Steve Brand has been making music in the experimental realm since the early 90's under the name, "Augur," with more than 20 limited edition releases on various independent labels. In 2003, Steve began creating in the "ambient" genre under his own name. He describes this change in moniker and musical expression as, “Part of the process of moving out of my head and more into my heart.” Since then, Brand has issued a number of self-released disks, as well as a number of solo and collaborative releases on the esteemed U.S. labels, Hypnos and AtmoWorks, and the Italian label, Afe.
Selected tracks of Brand's music has been featured on Stephen Hill's nationally syndicated radio show "Hearts of Space" on two occasions (October 2007 "Darkwater" edition and August 2008 "Reading the Bones" edition), and continues in rotation on SomaFM's DroneZone and StillStream.com. In September of 2007, Steve was privileged to be invited, along with 4 other artists, to take part in one of the few "Into The SoundCurrent" Masters' Classes with Steve Roach at his studio, the Timeroom, in Sonoita, Arizona. In early 2008, Philadelphia's experimental dance troupe, SCRAP Performance Group, used selections of my music as a backdrop for a recent composition.
Brand's music has been described as “ambient,” “tribal,” “ritualistic,” “a direct link to our ancient, and arcane ancestry” and “...not mere music, but an almost shamanic attempt at deconstructing our interpretation of reality, by connecting us to an anti-technological, primal psyche.”
In addition to his sound work, Steve is a Reiki Master, trained energy healer and visual artist who is: “Committed to the idea that art/music, more than being just an object for sale, is actually a fluid and transformative process that opens us up to new possibilities, creates the potential for healing, connects us via it's roots in our common ancient past, and it's wellspring in the depths of our larger selves. The results of this process are sound maps of/to lost and uncharted realms of Being. Unfortunately, it's very easy these days to reach for the smug, hyper-rational, reductivist yes/no answers of the past. Instead, I choose to reach into the gray areas of feeling, intuition, the unknown, and in the process, make music that is intended to facilitate expansion and healing.”
- Steve Brand
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