Jasen Shawn Smith
Living most of his life in the western United States, Jasen grew up during the so-called second British invasion....
Jasen Shawn Smith has been playing piano, keyboards and composing music for the past twenty years. Jasen's second album: Virtual Ornaments is now available on CDbaby.com.
Living most of his life in the western United States, Jasen grew up during the so-called second British invasion. In those days, the American airwaves were filled with innovative artists and bands mostly from Great Britain, such as, Gary Numan, Soft Cell, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Depeche Mode, A Flock of Seagulls, The Human League, Thomas Dolby, and Landscape just to name a few. As a child, Jasen was fascinated with Science Fiction and these New Wave artists with their cold and distant sounding synthesizers and robotic rhythm sequencers sparked Jasen's young imagination.
By the mid 80s, it seemed as though New Wave split into two different camps, Synth Pop and Modern or Alternative Rock. Jasen began to look for a more mature and intellectual music genre to explore. In high school, a friend introduced Jasen to New Age music and to his favorite New Age artists, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream. Although Jasen was familiar with both artists through their film scoring works he never really gave them much thought. After listening to Tangerine Dreams "Optical Race," "Lilly on the Beach," and Vangelis "Themes" and "Opera Savage," Jasen knew that he had found the musical stimulation that he was looking for.
Towards the end of his high school career, Jasen took a deep interest in music, attending a music theory course in which he learned the fundamentals of composition. During the class, he mastered the piano and keyboard by studying the classical composers, Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. Although Jasen found the classics inspiring, a contemporary artist, Suzanne Ciani, so impressed him that he began composing his own pieces that were modeled around Cianis Electronic/Neo-classical style. After high school, Jasen enlisted in the Army and played keyboards off and on for some local bands while stationed in Washington D.C. However, playing in smoky clubs for a bunch of ungrateful drunks wasnt exactly a gratifying experience. Subsequently, Jasen spent less time playing in the clubs and more time composing piano pieces that he vowed to, pump some life into later.
After graduating Florida State University, Jasen purchased a couple of synthesizers, one of them being a Korg Triton Workstation, and began a deep and thorough self-taught rediscovery of the Classical composers that he studied in high school. By analyzing each composer's individual style and technique, he developed his craft and own unique style. This style is evident in his early experiments with his equipment. Unfortunately, his only audience, at the time, was his lovely wife and two cats. Finally, as suggested by a friend, Jasen collected ten of his favorite pieces and recorded them on his debut CD entitled: Culture of Convenience. This album will be the first of a trilogy called, "Sonic Psyops" which will be released over the next two to three years. The trilogy will feature traditional instrumentation performing along side electronic synthesizers and the emphasis will be placed on melody, harmony and rhythm instead of sound collages and digitally distorted noises.
Jasen Shawn Smith
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Melodic Chinese piece consisting of a Haunting Chinese Strings, Flowing Xao, Mystical Woodwinds, Rhythmic Ethnic Percussion. Perfect for media needing to set a Chinese mood or all around Asian setting. Also nice for martial arts Action or Still Life Scenes perfect for Asian themed Documentaries.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Melodic Mystical Chinese piece consisting of a Haunting Waterphone, Mystical Woodwinds, Piercing Synths, Echoing Chinese Gongs and Rhythmic Ethnic Percussion. Perfect for media needing to set a Mysterious mood in, not just an Asian setting, but anything needing a Dark Suspenseful or Spooky atmosphere.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Melodic Chinese piece consisting of a Haunting Chinese Strings, Flowing Xao, Mystical Woodwinds, Rhythmic Ethnic Percussion. Perfect for media needing to set a Chinese mood or all around Asian setting. Also nice for martial arts Action or Still Life Scenes perfect for Asian themed Documentaries.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Melodic Chinese piece consisting of a Haunting Chinese Strings, Flowing Xao, Mystical Woodwinds, Rhythmic Ethnic Percussion. Perfect for media needing to set a Chinese mood or all around Asian setting. Also nice for martial arts Action or Still Life Scenes perfect for Asian themed Documentaries.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Ambient Chinese piece consisting of Sad Chinese Strings, Lush pads, Mystical Woodwinds, Plucked strings, and Haunting Synths. Perfect for creating a Gloomy & Dismal atmosphere with an Asian flavor. Also nice for illustrating Drug induced out-of-body experiences, or general mysteriousness.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Ambient Chinese piece consisting of a Sad Chinese Strings, Lush pads, Mystical Woodwinds, Plucked strings, and Haunting Synths. Perfect for creating a Gloomy & Dismal atmosphere with an Asian flavor. Also nice for illustrating Drug induced out-of-body experiences, or general mysteriousness.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian - Mainland
Description: Ambient Chinese piece consisting of a Sad Chinese Strings, Lush pads, Mystical Woodwinds, Plucked strings, and Haunting Synths. Perfect for creating a Gloomy & Dismal atmosphere with an Asian flavor. Also nice for illustrating Drug induced out-of-body experiences, or general mysteriousness.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Sci-Fi
Description: A Dramatic electronic Orchestra Fusion piece that rivals any Dramatic Hans Zimmer Score. Subtle Guitar riff, Gritty Synth Bass, Lush Synth Pads, Driving Strings, Penetrating Brass, and Pulsing Percussion, Nice for Sci-Fi Drama, Science Shows, Chase/Fight Scenes or Exotic/Extreme travel Shows.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Sci-Fi
Description: A Dramatic electronic Orchestra Fusion piece that rivals any Dramatic Hans Zimmer Score. Lush Synth Pads, under a Haunting and Cold Theme Nice for Sci-Fi Drama, Science Shows, or Exotic/Extreme travel Shows. Would work best as a companion to the root track or Shorter with Theme.
Genres: Royalty Free Music , Asian
Description: Ambient Chinese piece consisting of a Sad Chinese Strings, Lush pads, Mystical Woodwinds, Plucked strings, and Haunting Synths. Perfect for creating a Gloomy & Dismal atmosphere with an Asian flavor. Also nice for illustrating Drug induced out-of-body experiences, or general mysteriousness.
