Christopher Willits is a musician and multimedia artist located in San Francisco. His musical focus is characterized by guitar + computer software processing and improvisation which generates a unique mixture of melody and rhythm. Guitar harmonies are folded into each other using custom-designed software; notes and phrases hook and weave, creating complex patterns of interlocking rhythms, melodies and textures.
Willits has released music on the labels 12k (USA), Ghostly International (USA), Fallt (Ireland), Sub Rosa (Belgium), Nibble (USA), Ache Records (Canada), and Plop (Japan). In support of his rigorous release schedules, Willits has toured extensively in the United States and Japan.
His music has received critical acclaim from publications such as The Wire, Grooves magazine, the BBC, XLR8R, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, where Willits was named one of the "Class of 2004", and URB magazine - where Willits was nominated as one of URB's next 100 artists.
Primarily known for his melodic solo guitar + computer work, Willits also has numerous collaborative projects which lead The SF Bay Guardian to write "Christopher Willits is the center cell of of a rather complex indie-rock-avant-garde-electronic-art Venn diagram here in the Bay Area". Projects include Zach Hill (drummer from the band Hella), Miguel Depedro (Kid606), Brad Laner (Medicine), Nate Boyce, Latrice Barnett (singer/songwriter and bassist for Handsome Boy Modeling School), Taylor Deupree (12k record label founder) and Matmos. Flossin, a project featuring many of these friends (and organized/produced by Willits) had its first release on Ache Records in fall 2004. In addition, Deupree/Willits have released two full-length CDs.
Willits completed his Master's Degree in Electronic Music at Mills College where he studied with Pauline Oliveros, Fred Frith and John Bischoff. At Mills he explored structure-generating processes in music; a focus not unfamiliar to former Mills affiliates John Cage and Steve Reich. Prior to Mills, Willits received a solid visual arts training in painting, sculpture, and video art at the Kansas City Art Institute.
> www.christopherwillits.com
Appearances:
DISK Session #02
