The first three CD releases
from electronic artist Dennis Melton, Forever is a
Lie, Outland (Still a Lie),
the hot EP release of Hammer of
Karma, and now Parallax
Effect have been the realization of a half-forgotten dream.
The fifth release Cruel December,
and the hot new EP Dublin Roads (My Irish
Heart) have pushed that dream way over the
top.
Dennis has been a professional musician for 41
years (retired from performing in the muddled
middle 80's). Based at the time in Minneapolis and
having played in a variety of hard rock, pop and
jazz groups throughout
the Midwest since age 14, Mr. Melton grew tired of
the business end of the music industry and focused
all of his creative energies on visual arts and
his equally distinguished career as an
independent illustrator and graphic designer. (The
recording artist created the graphics for all of
his musical releases.)
As anyone who's
achieved any level of accomplishment as a musician
knows, it doesn't go quietly.
In fact, it hasn't gone anywhere but into high
gear.
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The digital age
brought possibilities to the creative process that,
like the music itself, couldn't be ignored. With
the current state-of-the-art synthesizers
operating at full tilt from a slightly beefy CPU,
Dennis Melton the composer/musician found a
rebirth of passion for music. This time around
without the business end robbing the process of
its joy.
Now located in
Las Vegas, fueled by the musical energies that
abound in the "Entertainment Capital of the
World", and armed with a half-dozen soft
synths and nearly 300 VST audio effects, Dennis
Melton is now able to take the creative process
from concept to polished completion as a real
"solo act". Writing all of the parts,
playing all of the instruments, accepting no
excuses, making no
compromises and taking no prisoners.
Just an accomplished musician and his imagination,
brought back to life by modern technology.
Being foremost a
drummer, the arrangements on all six CD's are percussion-laden
instrumental jazz-fusion (for lack of a more
accurate category) that tend to dwell in the
darker realms of melody. The musical influences are
evident and openly embraced, and Dennis has been
honored to have been favorably
likened to his heroes, composition and performance powerhouses
such as Chick Corea, Bill Bruford, Prairie Prince,
Al Dimeola, Keith Jarrett, Lenny White, Alphonse
Mouzon, Larry Coryell, and even Frank
Zappa.
Having been
mentally performing with what he describes as
"the semi-psychotic nervous jazz band in my
head" for years and with utter disregard
(disdain?) for convention, melody hooks and timing
changes abound. Strap yourself in for a
technology-fueled musical roller coaster ride and
please remember to keep your hands and arms inside
the car.
Charlene Davis
Dennis Melton can be contacted via email through his
exclusive label Eerie
Sunday Productions (ESP)
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