Kent Sparling is a visual and recording artist living on the Northern California coast. He was born in San Francisco in 1966, and began composing at the piano after having been asked to leave his elementary school orchestra for inventing harmony counter-melodies on his saxophone. He formed the pop band Eyeland in 1983, acting as singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and co-producer, and the group became popular over the next decade with their cassettes, live performances and radio airplay in the Bay Area. In 1985 KS began working with experimental music techniques, creating unique recordings up to 45 minutes long, using the classic musique concrète methods of manipulation and montage. With the use of electronic devices and electro-mechanical constructions such as oil drum reverbs and modified speakers, he alters the sonic character of a broad range of recorded sounds, from environmental noises, raw electronic sound and radio reception, to more traditional "musical" sounds created by familiar instruments. These sounds are processed and blended together in a final mixed composition. He has created "system music" compositions, where, as the composer, he sets up mechanical and electronic possibilities for sound creation, then sets the "system" in motion, allowing it to create the 'musical result'. The pieces created in this manner are recorded "live", and represent a kind of improvisation, where sound character becomes the principal means of expressing the emotional content of the piece. Recently he has been exploring the world of micro-sounds which he calls ?picophonics?, vibrations too small to move enough air to be perceived by the ‘naked ear’, wherein he has found a whole new palette of emotive sounds. He has six CD releases of experimental electro-acoustic music to his name: 1997’s "Route Canal Diary", 2000’s "Under New Manna" and "Camphor and Caraway", "Leaf Spring", released in 2003, and "Evening Air, Freeway Birds, No Wind Birds" and "Indian King", both released in 2006. His music was included in the soundtrack to the Canadian Nation Film Board documentary ?In the Flesh?, which recently aired on Canadian Public Television. He frequently collaborates with other artists, including a trio project with poet Mark Neville and bassist Ron Crotty. Their "Sounds Familiar" release has been aired on experimental radio programs in Italy, Australia, Canada, Belgium, Russia, Cuba and across the US. He is a member of the beatfolk concrète group, Sleepmouse, whose debut 7" single "Fuel" will be released in early 2007. He has produced, mixed and performed on three of the eclectic solo releases by The Bob’s founder, Gunnar Madsen; 1997’s instrumental album of waltzes, "Spinning World"; 1998’s "The Power of a Hat", and 1999’s award-winning children’s album "Old Mr. Mackle Hackle". In addition he has produced three albums for quirkypop singer-songwriter Vanessa Lowe, mixed a 5.1 surround version of the 23-minute piece, "Transpositional Landscapes", by the San Francisco spoken word group Apes of God, restored and remixed the complete score to "The Escape Artist", by Georges Delarue, and is finishing up producing the new CD from Pillows. KS spent three years as Operations Director at Sound Transform Systems, building Serge, the finest modular analog synthesizer manufactured in the US. He is currently a re-recording mixer at Skywalker Sound, with recent credits on Spike Jonez's "Adaptation", Sofia Coppola’s "The Virgin Suicides", "Lost in Translation" and "Marie Antoinette", Mike Mills' "Thumbsucker", and Roman Coppola’s "CQ". He has created the Sound Design for many independent short films, including "Ripple" by Tim Kerns, "Thirteen Ways" and "Fear Itself" by Dan Weir, and Frazer Bradshaw’s "Rest of the World", "His Ocean" and "Could Have Been Utah", which won a Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2000. His plans for 2007 include: a new CD, his original motion picture soundtrack for A.D. Liano's "Seven Fallen Objects"; live performances of experimental electro-acoustic music with long-time collaborator Jeffrey Foster; a live concert recording in a concrete grain silo of new works for bells; directing a short experimental documentary about jazz bass player Ron Crotty; and continuing development of his skills as a composer, sound designer, and re-recording mixer for film. 1966 Born 17 September, San Francisco, California education 1971-84Oakland Public Schools, California recordings 1984One Fight: Riis Spargo (Independent) 1985City Heat Resistant: Riis Spargo (Independent) 1986Moi : A Greeting: Riis Spargo (Mighty Prawn 016) 1992The Poorhouse: Eyeland (Mighty Prawn 027) 1993Me, Myself am I: Eyeland (Mighty Prawn 00CM-655) 1997Route Canal Diary: KS (Purling 00CM-471) 2000Under New Manna: KS (Purling 00CM-509) 2000Camphor and Caraway: KS (Purling 00CM-591) 2003Leaf Spring: KS (Purling 00CM-819) 2006Evening Air, Freeway Birds, No Wind Birds: KS (Purling 00CMr-925) 2006Indian King: KS (Purling 00CMr-926) productions and co-productions 1983-93All Recordings by Riis Spargo, Eyeland and KS 1987Afterthoughts: Gaf the Horse in Tears (Splendid Records) 1992Neva's Blanket: Puppethead (Independent) 1994-95All Recordings by Neville, Crotty, Sparling (Independent) 1997Spinning World: Gunnar Madsen (G-Spot Records) 1998The Power of a Hat: Gunnar Madsen (G-Spot Records) 2002Barnacles of Joy: Vanessa Lowe (Mighty Prawn 00CM-722) 200457 Suspect Words: Vanessa Lowe (Mighty Prawn 00CM-759) 2007eep: Vanessa Lowe (Mighty Prawn 00CM-856) 20072nd CD: Pillows (To Be Released) collaborations - recordings 1992It's a Wonderful Lie: Hand Some Poets (GTH Records) Keyboards and Singing 1994Sounds Familiar: with Mark Neville and Ron Crotty (Independent) Devices 1994Rebirth: Hand Some Poets (Splendid Records) Singing 1995Live at Oliveto: with Mark Neville and Ron Crotty (Independent) Devices 1995Nights One and A Thousand: Zaza (Bibi Noor) Devices 1999Old Mr. Mackle Hackle: Gunnar Madsen (G-Spot Records) Singing and Mixing 2001Transpositional Landscapes: The Apes of God (Oracular Labs) Mixing 2005The Escape Artist: Georges Delarue (Percepto 019) Mixing other collaborations 1996Cop Play: Written and Directed by Raul Inglis (Firehall Theatre) Sound Design sound for film Please see film credits performances 1990-93Eyeland (Singing and Keyboards), San Francisco Bay Area 1992Hand Some Poets (Singing and Keyboards), San Francisco Bay Area 1994-95Neville, Crotty, Sparling (Devices), San Francisco Bay Area 1998Gunnar Madsen and Band (Singing and Percussion), San Francisco, CA 2002 - PresentVanessa Lowe and Bug Eyed Sprite (Tiny Instruments), Touring exhibitions of visual works 1994SmudgeFish: The Art House, San Francisco, CA 1995Monkey Business: Marcella Madsen Studio Gallery, Berkeley, CA published/commissioned visual works 1991Dogs by Gwendolyn Albert (Norton Coker Press, San Francisco) 1992Green, Green by Gwendolyn Albert (Norton Coker Press, San Francisco) 2000Vanessa Lowe Website (www.vanessalowe.com) 2000Jicama Salad Company Website (www.jicamasalad.net) publications 1988"Movingkeys", Aftertouch, Vol. 4, Num. 4, pg. 7 199610 Year Subject Index, Experimental Musical Instruments memberships and affiliations Broadcast Music Inc., Los Angeles, CA Canadian Electroacoustic Community, Montreal, PQ Cinema Audio Society, Los Angeles, CA Nature Sounds Society, Oakland, CA Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700, Los Angeles, CA