About Alpen
Alpen released their first album proper, Overdub, in mid 2005.
Alpen has it's roots in solo recordings made by Danny during the 80s and 90s. These recordings were mainly 4 track demos recorded alone at home with acoustic guitars, electric bass, various fx, drum machines and towards the end of the 90s, an Akai S20 Sampler. The only recordings collected from this time is the unreleased album Thirty Three & A Third. Featuring a mix of sample and loop based lo-fi guitar pop, the albums highlights were droning phase shifting instrumentals like 'Chimes' and the impassioned spoken words of David Suzuki weaved into the track 'Bleeding Eras'. Completing this album in 1997, Danny enrolled to study music at University.
The ensuing three years were immersed in the musical and recording process, and many important musical alliances were formed during this period.
It was while studying from 1998-2000 that Danny first started collaborating with Ryan Gobbe (Mieli), Greg Seiler (Comatone) and Leigh Hegg, Angus McCready and James Tucker (Plankton) who all contributed important early releases for Feral Media.
Alpen in 2006 is still fundamentally Danny's solo project, though many of the collaborators that appeared on Overdub are still involved. These include Leigh Hegg (drums and keyboards), Caroline Chisholm (drums) and Greg Seiler (synths and textures). Collaborators on the most recent sessions include Chrystal Lynch (vocals), Richmond Brain (guitar), Marc Eiden (vocals), Jon Tjhia (guitar textures and drums), Martin Kirkwood (guitar and bass), Susan Harman (guitar) and Leigh Hegg (synth).
Alpen's next album is currently being recorded, with mixing due to begin in July 2006. Release date, late 2006, with artwork again by visual collaborators, Sopp Collective.
Danny's other projects and bands over the years:
Tuna Fish Wreck (guitar) 1983-84 Melbourne
Alpen (various instruments & production) - 1995- ongoing
Tri City Link / Szandala Seiler Jumpertz (recording project, various instruments & production) - 2000
Catnip / La Chambre (bass, realtime signal processing) 2002
Plankton - (realtime signal processing, keyboards, guitar) 2000-ongoing
