Stereography

Stereography formed in 2012 to begin recording and performing songs that they have written over the 10 years that they have been jamming together.  The result of their creative process is an eclectic blend of styles.

* Stereography

Stereography, is "the depiction or representation of three-dimensional things by projection onto a two-dimensional surface, e.g. in cartography" [Oxford English Dictionary].

Stereography has connections with cartography. It is what we do when we represent our three dimensional planet Earth with a two dimensional map of it.

Sound exists in three spatial dimensions, until we close our eyes. When we do that, we flatten it to something that we perceive as having two spatial dimensions: left-to-right panning (stereo position), and distance (amount and type of reverb). It gets flattened down onto the plane defined by your ears and eyes. In this way, our brain performs a stereographic projection when it perceives the sound that exists in the three dimensions of a room.

* Martin Gerber

Martin Gerber was classically trained from a young age in violin (Suzuki) and piano (Conservatory). He picked up tenor sax in grade 7, and guitar in grade 9. In 2001, Martin began producing hip-hop beats (using Fruity Loops, at the time), which are the first original recordings that he has produced.

In 2005, Martin began writing original songs with vocals over acoustic guitar and got set up with a basic recording rig with one microphone. At the time, Martin was determined to use only acoustic sounds rather than synthesizers and samplers, leading him to learn a variety of instruments.

In 2008, Martin's physics education gave him a growing interest in the mathematics of sound and its synthesis. Since then, he has incorporated an experimental-electronic side to his sound. He has designed and built synthesizers, both hardware- and software-based, and now uses sounds from these in Stereography's live act to bring experimental aspects of the studio to the stage.

In 2012, Stereography formed. The songs, performed by Stereography, are originals that have been written over the years (since 2005) with Martin Gerber and others (often including Edelmann, Filice, and Henderson, of Stereography). As the band grows, Stereography continues to write new music together, as a band, and to incorporate this evolving style into their live act.

Martin's musical influences have varied over the years.  Growing up with an appreciation for classical music, his personal tastes gravitated towards punk rock (of the Fat Wreck Chords and Epitaph style) and hip-hop (Wu-Tang, Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Black Star, Dr. Octagon, Danger Mouse and Jemini, etc.). Following the high-school years, Martin listened mostly to punk/rock-influenced (Pixies, Modest Mouse, The Clash, etc.) and hip-hop/trip-hop/electro-influenced (The Beta Band, Portishead, Massive Attack, Band of Bees, Boards of Canada, The Notwist, etc.) type bands.

Since 2007, Martin has become interested in how musical styles emerge and evolve, and began exploring jazz and its history. Listening to music from the swing era, through bebop, hardbop, and to free jazz, Martin has gained inspiration in terms of melodic, harmonic, timbral, and rhythmic possibilities.

Following jazz, Martin became interested in blues music, and was influenced by John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles, among others. The blues naturally led into rock music. The Beatles, with their eclectic range of styles over the span of their career, have been an influence. The energy and attitude of the Rolling Stones is another inspiration. The story telling of Bob Dylan has pushed Martin to create imagery with words. Bob Marley has influenced Martin's vocal style, as well as inspiring his outlook on music and life.  The breaking down of musical boundaries by The Kinks during their career has inspired Martin to keep searching for new musical styles and techniques to draw into studio-recording, songwriting and performance.

Martin's list of influences continues to grow as he works with Stereography, other bands, the venues, and the people who come to see the shows.