Bryan Zentz

Testimonial

Its an honour to be working with such a credible force within the house music industry.

Endemic Digital UK

Bryan Zentz

ImageHailing from Virginia, home of hip hop mega-stars Timbaland, Missy Elliot, and The Neptunes, this former punk rock/b-boy enjoys the peace and quiet and the opportunity to concentrate on his own thing in an area withdrawn from any major dance music culture. This is reflected in Bryan's production and dj talents which are a breath of fresh air.

At an early age Bryan was taken-in by the attitude and reckless freedom that hardcore/punk, graffiti art, hip-hop, and different forms of electronic music offered. With his background as a former sponsored skateboarder, he knows how to push boundaries, always wanting to know what was next and always looking ahead. From playing in bands and being surrounded by a strong musical family, his ears are fine-tuned when it comes to hearing an original sound.

Bryan has been performing since the age of 16. He started off playing with bands influenced by DC area hardcore punk like Bad Brains and Minor Threata as well as the heavy politically charged crunch of Amebix, Crucifix and Discharge. Later he noticed the same release of aggression and wall of noise in hip hop. The production techniques of Marley Marl, Mantronix, The Bomb Squad for Public Enemy and the unmistakable sound of Eric B & Rakim, helped establish a source of inspiration. Early exposure to synth-based bands like Kraftwerk, and The Human League, paved the way for the more industrial side of Skinny Puppy, Cabaret Voltaire and Tackhead alongside the house and techno productions of Inner City, LFO, Fast Eddie, 808 State, Basic Channel, Underground Resistance, Robert Hood & Jeff Mills. His style is a combination of all these influences along with his own vision of the future.

His DJing and live p.as have landed him headlining spots at Fabric (London), Womb (Tokyo), Twilo (New York), The Rex (Paris), I Love Techno, and The Detroit Electronic Music Festival among others. The labels which he has recorded for read like a Who's Who of techno music: from early output as Barada on Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva's Definitive label, Dave Angel's Rotation, Felix Da Housecat's Clashbackk as Stare5, dark electro as Bryan Never on Electrix, as well as Soma, Morris Audio, and many more. He has also completed full length albums for Carl Cox's label Intec and Definitive/Virgin as well as remixing Ken Ishii, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Mazi, and Onionz among others.

In 2004 Bryan started his own record label Disruptor. A sonic blend of Detroit, Jamaica, and New York, Disruptor is a techno label encompassing many of Bryan's influences and interests such as dub reggae, street art, and the hardcore/punk aesthetic. Since then, Bryan has relocated to Portland Oregon where he rides his bicycle, eats vegan donuts, holds two DJ residencies and has recorded several eps for Circle Music, Morris Audio, CMYK Musik and most recently the Midnight Teeth ep on Plus8 Records.

Bryan Zentz @ Discogs Bryan Zentz Myspace