Devin Townsend
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Devin Garrett Townsend (born May 5, 1972 in Vancouver, Canada) is a Canadian musician currently residing in British Columbia.
He plays guitars and other instruments like bass or keyboards, sings, and produces music. His music draws on progressive metal with influences from jazz, blues, progressive rock, industrial, ambient and classical music.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Professional Career
Devin Townsend first came into the public attention in 1993, when at the age of 19 he was picked by Steve Vai to be the Vocalist on his Sex and Religion album and the accompanying world tour. Previous to this Devin was playing the Vancouver metal scene with his band Noisescapes. Noisescapes recorded a demo, which was sent out to several labels including Relativity Records, the label on which Steve Vai was signed. Devin thought that a way to make this demo grab peoples' attention was to mail it wrapped in a pair of his old underwear. This tactic worked, because a copy wound up with Steve Vai, who was impressed with Devin's vocal abilities and decided to include him in his latest project.
Shortly after he finished touring with Vai in 1994 Devin landed a gig touring with The Wildhearts, beginning a long relationship with The Wildhearts' singer Ginger. Around this time Devin also contributed guitar parts to the Front Line Assembly records Millenium and Hard Wired.
Following this, in 1995, Devin began writing and recording his own music under the name of Strapping Young Lad. Strapping Young Lad began as a solo project, with Devin performing vocals and playing most of the instruments on Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing.
The same year (1995), Devin released a pop punk parody album under the name of Punky Brüster called Cooked on Phonics. This album was created with the help of fellow members of the Vancouver metal scene, and people who helped record the Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing album.
In 1997, while continuing with his Strapping Young Lad project, Devin released an album called Biomech, under the moniker of Ocean Machine. This release has caused much confusion over the years, because shortly after its initial release, Devin's label HeavyDevy Records requested that the name of the project be changed to Ocean Machine: Biomech, and the artist be changed to Devin Townsend. Many fans however, still refer to the artist as being Ocean Machine. Interestingly, the Australian distributor refused to change the CD covers, and the album is still released in Australia as Biomech by Ocean Machine.
Over the years Devin has become known for creating a completely new studio and touring band for each solo release. This may be partially explained by the fact that while the solo releases are thematically similar each release usually has a very different sound to that of their predecessor. Devin has stated that each album has a different sound because he writes from his experiences of the past year, and what he is feeling at the time.
In 2003 Devin changed his approach to his solo material by stopping releasing albums under the name of Devin Townsend. Devin now releases music under the name of The Devin Townsend Band. Devin has stated that The Devin Townsend Band will be a much more permanent band that those assembled for his previous releases, and was created to parallel and oppose Strapping Young Lad, with his more mellow music released by The Devin Townsend Band, and his more angry music released by Strapping Young Lad. More information on this project is listed separately.
He has also dabbled in electronica, initially with the Project EKO EP, which was available as a bonus with the Special Edition of Accelerated Evolution, and more recently with the dark ambient record Devlab. His latest ambient electronic album was released in November 2006, and is called The Hummer
Devin Townsend still releases some material under his own name, but this material is generally only available for purchase from his website at www.hevydevy.com [1]. Devin has chosen to do this for material that he does not believe to be appropriate for the general public, and the casual listener. To date he has release two Demo albums in this way, as well as Devlab and The Hummer.
Devin Townsend produces, either alone or with others, all of his own work. He has also worked with other artists in producing their music. Townsend's work is often very experimental and progressive. Utilizing digital audio tools and multitrack recording processes, Townsend layers sounds, sometimes with several layers of the same instrument, and he will frequently lay down a soundbed of atmospheric noise giving a dense wall of sound effect.
Devin Townsend has his own label HevyDevy Records. This label is used almost exclusively for his solo material, but has also released a couple of releases for side projects involving members of Strapping Young Lad.
In November 2006, following a hiatus after the birth of his son Rayner, Devin announced that he is back in his home studio writing and recording material for a new project. This Album is tentatively titled The Mighty Masturbator and Devin describes it as being a mix between Strapping Young Lad, and The Devin Townsend Band. This album will be released under the Devin Townsend name instead of The Devin Townsend Band, and Devin is reported to be creating the album completely by himself. That is, he will be singing, playing guitar, playing bass, playing all synthesizers and samples, and mixing and producing it himself. Devin has stated on the Hevydevy forums that he is using The Drumkit from Hell on this release, which was used by Meshuggah on Catch Thirty-Three. [[2]]
[edit] Personal Life
Devin Townsend has bipolar disorder and has had a self-imposed stay in a mental hospital [3]. Devin has also used the disorder theme in the Strapping Young Lad record Alien.
On October 6th 2006, Devin's Wife Tracy gave birth to their first child, Rayner Townsend.
[edit] Supporting musicians
Devin Townsend has been supported by the following musicians, both in the studio, and on tour:
- Marty Chapman: Drums (1997 until 1998)
- J.R. Harder: Bass (1997 until 1998)
- Gene Hoglan: Drums (1996 - 2003)
- Jed Simon: Guitar (1995 - 2003)
- Byron Stroud: Bass (1995 - 2003)
- Jamie Meyer: Piano, Keyboards (2001)
- Danny McCormack: Fretless Bass (2001)
[edit] Other projects
Townsend has founded several other projects over the years:
- The Devin Townsend Band
- Strapping Young Lad
- Punky Brüster
- Grey Skies
- Noisescapes
[edit] Other band memberships
Devin has also been a member of several bands including:
- Caustic Thought - Caustic Thought was a band featuring Devin Townsend and Strapping Young Lad members Byron Stroud and Jed Simon.
- Steve Vai - Devin sang on the Steve Vai album Sex & Religion and toured worldwide in support of the album.
- IR8 - In October 1994, Devin Townsend, Jason Newsted (of Voivod and Metallica) and Tom Hunting (of Exodus)) formed the IR8 project.
- The Wildhearts - Devin spent half a year with this British band.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1997 Ocean Machine: Biomech
- 1998 Infinity
- 1999 Official Bootleg (live gigs, acoustic and electric)
- 2000 Ass-Sordid Demos: 1990-1996
- 2000 Physicist
- 2001 Terria
- 2003 Accelerated Evolution (and Eko) - (as The Devin Townsend Band)
- 2004 Ass-Sordid Demos II
- 2004 Devlab (Ambient Instrumental)
- 2006 Synchestra (as The Devin Townsend Band)
- 2006 The Hummer (Ambient Instrumental)
[edit] Singles and EPs
- 1998 Christeen + 4 Demos
[edit] Compilations
- 2005 Press CD
[edit] Appearances as a guest guitarist and vocalist
- 1993 - Steve Vai: Sex and Religion (vocals)
- 1994 - IR8: IR8 vs. Sexoturica (Guitar on Tracks 1-3)
- 1994 - Frontline Assembly: Millennium (guitar on Division of Mind, Vigilante and Sex Offender)
- 1995 - Frontline Assembly: Hard wired (guitars on Circuitry, Modus Operandi, Transparent Species, Barcode and Condemned)
- 1995 - TM stevens: Out of control (vocals scream effect)
- 1996 - Working Man: 'A Tribute to Rush': Natural Science (vocals)
- 1996 - James Murphy: Convergence (vocals)
- 1996 - Tribute to Judas Priest (guitar and vocals)
- 1996 - Stuck Mojo: Pig Walk (Vocals on Inside My Head)
- 1997 - Unit 187: Stillborn (Mix)
- 1998 - The Wildhearts: Anarchic airwaves (guitar)Urge CD Single 1 (Backing Vocals)
- 1998 - Skinny Puppy: Remix dystemper (guitar on Worlock (Rhys Fulber- Eye of the Beholder mix))
- 2001 - The Almighty Punchdrunk: Music for them asses (additional guitars and synthesizer)
- 2001 - 2001 Stuck Mojo: Violate This (vocals on Wrathchild and Shout At the Devil)
- 2002 - Evenlight: Evenlight (Lead vocals on Los Bad Guy 'Os, Backing vocals on Pay, Guitar on Rat In A Maze and Tapper)
- 2002 - Paradise Lost: Symbol of Life (Backing vocals on Two Worlds)
- 2002 - Soilwork: Natural Born Chaos (Production and backing vocals for 2 tracks)
- 2003 - Lamb of God : As The Palaces Burn (Produced and engineered. Also provided guitar on the track A Devil In God's Country)
- 2004 - Ayreon: The Human Equation (lyrics and vocals as 'Rage' on Day Sixteen: Loser, Day Eight: School and Day Three: Pain)
- 2004 - Misery Signals: Of Malice and the Magnum Heart Backing Vocals on A Victim a Target
- 2006 - GWAR: Beyond Hell (Guest Vocals on "Tormentor")
[edit] Production credits
Devin has produced the following works:
- 1996 Stuck Mojo: Pig Walk
- 1997 Unit 187: Loaded
- 1997 Grrrr : Vancouver Extreme Music Compilation CD
- 1997 Zimmer's Hole: Bound by Fire
- 2001 Just Cause: Finger it Out
- 2001 Stuck Mojo: Violate This
- 2001 The Almighty Punchdrunk: Music for Them Asses (Also Engineered by Devin Townsend)
- 2001 Zimmer's Hole: Legion of Flames
- 2001 Just Cause: Finger It Out
- 2001 Frygirl: Someone Please Kill Me
- 2002 Evenlight: Evenlight (also Engineered and Mixed by Devin Townsend)
- 2002 December: The Lament Configuration
- 2002 Soilwork: Natural Born Chaos
- 2003 Lamb of God: As the Palaces Burn
- 2004 Misery Signals: Of Malice and the Magnum Heart
- 2004 The Heavils: Heavilution
- 2004 Ten Ways From Sunday: Ten Ways From Sunday
- 2005 Darkest Hour: Undoing Ruin
- 2006 GWAR: Beyond Hell
[edit] External links
