapt them and tweak them to make them comfortable for him to sing. Usually within a few hours we are able to walk away with a very advanced demo of a new song. It’s been an extremely fruitful experience that has left us with albums worth of the best material we’ve had in decades.
The lighting for your shows is amazing. Who does the lighting design work and choreography for the tours?
Our new LD is known as Herm, but his name is Alex. We know him as Herm though. He came to us from the band Twiddle at the beginning of this year and has totally revitalized the visual elements of the stage show. He’s a really great fit and we feel grateful to have been linked up with such a massive talent. It was luck and timing and some might call it fate.
How would your bandmates describe you?
My bandmates would probably describe me as energetic and talkative and headstrong but also they might notice that I’ve become really good at going with the flow and backing their creative instincts. They may further describe me as anxious and nervous but may also notice that these elements have been remediated of recent. Mostly I think they would describe me as loyal and dedicated.
How did you find Bergantino Audio systems?
I was first introduced to it by Ed Grasmeyer who I know as Mike Gordon’s tech in Burlington. I was playing a show at Nectars and needed a backline and Ed came and set me up with the ForteHP2 and I was blown away by the tone. I then noticed Karina Rykman was using Bergantino as well and that’s when I started to think I needed to get in contact with the company. Karina was opening for the Biscuits on Boston and that’s where I had the chance to demo the forte hp2 in the context of the biscuits stage show. I haven’t looked back since that night.
Tell us about your experience with the Forté HP2 on the tour?
There are so many things that I can say about it but the most notable is that I’m not struggling to hear the frequencies that I want to hear on stage anymore. I used to have to boost the bass everywhere. In an EQ pedal, on the preamp on the actual bass. But every time you add a little of those low frequencies in those other places you risk degrading the tone of the signal. With the Forte HP2 there is a punch button that gives me exactly the frequency I’m looking for. 100 hz. 4 db. It’s perfect.
Did you think Jim talked too much when you met him in Boston?
I will never notice when someone talks too much because chances are I’m out talking them.
What’s your process for dealing with performance anxiety?
I used to self-medicate for this purpose but I was recently in touch with a psychiatrist who has helped me regulate my own chemical imbalances and I have found that my performance anxiety isn’t really an issue when I have the proper amount of dopamine in the system!
Imagine that you’re at a party and it’s a little stale. What’s the “party trick” (or hidden talent) that you’d bust out to liven the place up?
Before the app existed I was known as a real life fruit ninja. I take a big knife and people throw fruit from across the room and I chop it in half in mid-air. It’s not the safest party trick anymore because I lost vision in my right eye a few years ago and I’m not as accurate as I used to be!
What hobbies do you have outside of music?
I love sports. I love reading. I love word games. I love gardening. I love hiking/running/moving. My biggest hobby was snowboarding for many years but I’ve grown injury prone and stay off the mountain these days.
What is the most trouble you ever got into?
Well, I managed to stay out of trouble until college. But before weed was legalized I had a series of run-ins with the law and spent a night in the clink in Amherst Mass during my freshman year fraternity pledge trip. Luckily this isn’t an issue anymore for those of us who don’t drink or smoke cigarettes but prefer a little of the wacky tabacky to cool down.
What is the message you would give to your fans?
Well I give them so many messages all the time but the most important one that I try to remember to keep constant is a message of gratitude. Thank you so much for sticking with us through thick and thin, through ups and downs, for decades now you have allowed us to live our dreams and have the most blessed lives possible.
How do you feel social media has impacted your music?
Social media is a double edged sword. It has allowed us to create a strong community where everyone feels like a family but for someone like me who gets addicted to things easily, I really have to be vigilant with practice and writing and other aspects of my life not to spend the whole day scrolling and wasting the time away.
What is your favorite song of all time?
Right now my favorite song of all time is probably a short and beautiful little ditty by Labi Siffre called Bless the Telephone. I would suggest everyone take the 1:29 to listen to it and feel the bliss.
What did I miss for a question that you would like to share?
Bass players don’t really get to play solo shows, at least not my style of bass, so I’ve had to learn how to DJ in order to perform by myself at times and I would suggest coming out to see a DJ Brownie show at some point.
Last one! Describe your perfect meal!
I love to eat great meals. I’m partial to Asian foods but the perfect meal to me is one slice of pizza from Freddie and Peppers on 72nd and Amsterdam in NYC. PERFECTION.
Follow Marc Brownstein:
Instagram: @marcbrownstein
X (formerly Twitter): @marc_brownstein
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcbrownstein4
www.discobiscuits.com