David Starfire

David Starfire is a producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, known as the pioneer of Global Bass music which is a mix of world music, trap music, and bass music. He has performed at international festivals including Burning Man, Coachella, Winter Music Conference, Love Parade, Lightning in a Bottle, and Outside Lands.

David Starfire
David Starfire
Background information
BornJuly 22
Dallas, Texas, United States
Occupation(s)Producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ
LabelsSix Digrees, Amrita Recordings
Associated actsThe Dub Kirtan All Stars, StarCulture
Websitedavidstarfire.com

Early life

Of Creole descent, David Starfire comes from a musical family with roots in New Orleans Jazz. His grandfather, Oscar Rouzan, was a well known New Orleans horn player that performed with Paul Simon, Al Hirt, and notable others. His aunt, Wanda Rouzan, is famous a New Orleans dixieland jazz vocalist dubbed the "Sweetheart of New Orleans".[1] At 8 years old, David first had piano lessons and then moved to the guitar, which was his preferred instrument. David began composing songs by the time he was 13 on his electric guitar and was influenced by classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles. He was in various rock bands that performed at parties and the yearly high school talent show. At Bishop Lynch High School, he was a member of the drum core in the marching band and played bass in the jazz band. He was voted "Most Musical" by his graduating class. At 17, he began recording songs on a four-track recorder that he received for his graduation. By the time he was 17, he was playing many instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, vocals) and multi-tracking the recording sessions as a one-man band. In the summer of his 18th birthday, he recorded the entire Moving Pictures album by RUSH and playing all the instruments himself.[2]

At age 19, David was a member of industrial dance band Lesson Seven with vocalist Scott Crow and keyboardist Wynne Martin. The Dallas-based group toured nationally with Nine Inch Nails, Filter, and Skinny Puppy, and opened up for The Revolting Cocks, Ministry, and many others. They had success with an international single "Radiation" that used vocal samples from 1952 movie "Duck and Cover". They had successful radio play for the song "Crown" on alternative and college radio stations across the US. The band merged with the band ITT to form Audio Assault. After the breakup of the bands, David moved to NYC to pursue his David Wayne solo project when he was 23. He was managed by Shaun Edwardes (Angelo Badalamenti, Julee Cruise, Fine Young Cannibals) and was courted by Reprise records. He recorded an EP that featured the single "Believe" that was played on alternative and college radio across the US. It was suggested that David form a band and created Stain, which lasted about a year. He then co-wrote songs with Jonathan Lacey from the band The Beautiful (the drummer, Frank, is now with Guns N' Roses) for about a year with Paul Slocum. They parted ways then David and Paul formed the band Super Secret Weapon with bass player Koa Stephens and drummer Stephen Dupree. The band played shows with Filter, Stabbing Westward, and performed shows in the south. David and Koa moved to San Francisco and started the band Cellophane Masses with drummer Lliam Heart. The band quickly became popular in the Bay Area produced an album titled "Senses of Seven" and opened up for notable bands like Buckethead and Love & Rockets.

Career

It was in San Francisco that David developed an interest in world music and studied artists from India and the Middle East. His growing interest in world music coincided with a personal spiritual growth fostered through yoga and meditation. He decided to start a solo project that fused world music with electronic music under the moniker David Starfire. His unique style of mixing Indian and Middle Eastern sounds with electronic western music led to several DJ gigs in the West Coast and then beyond. In 2004 he was the first American breakbeat DJ to complete a DJ club tour throughout India. In 2006, David was signed to Six Degrees Records and released 2 albums and 5 EP's. David's music has been featured in video games and TV programs including Lie to Me, Outsourced, MTV, Showtime, and HBO. Considered a favorite in the burning man, and belly dance community, his music has also been featured on several belly dance DVD's and CD's.[1] His song “Shout it Out” was in regular rotation at Starbucks.

David has performed around the world in exotic places such as India, Thailand, Canada, Costa Rica, Thailand, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and most major cities in Europe. His DJ set consists of him playing percussion (and sometimes the Thai Phin) with various dancers on stage. He performed with a full band dubbed the "David Starfire Live Ensemble Ensemble" from 2009 to 2013 and featured various musicians, vocalists, and dancers. David's signature sound has led him to perform public and private shows for George Lucas Films, Samsung, Sprint, Beats Audio, Google, Siemens, Nokia, HP, Symantec, Virgin Galactic, Roland, Digg, MacWorld, Best Buy, Flaunt Magazine, CAA, Red Bull, Warner Music, Atlantic Music, Industrial Light and Magic, Chobani Yogurt, Hotel W, City of San Francisco, and many others.

David has collaborated with Afrika Bambaataa, Ooah (of the Glitch Mob), Natacha Atlas, Cheb i Sabbah, Gaudi, Govinda, Ganga Giri, FreQ Nasty, Desert Dwellers, Beats Antique, William Close, and members of Beck's band. He produced an official remix for Sizzla, and he's had two #1 bootleg remixes on the Hype Machine that included the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. David's songs have been remixed by the likes of Govinda, iLL Gates, Gaudi, An-ten-nae, Desert Dwellers, Sidecar Tommy (Beats Antique), Kalya Scintilla, and Kaya Project.

In 2014, David created his own label, Amrita Recordings, with worldwide distribution through Label Engine. The label has released 2 albums, 5 EP's, and several singles.

In 2016, David released his Karuna album where he traveled to the Thai-Burma border-zones to collaborate with Burmese refugee musicians, which was a first for an electronic artist. All of the proceeds went to the non-profit "Thai Freedom House" for education for Burmese refugee children. Other collaborators on the album are Alex Grey (the well-known visionary painter), William Close and the Earth Harp (runner-up on America's Got Talent), and Govinda. The world-renowned digital painter, Android Jones, designed the album cover.

Side Projects

Dub Kirtan All Stars

In 2010 David Starfire co-founded the band "The Dub Kirtan All Stars" with Freq Nasty. The music is characterized by dub music, dubstep, and Kirtan chants from India. The featured members are Arjun Baba, Chaytanya, Dvine1, Claire Thompson, SriKala, and Malia Kulp. Guest musicians including MC Yogi, Donna DeLory, Lili Haydn, and many others. The band released "Bhakti Juggernaut" in 2015, there were previous song versions released on an EP and single. Chaytanya, one of the main singers, was nominated for a Grammy in 2016 for her work on the "Bhakti Without Borders" album by Madi Das. The band performed at Lightning in a Bottle, Symbiosis, Eclipse festival, Festival of Colors, Sonic Bloom, and much more. The band is currently on hiatus due to the busy schedules of the members.

StarCulture

StarCulture is an Audio/Visual project formed by David Starfire and Grant Davis pka VJ Culture. They have performed at various shows around the globe including the International Forum Mexico in Monterrey Mexico; Musikmesse in Frankfurt Germany, MacWorld SF, LovEvolution Festival in San Francisco, and various corporate shows for well known corporations.

Discography

Albums and EP's
  • Bombay Beatz (Six Degrees Records 2007)
  • Bollyhood Bass (Six Degrees Records 2010)
  • Bollyhood Bass Remixes Vol. 1 (Six Degrees Records 2010)
  • Bollyhood Bass Remixes Vol. 2 (Six Degrees Records 2011)
  • Jumpin Off (Six Degrees Records 2012)
  • Ascend (Six Degrees Record 2013)
  • Ascend Remixes (Six Degrees Records 2014)
  • Awakening (Amrita Recordings 2014)
  • Transformation (Amrita Recordings 2014)
  • Reflection (Amrita Recordings 2015)
  • Karuna (Amrita Recordings 2016)
  • Lapis (Amrita Recordings 2016)
  • Tahpon Remixes (Amrita Recordings 2017)
  • Karuna Remixes Vol. 1 (Amrita Recordings 2017)
  • Sonic Boom Shiva (Amrita Recordings 2017)
  • Na Hearn Remixes (Amrita Recordings 2018)
  • Primal (Amrita Recordings 2018)
  • Seasons Remixed (Muti Music 2019)
  • Circulate Vol. 1 (Gravitas Recordings 2019)
  • Future Self (Gravitas Recordings 2019)

Singles
  • Seasons (Muti Music 2018)
  • Rise (Muti Music 2019)
  • Oj Mome (Amrita Recordings 2019)

Remixes
  • Kai Altair - Ancient Future (2017)
  • Desert Dwellers - Saraswati's Twerkaba (Desert Trax 2017)
  • Deya Dova - Serpents Egg (Reflekta Records 2017)
  • CloZee - Black Panther (Gravitas 2018)

References
  1. "David Starfire". Envision Festival. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013.
  2. "David Starfire". Six Degree Records. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
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