Cristian Huepe [labo_labs]

Artist Information

Biography

Cristian Huepe [labo_labs] has been involved in music composition, production and performance for more than fifteen years while pursuing, in parallel, a research career in theoretical physics. He lived in Santiago [Chile], where he led the Jazz-Punk band Malavida [selected for the compilation CD "Con el Corazón Aquí II" as one of best emerging Chilean bands] and obtained his B.Sc. in Physics. He then left for Paris [France] to work on his PhD and start projects in electronic music.

From 1997 to 2000, he performed regularly at lounges, clubs and other venues in Paris. During that time, he also released an electronic music EP, scored an experimental video by dancer/trapezist Sandrine Rouxel [for the Art and Body exhibit in Milan], and produced an original track for the magazine 9/9 - Practical Art Review, featured in the Pro-Zak exhibit at the Modern Art Museum of Paris. In 1999, he completed his PhD in theoretical physics and produced and recorded his first full-length solo album: eclectise.

Since 2000, he has lived in Chicago, developing his project in physics and music. He worked in research at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, in a unique part-time position, until 2005. In parallel, he has interacted with various Chicago bands, remixing Kristin Shout's "Bruiseless" and recording loops for L'Altra's "In the Afternoon" album. Additionally, he has performed his "live-electronic-music-show" [live-PA] on various US stages and completed in 2006 a new album, Blue Line, to be released by Loud Dust Recordings. Since 2004, he has also been collaborating with hip-hop artist/producer Brother El as the "Makers of Sense".

He is currently working on new tracks for a release under the netlabel Auxprocess and completing an album with the Makers of Sense, while carrying out research in physics and complexity supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Instrumentation

For live-PA video, watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2_e97FRagw --
Labo_labs’ electronic music is produced by using machines, instruments, computers & a virtual equipment rack [retro-projected onto a large semi-transparent touch-sensitive screen]. It contains non-aseptic energetic & organic sounds generated by knob-twisting and live re-cabling.

Discography

•"Blue Line" [Loud Dust Recording - www.louddust.com] - 2006/2007
•"Arb.excerpt" - Released in "Sound in a Vacuum 2" [Atomic Mouse Recordings - atomicmouserecordings.com] 2006.
•"Shallow Enough to Drown": EP - [with Brother El as The Makers of Sense - www.makersofsense.com]
•"Underside 1.6" [labo_labs] 2005.
•"Unregistered 2.1" [labo_labs]
•"Bruiseless 2.0": Remix of Kristin Shout’s single
•"eclectise": LP with Thomas Demarle [Beaubec &Capsula Discos (Chile)]
•Music for an experimental video by the dancer/trapezist Sandrine Rouxel [Art and Body exhibit, Milan, Italy]
•"Vtx 2.5": Electronic music EP [released in France]
•"Flash": Single released with the third issue of the art magazine: "9/9 Revue d’Art Pratique"
•Single in the Chilean bands compilation cd "Con el corazon aqui II" [Sony Music Chile]
•3 ep's with Chilean pop/punk/jazz band malavida

Audio

• Blue Line Singularity & Pointful (Excerpts)
  Listen   Download
• Excerpts from live-PA (@ The Metro - Chicago)
  Listen   Download
• Jz & Arb & Dtct (Excerpts)
  Listen   Download
• Pointful
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Pointful
• Blue Line
• Shake the Word

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Review of labo_labs website [+ Show ]
  

  "...the sound of Labo_Labs... ...abound with fresh and organic, almost tribal, rhythms. Huepe’s liv..."...the sound of Labo_Labs... ...abound with fresh and organic, almost tribal, rhythms. Huepe’s live performance is undeniably risky, choosing to manipulate everything including cable connections in real-time... ...available snippets suggest this improvisational technique to give a rarely-achieved uniqueness to the Labo_Labs sound, and certainly gives each performance a special matchless and distinctive quality."
  "The implementation of rock guitars, bass, clarinet and other live instrumentation is both captivating and welcome, though few examples are available to listen to on the Labo_Labs website."
  
  "...Labo_Labs is an intriguing project, with strong production values and much strong instrumentation."
  
  -- John Martin

• Review of "eclectise" [+ Show ]
  

  Producer Labo's forté is crafting big-beat jungle and wrapping it around rock guitars. ... Electise...Producer Labo's forté is crafting big-beat jungle and wrapping it around rock guitars. ...
  Electise bursts open with "0", which doesn't seem like it will let up. It does, of course, and the album continues to change gears...
  Overall, Eclectise's cavernous production is exemplary, setting off the sharp drumming and beats and giving the chunky bass plenty of room to spread out. Labo is effective at producing visceral energetic music, and his willingness to embrace multiple styles will likely aid him in becoming a club favorite.
  
  -- Jay Breitling

Setlist

[cristián huepe] performs live e-music for up to 2hrs. This live PA is a continuous stream of ever-changing beat-based dance friendly sounds (ranging from House to Trance to Electronica to Drum'n'bass to Industrial to Electro-Illustrative music) that evolves without song-to-song interruptions.
All machines are controlled by knobs, faders, a large touch-sensitive screen, and the plugging & unplugging of connectors, producing a live and organic effect.

Basic Requirements

Calendar