(n). biography



Justin Karpel

Writing and music are the core components of my attempts at spiritual and personal expression in life. Musically, I have been influenced by many threads of contemporary world composition: the music of Schnittke, Glass, Partch, Hovhaness, Penderecki, Rautavaara, Stockhausen, Xenakis, Rautavaara, & Yoshimatsu (to name a few of my personal favorites) have had a major influence upon my musical approach. Another side of me, loves many of the trends and styles in the most progressive rock and jazz: Radiohead, Pink Floyd, The Residents, and Sun Ra are pioneers in the field of music that have made strong impressions on my own style.

I am always searching for experimental textures and new realms of sound and word to explore and develop. A theme or refrain can have an indefinite number of variations that express different layers of meaning and emotional tone.  Per Norgaard, one of my favorite Danish composers, developed his own 'infinity series' in music--proving the endless possibilities of melody. Getrude Stein shows us this effect in poetry, the endless combinations of language available to us. There are too many authors that have influenced me to list here. I owe a great deal to the masters that have come before me; and I might also say, to those brave souls who continue to read for pleasure, study, and enlightenment. We must keep pushing the boundaries of sound and sense.

I feel that the best art strives to encompass the totality of life--the whole picture of human experience: including love and hate, war and peace, light and dark, loud and soft, truth and error, pleasure and pain, etc.

Justin Karpel earned a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing with a minor in Electronic music from UC Santa Cruz. Justin is 25 years old and lives in Arizona, USA where he splits his time between music, writing, art, love, and metaphysics. Local performances, readings, and west-coast appearances are planned throughout 2007 - 2008. Justin also loves creating music for your video games, or any multimedia settings, because a good sound design or turn of phrase adds an extra layer of meaning and depth to any project.

Justin welcomes your comments, questions, and suggestions for creative collaborations.