Artist description Conscious Structure combines elements of the electronic music form know popularly as Trip Hop, a european Hip Hop style, with the roots of Industrial music and also incorporated in some of Conscious Structure is rock style guitar. Ever present is the string orchestrations (all of the Cello played by founder Dave Belazis, and violin by Tenoya Bennett) that give Conscious Structure its unique character. Along with breakbeats, and analog synths, these elements meld into a style of its own.

Music Style Electronic/ Drum n' Bass/ Industrial/ Rock/ Expirimental/Trip Hop

Musical Influences Nine Inch Nails, Bjork, Einsturzende Neubauten, Aphex Twin, Radiohead, Dead Can Dance, Skinny Puppy, Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead, Nick Cave, Recoil, Depeche Mode, Underworld, Nitzer Ebb, Coil, Foetus, Pig, KMFDM, Die Warzau, Psychic TV, Pigface, Scorn, Prick, Marilyn Manson, Godflesh, Clint Mansell, Delerium, Mulu, Hector Zazou, Goldie, Art of Noise, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, JS Bach, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Faure, Camille St. Saens, St. Colombe, Hildegard Von Bingen, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Phillip Glass, Fredric Chopin, Sir Edward Elgar.

Similar Artists Conscious Structure maintains its own unique sound, though influences most heavily lie in the artists above.

Artist History Conscious Structure was formed at the end of 1998 by Dave Belazis as he was leaving Richmond expirimental group Tangier Spacedraft. Conscious Structure was devised and recorded within Belazis' own professional recording studio. Dave Belazis plays cello, guitar, vocals, keyboards, bass, percussion and many other instruments, switching between cello and guitar live, also providing lead male vocals. Tenoya Bennett is the female vocalist and plays violin and keyboards, Matt Dibeneditto plays guitar, bass and keyboards. Together they form the core of the eclectic group.

Group Members All Conscious Structure music produced, performed, mixed, engineered and written by Dave Belazis, except where noted on the songs. Conscious Structure is: Dave Belazis, Tenoya Bennett and Matt Dibenneditto. Other contributors: Chris Duncan, Darcy Ferguson, Gene Makely, Pat Merrill, Mark Sloan.

Instruments Digidesign Pro Tools and a number of plugins and studio outboard gear, Access Virus, Waldorf Q, Akai S2000, Roland XP-80, Gibson guitars, Johnson amplifiers, various hand-made cellos, violas and violins, various other gear.

Albums Non-Human Figure (upcoming release in 2002, Every Time (cd maxi single, 2002, also upcoming)

Press Reviews INPGH (In Pittsburgh Weekly) One careful listen to some sample tracks from the Non-Human Figure CD by Washington, D.C. band Conscious Structure makes it clear that this is no run-of-the-mill industrial dance band. Sure, the music has its fair share of brooding keyboards; but instead of that incessant thud-thud, the rhythms percolate with Aphex Twin breakbeats. In place of the usual, angst-ridden Skinny Puppy growls is the uplifting, angelic voice of Sarah [Vann], an operatically trained vocalist with probably double the range of a Tori Amos or Sarah McLachlan. The atmospheric impact of this ethereal cyberpunk hybrid is further boosted by the strength of strings, namely Gene Makely, who plays viola and cello. In fact, all four performers of Conscious Structure are academically trained musicians. Yet, they found common ground in darkly tinged electronica, which would seem to be the diametric opposite. "Actually, a lot of classical music is being written these days for films, using high technology," explains Dave Belazis, who forms the core of the group and can play fifteen different instruments. He cut his teeth in Richmond experimental ensemble Tangier Spacedraft. "A lot of my enthusiasm stems from the avant-garde. I took my background in the most artistic aspects of new music, fused them together, then found other musicians who had a similar vision." // MANNY THEINER

Location Washington, DC - USA

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