Bryyn
Encyclopedia
Bryyn (ˈbrɨn ˈ; born Bryn Martin, January 31, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist
based in Lausanne, Switzerland formerly known as Pinkle. His music has been described to be a new wave and independent folk pop intertwined with experimental and creative sounds. Bryyn is noted for self-recording and producing all of his music and providing it for free download under the creative commons
music license. He has released more than 250 songs under the creative commons license.
, Illinois and homeschooled during elementary school. He learned piano under the Suzuki method
from the age of five and also studied flute
. At age 14 Bryyn began playing guitar and started the Chicago
based alternative rock
band Ophur
with neighborhood friend singer-songwriter
Benson Krause. Bryyn performed as the lead guitarist and backup vocalist in Ophur, opening for national acts including The Plain White T's, Sum 41
, Violent Femmes
, Local H
, Lucky Boys Confusion
, Veruca Salt
, Two Skinee J's, Duvall
, and Sleeping at Last
. Ophur held their final performance in 2003. The lead singer, Benson Krause, died of apparent suicide on January 22, 2008 after his car was struck by a commuter train. Bryyn also performed in the Downers Grove North High School jazz lab band and joined the College of DuPage
Jazz ensemble. During high school and college, Bryyn worked as a clarinet
, flute
, and pipe organ
repair technician and started a garage recording studio.
, Ohio in 2007 and then to Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania in 2008. In Pittsburgh, Bryyn collaborated with a local filmmaker and musician Michael Savisky of the Pittsburgh band Colonizing the Cozmos and Buddy Nutt, a musical saw
player and multi-instrumentalist
. Bryyn relocated to Lausanne, Switzerland in 2009 to explore the European music scene and work as a post-doctoral fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
. In 2010, Bryyn formed a band in Lausanne, Switzerland for live performances called Pinkle and the Polygons with vocalist/pianist and wife Rachel Martin
, percussionist Nicola Cettou, bassist Jens Ingensand, and Ukelele player Aurelie Rewki.
The first Bryyn single, First Comes Rug Burn Then Comes Fire, was released in December 2009 by the blocSonic netlabel. A second single, Fractals, was released by blocSonic in December 2010.
In 2010, Bryyn started working with Twenty Ten Music, a Nashville music publisher led by Charlie Peacock
working with The Civil Wars
, Switchfoot
, The Daylights
, and Sleeping at Last
, but was dropped in 2011 due to lack of commercial interest. Bryyn officially released three albums of music with Smartsound
in 2010-2011 under the artist name Pinkle. In November 2010, Bryyn released the House Plants album with Berlin based free music netlabel Aaahh Records, home of the creative commons
indie artist Entertainment for the Braindead, Keyboard Rebel, Uniform Motion, Emilie Lund and The Wind Whistles
. All songs on the House Plants album were released at the internet archive
under a creative commons
license and are open for remixing by other artists.
. In high school, Bryyn's musical taste was shaped by checking out large quantities of random compact disks from the public library. Bryyn also claims to be influenced by a number of Thrill Jockey
record label artists including Trans Am
and Tortoise
, the alternative music of Nirvana
, Beck
and Pearl Jam
, and Wes Montgomery
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
based in Lausanne, Switzerland formerly known as Pinkle. His music has been described to be a new wave and independent folk pop intertwined with experimental and creative sounds. Bryyn is noted for self-recording and producing all of his music and providing it for free download under the creative commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
music license. He has released more than 250 songs under the creative commons license.
Early years
Bryyn was born in WoodridgeWoodridge, Illinois
Woodridge is a suburb of Chicago, located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois with portions in Will County and Cook County. It uses the 630 and 331 area codes. The population was 30,934 at the 2000 census. A special census commissioned in 2003 put the population at 33,253...
, Illinois and homeschooled during elementary school. He learned piano under the Suzuki method
Suzuki method
The Suzuki method is a method of teaching music that emerged in the mid-20th century.-Background:The Suzuki Method was conceived in the mid-20th century by Shin'ichi Suzuki, a Japanese violinist who desired to bring beauty to the lives of children in his country after the devastation of World War II...
from the age of five and also studied flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
. At age 14 Bryyn began playing guitar and started the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
based alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Ophur
Ophur
Ophur was a rock band from the Chicago suburbs in DuPage County. The band performed in the midwestern United States over the course of seven years with national acts including The Plain White T's, Sum 41, Violent Femmes, Local H, Lucky Boys Confusion, Veruca Salt, Two Skinee J's, Duvall, Sleeping...
with neighborhood friend singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Benson Krause. Bryyn performed as the lead guitarist and backup vocalist in Ophur, opening for national acts including The Plain White T's, Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
, Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
, Local H
Local H
Local H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...
, Lucky Boys Confusion
Lucky Boys Confusion
Lucky Boys Confusion is a rock band from the Chicago suburbs in DuPage County. Their music is a mix of rock, punk, ska, and hip hop. The band consists of bassist Jason Schultejann, drummer Ryan Fergus, vocalist Kaustubh Pandav, guitarist/vocalist Adam Krier, and guitarist Joe Sell...
, Veruca Salt
Veruca Salt
Veruca Salt may refer to:*The character in the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the films based on the novel*Veruca Salt , the Chicago-based alternative rock band...
, Two Skinee J's, Duvall
Duvall
-Places:United States* Duvall, Washington, a city* Duvall, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community...
, and Sleeping at Last
Sleeping at Last
Sleeping at Last is an indie rock band that was originally formed in 1999 in Wheaton, Illinois. Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan O'Neal is the sole member of the band. The group built a significant local following and opened for bands such as Kill Hannah and Plain White T's, attracting...
. Ophur held their final performance in 2003. The lead singer, Benson Krause, died of apparent suicide on January 22, 2008 after his car was struck by a commuter train. Bryyn also performed in the Downers Grove North High School jazz lab band and joined the College of DuPage
College of DuPage
College of DuPage, or COD, is a two-year community college in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates facilities in the Illinois communities of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Naperville, West Chicago, and Westmont...
Jazz ensemble. During high school and college, Bryyn worked as a clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, and pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
repair technician and started a garage recording studio.
Career
Bryyn relocated to AkronAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Ohio in 2007 and then to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania in 2008. In Pittsburgh, Bryyn collaborated with a local filmmaker and musician Michael Savisky of the Pittsburgh band Colonizing the Cozmos and Buddy Nutt, a musical saw
Musical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is the application of a hand saw as a musical instrument. The sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin...
player and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
. Bryyn relocated to Lausanne, Switzerland in 2009 to explore the European music scene and work as a post-doctoral fellow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology may refer to one of two institutes of higher education in Switzerland:* ETH Zurich in Zurich* École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Lausanne...
. In 2010, Bryyn formed a band in Lausanne, Switzerland for live performances called Pinkle and the Polygons with vocalist/pianist and wife Rachel Martin
Rachel Martin
Rachel Martin Rachel Martin Rachel Martin (Dee-Deborah Rachel Martin, formerly known as Rachel Martin-Hinshaw, born 14 December 1954 in Yuba City, California is an American performance artist, draftsman, painter, printmaker, musician and writer based in Austin, Texas.-Education:...
, percussionist Nicola Cettou, bassist Jens Ingensand, and Ukelele player Aurelie Rewki.
The first Bryyn single, First Comes Rug Burn Then Comes Fire, was released in December 2009 by the blocSonic netlabel. A second single, Fractals, was released by blocSonic in December 2010.
In 2010, Bryyn started working with Twenty Ten Music, a Nashville music publisher led by Charlie Peacock
Charlie Peacock
Charlie Peacock is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, session musician and author. While growing up in California Peacock was inspired by John Coltrane and began playing the piano. After completing his education, Peacock formed a band and began a career as a professional...
working with The Civil Wars
The CIVIL warS
The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down is an opera created in the early 1980s by director Robert Wilson to music by Philip Glass, David Byrne, Gavin Bryars and others...
, Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
, The Daylights
The Daylights
The Daylights is a pop rock band from Los Angeles, California that formed in 2004. The trio is fronted by brothers Ran Jackson and Ricky Jackson, with Svend Lerche on Drums....
, and Sleeping at Last
Sleeping at Last
Sleeping at Last is an indie rock band that was originally formed in 1999 in Wheaton, Illinois. Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan O'Neal is the sole member of the band. The group built a significant local following and opened for bands such as Kill Hannah and Plain White T's, attracting...
, but was dropped in 2011 due to lack of commercial interest. Bryyn officially released three albums of music with Smartsound
SmartSound
SmartSound Software Inc. is an American computer software and royalty free music company headquartered in Northridge, California, USA. The company is focused on providing production music that can be made to a custom length using their patented process....
in 2010-2011 under the artist name Pinkle. In November 2010, Bryyn released the House Plants album with Berlin based free music netlabel Aaahh Records, home of the creative commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
indie artist Entertainment for the Braindead, Keyboard Rebel, Uniform Motion, Emilie Lund and The Wind Whistles
The Wind Whistles
The Wind Whistles are a Canadian indie folk duo founded in spring 2006. Their names are Tom Prilesky and Liza Moser, who live together in the suburbs of Vancouver. They both sing and both play acoustic instruments such as guitar and bass....
. All songs on the House Plants album were released at the internet archive
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
under a creative commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license and are open for remixing by other artists.
Influences
As a child, Bryyn was influenced by the Andean music of Los Calchakis, classical music of Carl Orf, and experimental improvisational music of Morton SubotnickMorton Subotnick
Morton Subotnick is an American composer of electronic music, best known for his Silver Apples of the Moon, the first electronic work commissioned by a record company, Nonesuch...
. In high school, Bryyn's musical taste was shaped by checking out large quantities of random compact disks from the public library. Bryyn also claims to be influenced by a number of Thrill Jockey
Thrill Jockey
Thrill Jockey Records is an American independent record label established in 1992 in New York City by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards.-History:...
record label artists including Trans Am
Trans Am
Trans Am may refer to:* Trans Am , a U.S. post rock band* Trans Am , 1996 debut album* Trans-Am Series, an automobile racing series* Pontiac Trans Am, an automobile* Tranz Am, a 1983 video game...
and Tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
, the alternative music of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, and Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...
.
Officially released albums
- House Plants (2010)
- Invertible (2009)
Unofficially released albums
- The Flux Sound (2011)
- Les Alpettes (2010)
- Get Crazy (2009)
- Crossing State Lines (2008)
- Pink Noise (2008)
- Root Metaphors (2008)
- Hymns and Sacred Poems (2007)
- Dark Matter and Aliens (2007)
- Fftme (2007)
- Allah-ca-zam (2006)
- Quiet Songs (2006)
- Llave (2006)
- Images of Two (2006)
- The Sound of Music (2005)
- Past Present FuturePast, Present, Future (album)Past, Present, Future is New Zealand based musician Tiki Taane's platinum selling debut solo album. It features a fusion of Taane’s trademark bass-heavy production with traditional Māori instrumentation, a style which Taane describes as “punk dub meets tangatawhenua”.Guest vocalists include Taane’s...
(2005) - Anomaly (2004)
- Spaceship in a Zoo (2004)
- Afro-Americana (2004)
- Quadriplegic Ninja (2001)
B-sides and collaborations
- b-sidesB-SidesB-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
(2004-present) - collaborationsCollaborationsCollaborations may refer to:*Collaborations , a 2002 album by KJ-52*Collaborations , a 2005 album by Sinéad O'Connor*Collaborations , a 2007 album by Jill Scott...
(2004-present) - lactose intolerant ep (2006-present)
- i borrowed a moog keyboard (2006-present)
Singles released
- Fractals (blocSonic Vol. 31, released December 2010)
- First Comes Rug Burn Then Comes Fire (blocSonic Vol. 26, released 12/2009)