KamranV developed early digital music, social, mobile, video platforms, and experimental formats, serving as a producer for immersive music releases for Nine Inch Nails and Beck. His 112-room, 40,000 sq foot Bedrock.LA music facility was home for Los Angeles creative residents and hosted the production of Weird Al’s #1, Grammy award winning Mandatory Fun. He continues supporting Creative Communities via non-profit arts volunteerism as dublab board member, Echo Park Chamber of Commerce Emeritus Board Member and rising producer.
Q&A with KamranV
SE: You call yourself an Art Technologist. How would you describe your work? What's keeping you busy this year?
KV: Actually "Arts Technologist" was a title given to me by the National Endowment for the Arts after we got our first grant for initial development of the QUARK plugin (Quadraphonic Universally Accessible Resource Kit). I've always had a problem explaining the diversity of the projects that I work on. Sadly, for my parents it's not as easy as saying "he's an engineer" or for my friends it's not just as simple as saying "he's a producer." Most of the projects I find myself working on, I tend to be quite holistic and principled in process and the idea that what I could be doing may serve as a platform for others to work from. Opening Bedrock.LA, rethinking what a music fest could be with Moogfest or Echo Park Rising, creating a structure for in idea like Unknown Movie Night or rebirthing quadraphonic vinyl producing Suzanne Ciani's LIVE Quadraphonic. In fact I’ve finished a new album with Suzanne and an orchestra coming out next year called Ciani/Orkest. Right now I’m quite deep into the album art and packaging side. With dynamic collaborators, I love making the whole project come to life. I'm an artist. I'm a technologist. Not so clearly one or the other that my artist peers think I'm more of a technologist and my technology friends think I'm more of an artist. I live in the grey. Just enough of both that interesting things happen. Opening The Majestic is another one of those things. I'm opening up a real-deal restaurant to provide a non-profit space for creative experimentation. The food fuels the creativity. The creativity fuels the food.
SE: How are you involved with The Majestic and explain what's your goal with the after-party during AES?
KV: I'm the co-owner/managing partner of The Majestic. I suppose you could say that I am a co-founder but The Majestic as a name for a restaurant in San Pedro has been in my partner, Dustin Trani's family for 100 years. Their first restaurant disappeared decades ago and we are bringing it back. I'm so honored that the Trani family has entrusted me as their partner in this effort and very humbled by the overwhelming support of the San Pedro community at-large. The community loves the Tranis and have very strong generational ties to the family and their restaurants. They have been kind enough to welcome me and most importantly my passion to nurture the existing and future creative community of San Pedro. As an Audio Engineer as my primary "trade," AES is my people. Our event during AES is an open house of sorts and an invitation to join the experiment in San Pedro. I love it down here.
SE: Talk about your plan to help fund art programs, in general?
K I'm on the board of the 501(c)3 dublab. I was lucky enough to go to university with the dublab folks and we collectively came up in the arts in Los Angeles. Dublab is celebrating its 26th year, rooted deep in radio and specifically online radio (as one of the first and maybe one of the only to still be around since then). Inspired by the longevity of the non-profit approach by dublab, I've seen first hand how meaningful separation of for profit and not for profit collaboration can create complementary long term benefit. The non-profit project is called Space Space. The Majestic is home base but the project's goal is to go far past The Majestic's walls. Up to 50% of the restaurant's proceeds go to Space Space as base funding to make space for deep listening, exploration, and experimentation. Dustin Trani, my business partner in The Majestic, is the restaurant analog to that adventurous spirit. If you go to his other restaurants, it's electric. To open a restaurant with such a badass who has 100 years of meaningful legacy behind him is a dream. Our food will be excellent. Other plans for the venue are studios and talent showcasing destination for entertainment community. We have a small stage where I'm told that Lucile Ball and Bob Hope would perform for the troops in our location which used to be an Army/Navy YMCA. In that spirit we'll be hosting unannounced, unticketed impromptu variety-style programming. It could be someone famous wanting to try something unexpected. It could be an anonymous person blowing your mind with a "stupid human trick." It could be a conservatory string quartet resonating the 100 year old walls with beautiful sounds. It could be your waitress juggling knives. All are welcome. We also have plans through the non-profit to host artists in residence and build out a recording studio. I’m excited to work with patrons of the arts supporting this kind of programing. Space Space at The Majestic is sort of a lab or a gallery for these kinds of activities.
SE: I understand you eceived three National Endowment for the Arts Media Arts grants and his immersive installations have had special event showings at LACMA and MOMA PS1. What's the role of the arts in our world today?
KV: Yes indeed. My work as a board member of dublab has received the grants to explore making spatial sound accessible. The first grant focused on making a free plugin so that anyone could make quad vinyl. The second was a call for new work utilizing the plugin. We had an incredible panel reviewing the submissions. The third was to open source the technology. Im incredibly grateful for the NEA funding this kind of work. Recently, however, things have changed quite drastically in governmental arts funding. Many people dedicate their lives to the arts. Many have recently lost their jobs with uncertainty at the horizon. We all have to have basic safety and sustenance but arts are what make life exciting and interesting. If you think of the happiest times in your life, it tends to be with a community of people making or enjoying art of some sort. Losing basic funding and infrastructure for things like the NEA and PBS to continue is so sad. I am quite sure that everyone reading this has been positively affected by something like Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers or any number of projects PBS has made possible.
SE: Aside from having a daughter, your top3 life's accomplishments?
KV: Yes. My daughter Luaris wins the first spot. The Decades ( in space ) album that I produced has been the most extensive manifestation of my multidisciplinary approach. It's a non-profit quadraphonic album project with the album art taking almost 5 years to complete. We even made a one of one 4 layer resin-poured version of the album with real meteorites found in Kansas in the 1800. Every part of the project was challenging, in the best way. We debuted the album package during Art Basel with so many folks appreciating the effort. It was quite an inspiring experience. Another favorite project is having my first “real job” at Interscope, called Spaceland Recordings. I was out recording and filming bands 6 nights a week and that practice of being able to be so run and gun led me to Interscope artist Trent Reznor and his minimally released concert film. Directing and Producing concert films and live albums was so electrifying; truly being in that practice. I feel like that right now... so maybe that's my third. I'm in it. I'm constantly working with inspiring collaborators on albums, this restaurant, building software and inspired by the shitty situation we had by the death of Bedrock.LA, I’m working on a new prefabricated immersive mix studio project called hear space. I’m looking forward to finishing the prototype. My motto: “Now" is my top life accomplishment. Lemonade out of lemons.
Getting here. Being interviewed by you. All of it. I love it.
SE: Anything else you'd like our production community to know about you and The Majestic?
KV: Thank you for that question. This is the most important part. Once you, my production peers, have come to The Majestic, consider it your home. Come experiment. Share your experience with a creative community of unknown familiar friends in this uniquely historical spot.
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