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Biography
Multiple issues|cleanup=March 2010|BLP sources=March 2010Infobox musical artist| | name = BT| image = BT (musician) performing at GearFest 2011.jpg| caption = BT in 2011| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Brian Wayne Transeau| Born = birth date and age|mf=yes|1971|10|4 Rockville, Maryland , U.S.| instrument = computer, piano| genre = Trance music|Trance , Intelligent dance music|IDM , Ambient music|Ambient , Breakbeat , Glitch music|Glitch , Soundtrack | occupation = Record producer|Producer , Composer , singing|Singer | years_active = Early 1990s - Present| label = Perfecto Records , Vandit , Reprise Records , Headspace Recordings, Nettwerk , DTS Entertainment, 405 Recordings, Black Hole Recordings , New State Recordings| website = http://www.btmusic.com, http://www.sonikarchitects.com Brian Wayne Transeau (born October 4, 1971) is a Grammy-nominated American record producer|music producer , composer , audio engineering|audio technician , multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter better known by his stage name, BT . He is an artist in the electronic genre. BT has produced and written for artists such as Paul Van Dyk , Peter Gabriel , 'N Sync , Sting (musician)|Sting , Blake Lewis , Tori Amos and Tiësto|Tiesto . As a film composer he has worked on films such as The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)|The Fast and the Furious and Monster (2003 film)|Monster .David Battino, Kelli Richards, The Art Of Digital Music , Backbeat Books, 2005, p. 10
BT is known for using a production technique he calls the stutter edit . This technique consists of taking a small fragments of sound and then repeating it rhythmically. BT was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for his song " Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved) ". This song was recognized as using the largest number of vocal edits in a song (6,178 edits.) http://www.bias-inc.com/about/artistProfiles/bt.php BIAS Artist Profiles: BT BT's work with stutter edit techniques led to the formation of software development company Sonik Architects and the development of the sound-processing software plug-in Stutter Edit. The company also released a music remix app for iPhone called Sonifi.
In 2010, BT was nominated for a Grammy Award for his studio album These Hopeful Machines under the category "Best Electronic/Dance Album". http://www.grammy.com/nominees? year=2010& genre=49 Grammy Nomination
Early years
BT was born in Rockville, Maryland . At an early age, he studied music at the Washington Conservatory of Music. http://www.Berklee.edu/bt/183/coverstory.html He went on to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts . http://www.musicmonthly.com/archives/archive.cgi? id=20 http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/bt-wears-his-lab-coat-for-these-hopeful-machines/3343 "BT Wears His Lab Coat for These Hopeful Machines", Keyboard Magazine, Feb 2010
Music career
In the early 1990s, BT moved back to Maryland and began collaborating with friends Ali " Dubfire " and Sharam of Deep Dish .cite web|url= http://music.hyperreal.org/library/publicity/bt/|title=Hyperreal.org BT's productions were not yet popular in the US, and he had no idea that he had become popular across the Atlantic, where UK DJs like Sasha (DJ)|Sasha and Paul Oakenfold were regularly spinning his music for crowds. Sasha bought BT a ticket to London, where BT witnessed his own success—several thousand clubbers responded enthusiastically when Sasha played his song.Chris Gill, http://emusician.com/remixmag/artists_interviews/musicians/remix_bts_new_skool/index.html "BT's New Skool Breakbeat Science", Remix, Mar 2000 He was soon signed to Oakenfold's record label, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers.cite web|url= http://www.berklee.edu/bt/183/coverstory.html|title=Twenty-First-Century Prototype BT's songs "A Moment of Truth" and "Relativity" became hits in the UK, and it was during this time in which BT met Tori Amos .
In the early years of BT's career (roughly 1995-2000), he became a pioneering artist in the trance genre. Despite the fact that he is not truly a DJ, and does not claim to be one.cite news| url= http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2004/10/02/the_world_at_his_fingertips/? page=2 | work=The Boston Globe | title=The world at his fingertips | first=Christopher | last=Muther | date=2004-10-02 BT has said of his musical background, "I'm not the traditional type of dance music artist. I'm not a DJ. I come from a classical music background. I attended the Berklee College of Music , and I played in punk bands."
Ima
BT's 1995 debut album Ima (BT album)|Ima was a progressive house effort featuring collaborations with Vincent Covello & Tori Amos , as well as the opening track, "Nocturnal Transmission", being featured in The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)|The Fast and the Furious . The title, "Ima (?)", is the Japanese word for "now".
ESCM
This album featured more complex melodies and more traditional harmonies along with a heavier use of vocals.cite web|url= http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2000-07-13/music/beatific/|title= Miami New Times The tone of the album is darker and less whimsical than Ima (Brian Transeau album)|Ima . The album, as a whole, is much more diverse than BT's debut album.
The biggest hit from ESCM was "Flaming June," a collaboration with German trance meister Paul Van Dyk . Van Dyk and BT would collaborate on a number of works including "Namistai" (found on the later album Movement In Still Life ) as well as Van Dyk's remix of BT's "Blue Skies" and "Remember." "Remember" featured Jan Johnston on vocals. BT and Van Dyk also remixed the Van Dyk classic "Forbidden Fruit."
Movement in Still Life
BT released his 1999 album Movement in Still Life and continued his previous experimentation outside of the trance genre. The album, his third, features a strong element of nu skool breaks , a genre he helped define with the popular "Hip-Hop Phenomenon,"cite web|url= http://www.lunarmagazine.com/features/bt.php|title=Lunar Magazine interview in collaboration with Tsunami One aka Adam Freeland & Kevin Beber.cite web |url= http://www.discogs.com/BT-Movement-In-Still-Life/release/14798 |title=BT - Movement In Still Life (CD, Album) at Discogs |year=2011 |publisher=Discogs |accessdate=2011-01-09 The album hits a spectrum of genre-work. "Smartbomb" is a mix of funky, heavy riffs from both synthesizers and guitars woven over a hip-hop break and includes a lyric sample from "Love on Haight Street". "Shame" and "Satellite" lean toward an alt-rock sound, while "Godspeed" and "Dreaming" fall into classic trance ranks. "Running Down the Way Up", a collaboration with fellow electronic act Hybrid (producers)|Hybrid , features sultry vocals and acoustic guitars heavily edited into a progressive breakbeat track.
Emotional Technology
BT's fourth studio album released in 2003. It featured more vocal tracks than BT's previous fare, including six with vocals by BT himself. Emotional Technology was BT's least experimental album to date, and many consider it the "poppiest" of all of his work. The biggest single from the album, Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved)|Somnambulist , draws heavily from the breakbeats and new wave music|new wave dance of New Order and Depeche Mode , whom BT has cited as major influences. The rest of the album fairly escapes genre labeling, from the dark guitar work of Circles , to The Only Constant is Change which is reminiscent of Satellite , the album blends genres and changes genres in mid-track. The single "Somnambulist" holds the Guinness World Record for most vocal edits in a single track, with 6,178 in the album version. http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/features/a/Ron2k3Pick.htm Somnambulist
This Binary Universe
BT's fifth studio album, This Binary Universe , released in 2006, is his second album released in 5.1 surround sound, the first being the soundtrack to the 2003 film Monster (2003 film)|Monster .
The album features a mix of many genres, including jazz, breakbeats, and classical music. Three songs feature a full 110-piece orchestra. Animated videos were created to accompany each song.cite web|url= http://www.last.fm/music/BT/+wiki|title=BTs' Last FM site The videos are included in a DVD packaged along with the CD.
Keyboard Magazine declared of the album, “In a hundred years, it could well be studied as the first major electronic work of the new millennium.”Stephen Fortner, http://www.keyboardmag.com/article/the-mind-bt/Dec-05/16024 "The Mind Of BT", Keyboard Magazine, Dec 2005
Unlike his previous two albums, which featured vocals on almost every track, this album contains none. The tracks also change genres constantly throughout. A good example is "The Antikythera Mechanism", which starts off almost lullaby-like, complete with a piano, acoustic guitars and reversed beats. Halfway through the track, the song explodes with a 110-piece orchestra, followed by a section of breakbeats and ending with the de-construction of the orchestra.
Through the months of November and December 2006, BT toured the album with Thomas Dolby opening. The concert featured a live slideshow of images from the online website DeviantArt as a backdrop.cite web|url= http://news.deviantart.com/article/23585/|title=DeviantArt Presents BT and Thomas DolbyImages and accounts from the tour to date can be seen at dA Presents. http://dapresents.deviantart.com/ dAPresents on deviantART
These Hopeful Machines
BT's sixth studio album, These Hopeful Machines , was released on February 2, 2010. The album featured guest vocalists/collaborators Kirsty Hawkshaw , Jes Brieden , Rob Dickinson of Catherine Wheel and Christian Burns . The album also features collaborations with Andrew Bayer ("The Emergency") and Ulrich Snchauss ("A Million Stars"). To date, this album contains the most singles released from any BT album, with 8 of the 12 tracks released as singles. Early official remixes were made by Armin van Buuren , and Chicane (recording artist)|Chicane . These Hopeful Machines was nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award in the Best Electronic/Dance Album genre. A remix album, titled These Re-imagined Machines was released in 2011. These Humble Machines , an un-mixed album featuring shorter "radio edit" versions of the tracks (similar to the U.S. version of "Movement in Still Life") was also released in 2011.
Collaborations
Paul van Dyk - "Namistai" and "Flaming June"
GTB (band)|GTB ( G uy Oldhams, T aylor, & B rian Transeau)
Tori Amos - " Blue Skies (BT song)|Blue Skies " on ima (#1 on Billboard Dance Chart)
Mike Doughty - "Never Gonna Come Back Down" on Movement In Still Life
Guru (rapper)|Guru - "Knowledge of Self" on Emotional Technology
Richard Butler (singer)|Richard Butler - "Shineaway" on The Jackal (1997 film)|The Jackal and 10 Years In The Life
NSync - Co-wrote and produced " Pop (song)|Pop ," the first single from NSync 's album Celebrity (album)|Celebrity http://www.jivemagazine.com/review.php? rid=320 JIVEMagazine.com
Britney Spears - "Before the Goodbye" and "I Run Away," on the international version of her album Britneycite web|url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1444712/20010622/bt.jhtml|title=BT: 'King Of Dirty Pop'|work= MTV News|date=2001-06-22
JC Chasez - " Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved)|Somnambulist " and "Force Of Gravity" on Emotional Technology
Rose McGowan - "Superfabulous" on Emotional Technology
David Bowie - "(She Can) Do That" on Stealth (movie)|Stealth
The Roots - "Tao of the Machine" on Blade II as well as on Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Peter Gabriel - music for the Millennium Dome New Year's Eve project in 1999, released as OVO cite web|url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1445116/20010712/story.jhtml#/news/articles/1445116/20010712/story.jhtml|title=Millennium Dome
During the production of "This Binary Universe," Transeau wanted to program drums in surround sound, and found that software tools to accomplish this weren't readily available. He decided to develop his own, and formed his own software company, http://www.sonikarchitects.com/ Sonik Architects, and his own drum surround software called BreakTweaker. BreakTweaker was originally intended for release in 2007, with later plans to release additional tools and plugins specifically aimed at musicians and DJs, including his signature stutter edit.cite web|url= http://www.progressive-sounds.com/artists/BT/BT-interview-8-2006.asp|title=Progressive Sounds
In 2009, he launched his software company Sonik Architects with Sonifi, the company's first product for iPhone and iPod Touch . http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/06/18/bt-sonifi-iphone/ BT’s Sonifi For The iPhone
In December 2010, Sonik Architects was acquired by software and music production company, iZotope Inc., http://www.izotope.com/press/12.2.2010_iZotope_Announces_Acquisition_of_Sonik_Architects_and_Partnership_with_BT.html, December 2, 2010 and at the Winter NAMM Show in January, 2011, the "Stutter Edit" plug-in, based on BT's patented technique of realtime manipulation of digital audio cite web|title=Realtime editing and Performance of Digital Audio Tracks|url= http://www.freshpatents.com/-dt20100812ptan20100204811.php was released by iZotope, Inc. and BT.Mix Online, NAMM 2011: iZotope Stutter Edit, Jan 2011, http://mixonline.com/namm_2011/izotope_stutter_edit
Personal life
BT has a daughter, Kaia Nui Transeau.
On January 11, 2008, ABC news reported that BT's daughter had been abducted by her mother during a planned visit.David Schoetz, http://abcnews.go.com/US/story? id=4116855& page=1 "His Daughter Gone, Artist Asks for Help", ABC News, Jan 2008 The mother was arrested, but charges were withdrawn and the matter was settled in family court.Sebastian Montes, http://www.gazette.net/stories/011608/montnew162544_32373.shtml "3-year-old Boyds Girl Back With Her Father", Gazette.net, Jan 2008David Schoetz, http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story? id=4155391& page=1 "With Child Safe, Custody Battle Begins Anew", ABC News, Jan 2008
Scores
BT began film score|scoring films in 1999 with Go (1999)|Go . Since then he has scored a dozen films, including Stealth (film)|Stealth and The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)|The Fast and the Furious . In addition, he produced the score for the 2001 film Zoolander , but had his name removed from the project. His tracks for the film were finished by composer David Arnold .cite web|url= http://folk.uio.no/ulfb/odd/films.htm|title=List of films scored by BT He also produced the score for the 2003 film Monster (2003 film)|Monster , earning him particular acclaim.
Transeau has scored the video games Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas (2000),("Kimosabe" in Need For Speed Underground- PlayStation) Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions (2002) and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (2004).
BT has ventured into television for Tommy Lee Goes To College for NBC in 2005. He executive-produced the Tommy Lee series, the idea for which he developed and sold to NBC.
Film scores
Go (1999 film)|Go (1999)
Better Living Through Circuitry (1999)
Under Suspicion (2000 film)|Under Suspicion (2000)
Driven (2001)
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)|The Fast and the Furious (2001)
'' The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010 film)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) - "Le Nocturne de Lumière"IMDb Soundtracks http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963966/soundtrack retrieved January 14, 2011
Video game appearances and scores
Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas (1999) - Complete score
ESPN Winter X Games Snowboarding (2000) - "Smartbomb"
FreQuency (2001) - "Smartbomb"
SSX Tricky (2001) - "Smartbomb (Plump's Vocal Mix)" and "Hip Hop Phenomenon" (with Tsunami One)
Gran Turismo (game)|Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (2001) - "Madskillz-Mic Chekka"
FIFA series|FIFA 2002 (2001) - "Never Gonna Come Back Down (Hybrids Echoplex Dub Mix)"
Tiger Woods PGA Tour|Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 (2004) - Complete score (Now available on iTunes )
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) - "Tao of the Machine (Scott Humprhey's Remix)" (with The Roots )
XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association - "Dreaming", "Godspeed", "Never Gonna Come Back Down", "Mercury & Solace", "Running Down the Way Up", "Smart Bomb", and "Mad Skillz".
Burnout Revenge (2005) - The Doors - "Break On Through (BT Mix)" (Credited as BT vs. The Doors)
R& R (Rare & Remixed) (2001) - A two disc mix album showcasing BT's remix work, rare songs from his early career and previously unreleased tracks, most notably "Sunblind".
Still Life in Motion (2001) - A collection of remixes and edits of songs off of Movement in Still Life .
10 Years in the Life (2002) - Disc 1 is a collection of rare songs, remixes and edits of Transeau's songs, showcasing Transeau's progression as an artist over the span of a decade. It notably includes his very first track ever recorded, "The Moment Of Truth". Disc 2 is a mix album and features remixes and rare tracks done by BT, including remixes of Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna , DJ Rap , The Crystal Method and Deep Dish . Most of the rare tracks by BT are under the names of his many aliases. The booklet that comes with the CD features stories by BT about the making of each track on both discs, as well as a series of comments about his early career, remixing, scoring films and producing music in general.
The Technology EP , a collection of remixes of songs from Emotional Technology .
These Re-Imagined Machines (2011) - A 2-disc set containing 17 remixes of These Hopeful Machines .
These Re-Imagined Machines (Complete Limited Edition Signed Box Set) (2011) - A 4-disc box set personally autographed and serial-numbered by BT containing 3 CD's of 24 remixes, 1 DVD of all 59 remixes and 3 music videos, a 2.32-page, 12” hard bound book, a 3.12” x 72” poster and a BT logo sticker. http://btmusic.com/releases/these-re-imagined-machines/323-these-re-imagined-machines-complete-limited-edition-signed-box-set.html
http://www.berkleemusic.com/scholarship/BT/ BT Online Scholarship From Berklee College of Music
http://www.trancesound.net/2010/09/10/interview-with-bt-aka-brian-transeau/ TranceSound interview, September 2010
Brian Transeau Persondata | NAME =Bt | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =October 4, 1971 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Bt Category:Technicians Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:American electro musicians Category:American composers Category:American trance musicians Category:People from Rockville, Maryland Category:Musicians from Maryland
