Veteran producer Martin Bisi brings his music to town

BROOKLYN STYLE: Veteran producer and engineer Martin Bisi has worked with everyone from Sonic Youth to Fab 5 Freddy. He'll play his own music during a show at Static Age Records on Saturday, April 9, at 9 p.m. Photo by Joe Keoghan

Before playing a date at iconic Shea Stadium, Martin Bisi will perform in Asheville at Static Age Records. If you aren’t familiar with Bisi’s music, you’ve definitely heard the Brooklyn-based engineer-producer’s work. He’s collaborated with rock royalty and hip-hop legends, with music credits from the likes of Dresden Dolls, Sonic Youth, Swans, Helmet, Herbie Hancock, Afrika Bambaataa, Fab 5 Freddy and more. A young Bisi had a chance encounter with Brian Eno, who in turn helped him opened BC Studio in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn in 1979. Ever since then he’s been a driving force behind innovative and ground breaking music and a stalwart of the New York music scene.  As Newsweek says, “Bisi … the man who contributed to the sound of early hip-hop, avant-garde and indie rock, might soon finally get recognition. … Considering how diverse BC Studio’s output has been over the years, there’s still something recognizable about the music that Bisi lays his hands on … a certain rawness.”

Bisi has been a musician for decades and is currently touring in support of his new LP, Ex Nihilo, his eighth album to date. His sound is in the same vein as The Velvet Underground and Eno. He recently released a video for his single ,“The Mermaid Queen,” a song Bisi says, “grew from one time at the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, which I’m a fan of. It was a second date with someone I was very into. And I guess my brain was mixing up all the fantastic mermaids with her.”

Bisi is also the subject of a documentary titled Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio that explores the history of musicians who have recorded at BC and how the studio’s once-desolate neighborhood is in the throws of gentrification.

WHO: Martin Bisi, Tidal Channel, Xambuca (Chandra Shukla – Psychic TV), Tashi Dorji, The Three-Brained Robot
WHERE: Static Age Records, 110 N. Lexington Ave.
WHEN: Saturday, April 9, 9 p.m.

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About Dan Hesse
I grew up outside of Atlanta and moved to WNC in 2001 to attend Montreat College. After college, I worked at NewsRadio 570 WWNC as an anchor/reporter and covered Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners starting in 2004. During that time I also completed WCU's Master of Public Administration program. You can reach me at dhesse@mountainx.com.

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