Zan

http://businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2005/tc20050418_7222_tc024.htm

ANALYSIS
By Olga Kharif

The Sweet Success of Smell
Downloadable odors? Clothes and jewelry with switchable scents? All that and more is heading to a nose near you


Ellwood Ivey recalls salivating over a recipe he saw online a few years back. The write-up came with a photo of a chocolate cake bathed in frosting, and Ivey could almost taste its piping-hot goodness. If he could only smell it, too, he mused, he'd have the whole experience -- minus the calories. The idea for Trisenx was born, recalls Ivey, CEO of the company founded in 1999. Advertisement

The Savannah (Ga.) outfit's new gadget, called the Scent Dome, lets people sniff products sold online, as well as concoct and e-mail their own scent creations, ranging from pleasant to gross (essense of body gas, skunk, and even dinosaur dung). Using a different software package, the 5-1/2-inch-tall gadget, which attaches to the PC, can help children learn the alphabet: For letter A, a child might get a whiff of apple.

And adults can use the $369 contraption, which went on sale on Apr. 15, to play the world's first scented online video games: Utah-based Dimension's Edge is about to release a new virtual basketball game that, when coupled with Scent Dome, will reward players with whiffs of popcorn or hot dogs when they score points.

FADING PERFUME SALES. Such products have companies, including giants such as Procter & Gamble (PG ), sniffing money to be made. As the idea grows in popularity, scent could become an integral part of everything from high-tech jewelry to smell-enhanced clothes and homes. Consider the slew of scented gadgets already hitting the market. Scented watches, reeking of smells such as cigar smoke, are brisk sellers on EverythingSmells.com. An alarm clock from retailer Hammacher Schlemmer emits whiffs of coffee to wake you up in the morning, and eBay (EBAY ) is filled with cell-phone face plates with smells such as blueberry and chocolate.

This high-tech sniff movement is being fueled in part by the global $14 billion fragrances industry's search for growth. As people increasingly embrace casual wear at the office or work at home, demand for fine perfumes -- accounting for 42% of the U.S. fragrances market -- has fallen, says Terry Molnar, executive director of Sense of Smell Institute in New York. Fragrance makers have found that tech-savvy consumers may turn up their noses at scented candles, but they like high-tech fragrant drapes, music players, and smell-enhanced Web experiences. "[Scent] can give them a sense of comfort and security," says Molnar.

Some products have become instant hits. P&G recently sold its 1 millionth scent player, introduced in August and available for around $24.99 in Wal-Mart (WMT ), Target (TGT ), and many grocery chains. Sales of special disks, to be inserted into the device and containing five fragrances each, have already surpassed 4 million units.

HARD ROCK, SOFT SCENT. The scent player is such a blockbuster success that P&G is looking to eventually release a gadget that plays scents as well as songs, says John Sebastian, brand manager for the Scentstories product line. To pave the way, Scentstories has already collaborated with singer Shania Twain on a fragrance disk, which has no music tracks. Entitled "Shania's Wishes for Spring," it features odors like daffodils and citrus.

Scent-enabled DVD players aren't out of the question, either. The Trisenx technology is being used on a just-released CD by artist Zinny J Zan. When a certain music video from the CD is viewed on a computer equipped with the Scent Dome, listeners can not only watch Zan walk through a flowers-filled meadow but also smell lavender and potpourri.

In a similar vein, British fashion designer Jenny Tillotson has created prototypes of brooches whose sensors use body changes to detect when their wearers are stressed and trigger the release of a puff of lavender scent to help calm their users down. The jewelry also has wireless connectivity, so the brooches can be automatically shut off when their owners enter scent-free zones. Tillotson, currently looking for financial backers with hopes of commercializing her products in 2006, is also developing scent-imparting "smart clothes." Their embedded sensors can utilize body changes to recognize when one is, say, in a bad mood, or frightened, and release a scent that brings the wearer back to equilibrium.

WISTERIA WING. That may sound too Jetsons-like to be true, but much of the technology to make it happen already exists. For instance, scents powerhouse International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF ) has recently developed a method for embedding microcapsules filled with smells and moisturizers into fabrics, which it hopes will soon be used in gym clothes, hosiery, drapes, and even carpets. The tiny capsules, which are invisible to the eye, burst when rubbed. If a drape made - Olga Kharif

Jim Reed's article ->

http://www.connectsavannah.com/displaymain.php?article_id=2126708533§ion=musicintv



We’re gonna go full force on our own
Savannah’s world music songstress Zan releases her 2nd CD

By Jim Reed
July 7, 2004

It’s common knowledge that over the past two decades, a number of local independent rock and country artists have made inroads at the national level. It’s also widely known that a similar number of rap and hip-hop artists with ties to Savannah have earned an enviable amount of notoriety and fortune outside of our immediate area.

However, it may surprise many readers to learn that one local resident has quietly received international praise in the relatively wide open field of world music.

Her stage name is Zan, and though born and raised in Beirut, the Lebanese guitarist and singer only began to gain recognition for her mesmerizing take on contemporary pop after moving here.

A goldsmith by trade, Zan had dabbled in music from an early age, but had never seriously tried to pursue it as a career. Yet, a serendipitous meeting over a decade ago with another local musician set in motion a chain of events that has led her to both the imminent release of her second full-length album, and a successful long-term personal partnership.

That musician was Eric “Runchy” Winbush, a native Savannahian who had by that point already logged time as both a mixing engineer and touring sideman for several well-known old-school funk and soul acts, such as The Gap Band, Lakeside, Slave and ConFunkShun.

Having learned much about the record business and the ins and outs of the studio trade, he was attempting to produce and package a new band on his own when he and Zan first met.

The catalyst? A dead battery.

“You know what? I actually work at Sears in the daytime,” Zan explains, “doing repairs on watches and jewelry. Eric came in for a watch battery, and we started talking and he mentioned that he was putting a girl’s group together. I joined them, and we started rehearsing, but it didn’t last, and we wound up working on my stuff. It took a long time, but we finally made it happen.”

Her first release, 1 of The Starz, was tracked and mixed in Winbush’s state-of-the-art Southside studio, and the final result found the engineer marrying his affinity with groove-heavy slow jams to her droning Arabic melodies and vaguely exotic vocals. He also called in a few favors from his old touring buddies – such as ConFunkShun’s main man Michael Cooper, who came to town specifically to sing a guest vocal on the record.

Released a few years back on Winbush’s own tiny independent label, the record went largely unnoticed at first, but slowly began to find a home on adventurous radio stations across the country and even abroad, where it earned considerable airplay as far away as Germany.

Zan says this was a most unexpected, but wonderful outcome.

“I knew that we had a really great CD, but I never expected it to chart, you know? When it did, I was jumping up and down! But I’m even happier with the new one. It has more of an edge. It’s a little more upbeat, a little more rock and roll.”

Despite the fact that her latest disc – entitled Unleashed – still remains under wraps, Zan has extremely high hopes for the disc, which is also being distributed by Winbush’s label.

“I’m not interested in getting a record deal,” she offers. “We’re gonna go full force on our own.”

To that end, her second outing is a much more dynamic and exhilarating ride.

Where the first record was arguably more contemplative and meditative, the deep grooves, tribal percussion and lush vocal arrangements of many of the tracks un Unleashed seem tailor made for the international dance club scene.

In fact, several of the tunes boast the same sort of crunchy, hard rock guitar licks and live drum tracks that superstar crossover artists like Sean “P-Diddy” Combs and The Neptunes have utilized to entice rock fans into the dance and hip-hop demographic.

Zan gives “Runchy” much of the credit for this contemporary, commercial feel.

“He has a lot to do with the overall sound. He’s definitely the one who makes the magic happen,” she laughs.

Winbush, on the other hand, says that the new record would not sound nearly as impressive as it does, were it not for the mixed bag of musical talent he assembled for the six-month project.

Those players include rapper Dushawn Bullock, Brick horn player Jimmy Brown, Bar-Kays drummer Shamakah Ali, slide guitarists Slim Fatz and Roy Swindelle, and percussion prodigy Tony Royster, Jr..

Most notable of all the participants, may be Reginald “Wizard” Jones, who contributed keyboard and bass tracks to the disc. He’s worked with Usher, The Gap Band, Lakeside and ConFunkShun.

Says Winbush, “he’s been a Musical Director for both Toni Braxton and TLC.”

The mixture of Zan’s heavily accented vocals, multi-culti instrumentation and slamming beats have earned the art - Connect Savannah

http://savannahbusiness.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=3557&SectionID=21&SubSectionID=&S=1



Monday, August 01, 2005
Business Report & Journal
A Special Evening for Hospitality Workers

Golf, food, drinks, live music and award presentations helped to launch
the inaugural "Hospitality Industry Appreciation Night," an event
organizer's plan to hold monthly meetings for employees of the area's
hospitality and tourism businesses.

Hospitality workers gathered at Crosswinds Golf Club Tuesday night for an
evening that included the unveiling of the region's newest hospitality
publication, the monthly Coastal Hospitality. The free tabloid published
by Crown Hospitality Group will report on and promote the growing
hospitality and tourism industry of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. It
will be distributed in hotels and other tourism-related businesses and
will be complemented by an interactive Web site.

Crosswinds showed its hospitality by offering free rounds of golf and the
use of its country club and grounds for the party. The evening also
featured entertainment from funk-and-new-age-music recording artist ZAN,
with guests Dushawn Bulloch and Priscilla Williams.

Event organizers, which included Crown Hospitality Group and Savannah
Technical College's School of Hospitality, honored six people who work in
the local hospitality industry with "Employee of the Month" awards for
August.

Winners were:

Lodging & Accommodations - K.C. Andrews, front-desk manager, Westin
Savannah Harbor Resort; Food & Dining - Russ Keely, bartender, North Beach
Grill; Valerie Bumgardner, waitress, Logan's Roadhouse; Sightseeing - Bob
Hunter (Colonel), concierge, Old Town Trolley Tours; Sports & Recreation -
Trey Webb, infielder, Savannah Sand Gnats, Nightlife - Roy Swindell, lead
singer & guitarist; Roy & the Circuit Breakers.

The next appreciation night is from 7 to midnight Aug. 30 at the
Cobblestone Conch House on River Street.
- Business Report & Journal

http://www.savannahnow.com/stories/091505/3292868.shtml

Savannah Morning News
September 15, 2005
By Eric Curl

BUSINESS SCENTS
As the founder and president of Savannah-based TriSenx Holdings Inc.,
Ellwood Ivey Jr. has a nose for business.

In 1996, Ivey was surfing the Internet and came across a recipe for
chocolate cake. He thought it would be great if consumers could not
only see the delicacy, but also smell it.Three years later Ivey
created TriSenx, located on Louisville Road, and started
manufacturing the Scent Dome, a scent-emitting machine about the size
of a teapot that plugs into a computer. The $369 Scent Dome and its
Scent Design Studio software were originally designed to add the
sense of smell to the audio-visual elements of home computing, but
has since expanded into the worlds of retail, advertising and
education.

TriSenx, which employs 12, recently teamed up with Savannah-based
Dadd's Production Inc. to make a scent-enabled musical compact disc.
When users load local recording artist ZAN's CD, "Unleashed," into
their computers a music video plays. During the video, ZAN picks up
various flowers and correlating scents ensue for those with
dome-equipped computers.

Eric Winbush, Dadd's founder and president, said the multi-sensory
technology is going to revolutionize the music industry."Right now
people are able to watch music videos on TV and DVD on computer,"
Winbush said.

"Once this hits the way that's it's supposed to... they'll have the
experience of smelling the video, watching and hearing the music at
same time."

TriSenx used ZAN's video to demonstrate the Scent Dome's abilities to
the developers of Destiny USA, an 800,000 square-foot shopping and
living complex in Syracuse, N.Y., projected to begin construction in
October. In June, TriSenx signed a vendor agreement with Destiny USA
to incorporate Scent Domes into the multi-billion dollar center.

Ivey said Destiny USA plans to use the Scent Domes for a virtual
reality ride, advertising exhibits and hotel rooms.One of the dome's
most promising uses is in the field of education, Ivey said, adding
he has been
promoting the technology to schools around the country. Ivey envisions the
Scent Dome being used to bring the smell of fired muskets to students
during a history lesson; ethnic food, during home economics; and exotic
flora in botany class.

Last year, TriSenx sponsored a nationwide essay contest on the
importance of smell in learning for grades pre-K through junior high.
Essay winners received a Scent Dome for their school. James J. Davis
Elementary in Dale, S.C. won four of the 19 domes given away by
TriSenx.Teacher Alleen Porter said faculty field-tested the Scent
Domes last year and they are working to fit them into the curriculum.

So far, Porter said the school has used the domes as an aide to teach
the alphabet and improve writing skills and they have plans to branch
out into other subjects such in the future. "A lot of children
haven't been exposed to a lot of things; they don't go anywhere,"
Porter said. "This is a good time to get them to tune into these
senses."

TriSenx is looking to expand internationally.Ivey said TriSenx has
signed preliminary contracts with United Kingdom cable company Kybos
TV, to develop scent-enabled cable television viewing experiences,
and was looking to close the deal by November. They're also talking
to Sony about developing video game applications.

In August, TriSenx acquired a small multi-sensory company in India.
SAV Products LLC, patented a scent-producing machine designed for
movie theaters. Ivey plans to create Scent Domes that fit into the
cup-holders of movie patrons' seats so they can have a personal
multi-sensory experience in a theater environment.

Creating a new industry such as scent-enabling technology is risky,
but exciting, Ivey said."Once the market starts to turn, no one is
going to turn back," Ivey said. "I see the category being as
ubiquitous as audio-tools are now in five years."

- Savannah Morning News

COASTAL HOSPITALITY
August 2005
Staff Report

August 2005
Staff Report

Savannahians Team Up for World's First Scent-Enabled CD

SAVANNAH, GA -- A group of Savannahians have teamed up to produce the
world’s first scentenabled CD. Yes, you read correctly, you can now smell
the music you’re listening to.

The first CD equipped with such technology is Unleashed by local talent ZAN,
who sings New Age/Funk music. “This is going to revolutionize the music
industry,” said Eric Winbush, president & CEO of Savannah-based Dadd’s
Production.

Winbush recorded and produced Unleashed for ZAN in his Southside Savannah
studio. “When ZAN sings about flowers, you can actually smell the
flowers. It’s like your sitting in a flower garden,” Winbush said.

The company that came up with the technology for ZAN’s scent-enabled CD is
Trisenx, another Savannah-based company. Trisenx beat out a number of
other
firms in a multimillion dollar race to master and copyright the technology.
Partners of Trisenx include but are not limited to: Microsoft, Netscape
and Eastman.

For the scent-enabled CD to work, you must purchase a Scent-Dome, which
runs about $350. You plug the Scent-Dome into your computer, pop in ZAN’s
CD, and you’re in sensory heaven.

Winbush said that Trisenx CEO Elwood Ivey has invited ZAN, along with
Gymini and Detective Nosy Nose and Friends, to go on tour this Fall
promoting Unleashed and the scent technology. It’s already received
mention in such media outlets as CNN and Business Week.

ZAN’s album is charting across the country, Winbush said. The album is in
the top ten in markets in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Maine,
Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Washington,
Wisconsin, and Canada.

She’s even cracked the major markets of New York, Chicago Philadelphia,
Washington, D.C. and Montreal. ZAN said, “I’m just glad people enjoy
my music. Eric really put together a nice sounding record.”

ZAN’s genre is described as New Age/Funk Rock. She was born in Lebanon, and
uses Middle-Eastern influence in her songs. Winbush added hot beats and
uptempo rhythms to ZAN’s sound, and the result has been a hit record.

ZAN has sold three of her songs to Sony to be used for video games and
movies. You can buy ZAN at www.sonicbids.com/zan

- COASTAL HOSPITALITY

Creative Coast News
August 18, 2005

http://www.thecreativecoast.org/news/2005/08/18/savannahians-team-up-for-world%e2%80%99s-first-scent-enabled-music-album/

Savannahians Team Up For World's First Scent-Enabled Music Album

SAVANNAH, GA - A group of Savannahians have teamed up to produce the
world's first scent-enabled music album. Yes, you read correctly. It's now
possible to smell the music you listen to.

The first CD equipped with scent-technology is UNLEASHED by ZAN, who lives
and records in Savannah. ZAN and her band play a mix of Pop, Funk Rock and
New Age music.

"This is going to revolutionize the music industry," said Eric L. Winbush,
President & CEO of Savannah-based Dadd's Production Inc. Winbush recorded
and produced UNLEASHED for ZAN in his Southside Savannah studio. "When ZAN
sings about flowers, you can actually smell the flowers. It's like you're
in a flower-filled meadow," Winbush said.

The company that invented the technology for ZAN's scent-enabled CD is
TriSenx Holdings Inc., also based in Savannah. TriSenx beat out a number
of other research and development firms in a multimillion dollar race to
create and patent the technology.

For the scent-enabled CD to work, one must purchase a Scent-Dome that
plugs into a computer. As the computer plays songs, the teapot-sized Scent
Dome releases different fragrances triggered by code embedded in the CD.

Winbush said, "You plug the Scent-Dome into your computer, pop in ZAN's
CD, and you're in sensory heaven."

TriSenx President & CEO Ellwood G. Ivey, Jr. has invited ZAN to tour the
U.S. starting this Fall to promote UNLEASHED and the scent technology.
It's already received publicity in such media outlets as NBC's Today Show,
ABC's Good Morning America, CNN's Hotwired, Ripley's Believe It or Not,
and Business Week. Partners of TriSenx include: NASA, Microsoft, Netscape
and others.

The TriSenx/ZAN National Tour will feature around 20 concert dates. Many
of the shows will be hosted by public school systems as part of a national
essay contest on how smell influences learning. ZAN will be joined on tour
by two other Dadd's Production performers: hip-hop artist Gymini, and
childrens' entertainers Detective Nosey Nose and Friends. A tour schedule
will be released this Fall.

ZAN's album UNLEASHED is charting across the country, Winbush said. The
album is in the Top Ten in markets in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Maine,
Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Washington,
Wisconsin and Canada. She's even cracked the major metropolitan markets of
New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Montreal.

ZAN, who writes her own lyrics with some help from Winbush, says she draws
off personal experiences for musical inspiration. She describes her sound
as "HipaPop - Funk Rock - New Age." Born in Lebanon, ZAN's music has a
Middle-Eastern influence. Winbush added guitar riffs and uptempo rhythms
to her songs, and the result has been a charting record.

Sony has bought three of ZAN's songs to use for video games and movies,
and two others to use for television shows. You can listen and buy ZAN's
album UNLEASHED, as well as her first album 1 Of The Stars, by visiting CD
Baby.

Dadd's Production Inc. (www.DaddsProduction.com) is an independent record
company based in Savannah, GA. Founded in 1992 by current President & CEO
Eric "Runchy" Winbush, Dadd's Production is a full-service recording label
offering: Music and Lyric Writing; Recording, Mixing and Mastering;
Booking, Staging and Tour Support; and CD Manufacturing, Pressing and
Duplication. Winbush has toured with various musical acts as a producer
and engineer, including The SOS Band, notable for popularizing the use of
the Roland TR-808 drum machine in popular music. Savannah musical artists
signed with Dadd's Production include: ZAN, Jimmy Brown, NET, Gymini, and
Jeanette Illidge.

TriSenx Holdings Inc. (www.Trisenx.com) is a research and development
company based in Savannah, GA that specializes in multi-sensory
technologies. Founded in 1999 by Ellwood Ivey, Jr., TriSenx's mission is
to develop multi-sensory products that enable digital olfactory diffusion,
especially in the field of education. Its patent-protected technology is
available for licensing in a variety of fields-of-use. For example,
TriSenx's Scent Dome ($369) is a computer peripheral device that releases
different fragrances triggered by computer code embedded in such items as
music CDs, Emails and Web pages.

International recording artist ZAN (www.sonicbids.com/zan) was born and
raised in Beirut, Lebanon. After mastering the native arabic music of her
country, ZAN moved to America where she could explore other musical
styles. Luck paired ZAN with record producer Eric Winbush in 2000. The duo
combined her arabic style with his mixed style to produce a Pop, Funk
Rock, New Age sound. ZAN's first album, 1 Of The Starz, was rele - Creativecoast

COASTAL HOSPITALITY
August 2005
Staff Report

August 2005
Staff Report

Savannahians Team Up for World's First Scent-Enabled CD

SAVANNAH, GA -- A group of Savannahians have teamed up to produce the
world’s first scentenabled CD. Yes, you read correctly, you can now smell
the music you’re listening to.

The first CD equipped with such technology is Unleashed by local talent ZAN,
who sings New Age/Funk music. “This is going to revolutionize the music
industry,” said Eric Winbush, president & CEO of Savannah-based Dadd’s
Production.

Winbush recorded and produced Unleashed for ZAN in his Southside Savannah
studio. “When ZAN sings about flowers, you can actually smell the
flowers. It’s like your sitting in a flower garden,” Winbush said.

The company that came up with the technology for ZAN’s scent-enabled CD is
Trisenx, another Savannah-based company. Trisenx beat out a number of
other
firms in a multimillion dollar race to master and copyright the technology.
Partners of Trisenx include but are not limited to: Microsoft, Netscape
and Eastman.

For the scent-enabled CD to work, you must purchase a Scent-Dome, which
runs about $350. You plug the Scent-Dome into your computer, pop in ZAN’s
CD, and you’re in sensory heaven.

Winbush said that Trisenx CEO Elwood Ivey has invited ZAN, along with
Gymini and Detective Nosy Nose and Friends, to go on tour this Fall
promoting Unleashed and the scent technology. It’s already received
mention in such media outlets as CNN and Business Week.

ZAN’s album is charting across the country, Winbush said. The album is in
the top ten in markets in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Maine,
Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Washington,
Wisconsin, and Canada.

She’s even cracked the major markets of New York, Chicago Philadelphia,
Washington, D.C. and Montreal. ZAN said, “I’m just glad people enjoy
my music. Eric really put together a nice sounding record.”

ZAN’s genre is described as New Age/Funk Rock. She was born in Lebanon, and
uses Middle-Eastern influence in her songs. Winbush added hot beats and
uptempo rhythms to ZAN’s sound, and the result has been a hit record.

ZAN has sold three of her songs to Sony to be used for video games and
movies. You can buy ZAN at www.sonicbids.com/zan

- COASTAL HOSPITALITY