David Torn is a texturalist/guitarist (winner of Guitar Player Magazine's Readers' Poll Award, Experimental category: 1994 & 1997), composer, multi-instrumentalist (live looping, oud, saz, kikuyae, kotar, MacOS, samplers, programming, mandolin, optigan, etc.), producer, writer, occasional singer & sporadically vociferous consultant to technological niches within the musical instrument manufacturing community, among other things.....
Torn’s work on music for film & tv (& soundtrack releases):
Torn's first major soundtrack as sole composer has been released: The Order, directed by Brian Helgeland and starring Heath Ledger and Shannyn Sossamon. The soundtrack album is available on Superb Records, and will be entirely Torn's score, with one additional track by Adam Smalley. The official site for the motion picture can be found at www.theordermovie.com.
Torn has often been featured as the primary texturalist and/or soloist on films scored by composers Carter Burwell, Mark Isham, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Lisa Gerrard, Patrick O’Hearn, Michael Shrieve, Graeme Revell, Michael Whalen, Edward Shearmur, etc., in addition to having begun scoring for films, himself. Soundtrack work includes:
No Country for Old Men (carter burwell, dir. joel & ethan coen)
Believe In Me (d.torn, dir. robert collector)
Cowboy Award for Best Score
The Departed (howard shore, dir. martin scorsese)
The Order (aka "The Sin Eater") (d.torn, dir. brian helgeland)
Adaptation (carter burwell, dir. spike jonze)
Narc (cliff martinez, dir. joe carnahan)
The Rookie (carter burwell, dir. john lee hancock)
The Score (howard shore, dir. frank oz)
The Deep End (peter nashell, dir. scott mcgehee & david siegel)
A Knight's Tale (carter burwell, dir. brian helgeland)
Heist (theodore shapiro, dir. david mamet)
Traffic (cliff martinez w/ d.torn, dir. stephen soderburgh)
BMI award for Best Score
nominated: Grammy for Best Soundtrack
nominated: ALMA award for Outstanding Soundtrack
nominated: Satellite Award for Best Score
The Blair Witch Project: Book of Shadows
Three Kings: textures, guitar, oud, saz
The General’s Daughter: textures, guitars
The Corruptor: textures, guitar, oud
Snake Eyes: textures, solo guitar
The Velvet Goldmine: instrumentalist, in duet with/for Mr. Carter Burwell
The Hi Lo Country: textures, soloist (gtr/ oud)
Conspiracy Theory: texturalist
Theme: Murder**: composer, instrumentalist:; this new documentary has won these awards:
SilverHugo, Chicago Intl Film Fest /// Best Doc, NY New (Gay & Lesbian) Fest
Intl Critics’ Award, Figueira da Foz /// GoldApple Award, NEMN
Special Jury Prize, New England Film Fest /// 2nd prize, Boston Soc. of Film Critics
The Big Lebowski: textures, guitars (carter burwell, dir. joel coen)
The Chamber: featured soloist & textures
Locusts: featured soloist & textures
Dances in Exile**: composer/prod/inst
Fear: featured soloist & textures
Bad Company: featured soloist & textures
AirHeads: featured soloist & textures
FatherHood: featured soloist & textures
A Dangerous Woman: featured soloist & textures
Hurlyburly: texture
Romeo is Bleeding: textures
Short Cuts: textures
Kalifornia: featured soloist & textures
Pirates of Silicon Valley: texture
Silent Tongue: featured texturalist
The Public Eye: textures
Storyville**: featured soloist & textures
Dawn Chorus**: composer/prod/inst
Reversal of Fortune: co-prod/featured soloist & textures
The Beast: featured soloist & textures/asst. to composer
Love at Large: prod/arr of Warren Zevon’s end-titles theme song
The Tender: featured soloist & textures
Shot Through the Heart: textures
Tibet: featured soloist & textures
The Take: soloist & textures
The Order in Things**: composer/prod/inst
Salamander**: composer/inst
Additionally, commercially-available (& other) samples of Torn’s textural stuffings have been used -legally, and otherwise- in many television series, network newsmagazines & commercials.
{** asterisked works include material written or co-written by Torn **}
Polytown**: DT, Mick Karn, Terry Bozzio (CMP)
it’s ok to listen to the gray voice**: Jan Garbarek/Eberhard Weber Group (ECM) Everyman Band** (ECM) Without Warning**: Everyman Band (ECM) Gtr Obliq** <w/ Vernon Reid & Elliott Sharp> (Knitting Factory Works) B.L.U.E. : Upper Extremities** (1998, w/ Tony Levin, Bill Bruford & Chris Botti on tlev's Papabear Records) B.L.U.E. nights** (2000 on Papabear, as above)
other recordings as an instrumentalist (and/or producer) include:
k.d. lang: DRAG (1998)
Meshell Ndegeocello**: BiTTER (1999)
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Discord: Untitled 01 (1998)
Ôlive, w/ D.J. Spooky, orchestra, Yutaka Sado: cond.
CHOCOLATE GENIUS: BLACK MUSIC (1998)
Richard Stoltzman: Spirits (1997)
McKinley**: Big Top Shop Talk (1998), producer
Jim Carroll**: Pools of Mercury (1999)
Laurie Anderson: (work in progress, 1999)
Jewel: (untitled: TBR)
Jeremy Toback: Perfect Flux Thing (1997)
Richard Julian: (1997)
Joni Mitchell Tribute: (TBR:w/ Chaka Khan,Jerry Marotta,Herbie Hancock,Wayne Shorter,L. Klein)
Marc Cohn: (fr. 'Festival of Light’)
Jane Siberry: (fr. 'Festival of Light’)
Dopefiend: (1997, TBR)
Robert Rich: Flux (1998)
Stiletto**: Michael Shrieve
The Tooth Mother: Mick Karn
Bestial Cluster**: Mick Karn
Tamna Voda: Dark
Beginning to Melt**: Jansen, Barbieri, Karn
Bon: To the Bone
Secrets of the Beehive: David Sylvian
Jason’s Chord: Andy Rinehart (producer)
Mark Isham**: Mark Isham (Grammy recipient**, 1991)
Code: Robby Aceto (producer)
Castalia**: Mark Isham (Grammy nominee**, 1989)
3 Pound Universe: Wes Martin (producer)
Trust: Patrick O’Hearn (Grammy nominee, 1995)
The White Rim of Heaven**: B. Gingrich
Cheryl Bentyne: Something Cool
Tolerance for Ambiguity**: C. Lin (producer)
Stone to Flesh: Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri
Mark Nauseef: Sura
Marco Polo: Alesini & Andreoni, Sylvian, R. Eno, H. Budd
Bebo Baldan: Earth Beat**
The Snake Music**: M. Nauseef, M. Tadic, Jack Bruce, M. Stockhausen
The Leaving Time**: Michael Shrieve/Steve Roach
Gongzilla: Thrive
Meant to Break: Abba Rage
lonely universe**: (producer)
many bobbing heads at last**: Marty Fogel (producer)
Diving into the World**: Bebo Baldan
Building the Colossus: Happy Rhodes
Letters from Joub_e: Artie Traum
i become the eagle: Shelley Koffler
Take me Home: Amy Fradon & Leslie Ritter
Precious Waters: Michael Whalen
forever sharp & vivid**:w/D. CasT+C.Massey
Night Scenes: Michael Whalen
frame by frame: Michael Whalen
Jansen/Karn/Barbieri: ISM (1999)
Patti Scialfa: ('work in progress', 1998)
Many Worlds are Born Tonight: Happy Rhodes (1999)
tantra: tantra (1999)
{** asterisked works include material written or co-written by Torn **}
also: commercially-available (& other) samples of Torn’s textural goo have been used on many recordings.
releases in alternative media include:
TEXTURES FOR FILM** : SPLaTTeRCeLL (Sonic Foundy).
Commercially available sample CD created by dt
Click here for more details.
PANDORA’S TOOLBOX** : DT (Q-UP ARTS; also packaged w/SONIC FOUNDRY’s software, ACiD).
mixed mode CD-ROM, for samplers. Industrial, harmonic & ambient loops, guitar & percussive rhythmic loops, beds & soundscapes for use as tools in film,/multimedia/music composition.
TONAL TEXTURES**: DT (Q-UP ARTS).
mixed mode CD-ROM, for samplers. Harmonic /ambient loops, beds and soundscapes for use as tools in film, multimedia, video & music composition. (used by Carter Burwell, Graeme Revell, Mark Snow, Mark Isham, Patrick O’Hearn, M. Whalen, E. Shearmur, Jansen/Barbieri/Karn, etc.)
PAINTING WITH GUITAR**: DT (HomeSpun Video).
2-video instructional set ; a guide for aspiring misguided electro-guitarists.
Performances (and/or other recordings) have occurred with a broad array of artists, including:
Ryuichi Sakamoto (w/D.J. Spooky), SPLaTTeRCeLL (live, w/Will Calhoun), Yutaka Sado, Electra String Quartet), Don Cherry, subjectobject (w/Vinnie Colaiuta & Doug Lunn), Carter Burwell, Mick Ronson, Simon Shaheen, Glen Velez, 'If I Could Only Get That Sound...' (w/Geri Allen, Jean-Paul Bourelly, Brandon Ross, Melvin Gibbs, Craig Harris, Don Byron, Oliver Lake, Cyro Baptiste: prod. by Craig Street), David Borden, Lex Hixon, Joachim K_hn, Trilok Gurtu, Charles Burnham, Henry Kaiser, Michael Manring, Alex DeGrassi, The Blue Rubies, Chris Botti, Mark Isham, Carter Burwell, Patrick O’Hearn, Michael Shrieve, Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber, David Sylvian, Mark Nauseef, Cheryl Bentyne, Bill Bruford, Andy Summers, Terry Bozzio, Kurt Wortman, Zobo Funn Band, the aging sex kittens, Tony Levin, G. Gordon, The Snakes, David Beal, Doug Lunn, Vida Vierra, Amy & Leslie, Diane Zeigler, Aster Awek_, Jack Bruce, Cassandra Wilson, Pharoah Sanders, Howard Levy, Mark Feldman, Nguyen Le, Elliott Sharp & Vernon Reid (Gtr Obliq), Robert Creeley, Steve Swallow.....
some 'choice' (hmmm...) (English-language) positive press-quotes, for your probable amusement & perusal:
"While creating ungodly, insect-fear noises by subverting loops & delays to his own weird ends with massive amounts of distortion, he’ll tell you he’s just playin’ the blues: it’s a strange mix of primitive mojo & state-of-the-art technology."
- MUSiCiAN MAGAZiNE (USA)
"Avant-Guitar’s crawling king snake....."
- GUiTAR PLAYER MAGAZiNE (USA)
"One of the most exciting guitarists around..... unearthly textures, incendiary solos, exotic sonic tapestries."
- BiLLBOARD MAGAZiNE (USA)
"Twisted brilliance."
- JAZZ TiMES (USA)
"Torn is a true wizard, someone who finds mystical potential in every sound."
- L.A. TiMES (USA)
"Torn creates lush ambient textures that make Pink Floyd’s Ôspace music’ sound like third-grade sandbox doodles, & transforms jazz harmonies into impressionist soundscapes; if you appreciate guitar as a vehicle for both out-of-body spiritual quests & raw emotional expression, let Torn be your shamanistic guide."
- SAN FRANCiSCO BAY GUARDiAN (USA)
"Ambience with a serrated edge."
- CD REViEW (USA)
"Torn, with his loops & sheer psychedelic abandon, is able to create dense textures, screaming intervallic leaps and dark-hued washes of sound that are as ingenious as they are impossible to imitate."
- DOWNBEAT MAGAZiNE (USA)
"He can take a single note & make it careen from a scream to a sigh that will leave you devastated. We’re dropped in at high speed storming down the highway & then dropped off unceremoniously at the next crossroads, but the ride is a harrowing thrill."
- CD REViEW (USA)
"Back me against a wall & I’ll be forced to admit (if you stick a gun down my throat) that Torn’s patented polyglot of Hindustani-style articulation, Eastern modality, bebop phrasing, psychedelic fuzzfire, trip hop sampling, country string-bending & ambient ear-aurora is the least self-conscious, most interesting & FUN high-brow hybrid currently mutating across America’s parched musical landscape. If beaten into submission & tortured with thumbscrews, I may even concede that his revelatory yet hilarious guitar pedagogy makes more sense & does more good than 100 bogus books crammed with little black dots & formulas that read like Cardassian hieroglyphs. But admit that Torn ROCKS? You’ll have to KiLL me, first."
- GUiTAR PLAYER MAGAZiNE (US)
further information
discography: a developing list of all dt's appearances degrees of torn: an interactive 'rock family tree', showing dt's projects
