Morpheus Music - an in depth interview with resonant drift

 


Biographs ::

Bill Olien :: Bill started Resonant Drift in 2004 with the release of the self-titled debut “Resonant Drift.” The CD generated interest both on-line and on several electronic radio shows. Several tracks from the CD available for download were in the top 10 of total downloads on download.com. The follow up CD “Version 2.0” was released in 2005. Nev Dorringtonof the Ultima Thule radio show named the “Resonant Drift” releaseas “one of the best of the year.”

“Flow Mingled Down” was released in 2006 and received several positive reviews with Bill Binkleman calling it “one of the better cross genre releases in recent memory”. Music from the first three Resonant Drift CDs has been played on Hearts of Space, XM radio, Ultima Thule, Ping Things, Alien Air Music, Soma FM’s Drone Zone, Stillstream and many other radio and internet radio shows.

After meeting in 2008, Bill invited multi-instrumentalist Gary Johnson to join Resonant Drift. Bill and Gary developed a natural synergy and found common interests in the exploration of sound and music. Combining synthesizers, guitars, percussion, ethnic instruments and field recordings, Bill Olien and Gary Johnson of Resonant Drift explore deep ambient and atmospheric sounds. Together, they recorded live, loops and sequences in their studios which became the new CD “The Call” officially released in May 2009.

Gary Johnson :: As a teenager I studied drums with noted jazz drummer, Chuck Flores, in Los Angeles. I also played guitar, keyboards and woodwinds. I was an art major and music minor all the way through college studying jazz, Bach and electronic music at UCLA. I've been in local southern California bands from my teens until now. I've played a variety of styles from rock, blues, funk, country, classical to jazz. I currently gig around San Diego playing contemporary jazz. Over the years, I've opened for various acts like Charlie Daniels Band, J. Geils Band, Doug Supernaw, and Brian McKnight. Over the last five years, I've drifted towards ambient and electronic music. As an artist, I find ambient soundscapes analogous to painting. The "sound canvas" has elements of texture, color, composition, values, edges, atmosphere, etc.

The sounds of Steve Roach, Robert Rich and Michael Stearns got me hooked on ambient. Over the last year, I've had the good fortune to study and learn from Steve Roach. He's been a huge influence on my approach, sound and studio set up.