Chris Lancaster has been actively composing and performing music for dance and theater since 1997. His instrument is an electro-acoustic cello of his own design. By using pickups embedded in the instrument Chris is able to isolate and bring out many subtleties, nuances, and responses of the classical cello that are not present in it’s acoustic state. This creates a unique and idiosyncratic sound and is one of the defining concepts of his electro acoustic instrument. Another defining factor is the way he processes the sound captured by the pickup. Chris uses a variety of effect pedals he controls with his feet while performing. The most important component of the audio processing is the real-time sampler. Chris records and samples himself while playing live, creating loops and multiple layered textures, sounds and songs. This effect is used very prominent in his live performances. His style is a result of his classical training, a deeply felt love of progressive and experimental pop music, and his dislike of genre classification and stereotypes. You can download samples of his work at http://homepage.mac.com/chrislancaster.
Currently Chris is working on new music for Bill T. Jones, Colleen Thomas, Sean Curran, and Staccato Movimento.