Systems Theory

Systems Theory is a multi-national internet music project creating adventurous music best described using the terms cinematic-progressive, cinematic-ethnic, cinematic-spacerock, cinematic-electronic, cinematic-ambient, cinematic-soundscape, cinematic-fusion. The compositions run the gamut from dark ambient drift to worldprog-fusion to full-throttle aggressive spacerock, many of which are colored by the rich organic sounds of the Mellotron M400 and other old analog keyboards. All tunes are writen by the core trio of Greg Amov, Steven Davies-Morris and Mike Dickson. The project currently has one album available, the December 2004 release "Soundtracks For Imaginary Movies". Guests appearing on the album include Diane Amov (flute), Cyndee Lee Rule (violin), Michael Futreal (dulcimer), Brian Daly (electric guitar), Dun Strummin (electric guitar). The planned follow-up album, "Codetalkers" will be released in the fall of 2005.

Why did we name ourselves "Systems Theory"? We're all computer programmers by trade, and it seemed to reflect that which puts food on the table, clothes the kiddies and pays the mortgage, while stretching beyond the borders of science and technology into other areas and systems-driven disciplines. There's no conceivable way we'd have hooked up and created music as Systems Theory without the magic of the internet (usenet). Being able to offer MP3s for download allowed us to share our creations with an audience that would otherwise not exist. We had to do it initially based on the largesse of friends and an FTP site offering free progressive rock MP3 downloads. We realized early on that we could reach a lot of people using MP3s and usenet newsgroups, but even that approach has grown in ways unforseen. Mindawn offers us an even more upto date delivery system, and the opportunity to provide downloadable files of very high audio quality (Ogg Vorbis and FLAC). We see independent artists masterminding the selling and or giving away of their material as the next logical evolution of the music industry. Survival of the fittest, etc. None of us in Systems Theory will shed any tears over the eventual demise of the huge music conglomerates, as more and more "name" artists decide to take matters into their own hands, offering some or perhaps most of an album's tracks as downloadable files. Some free, and some -- probably the hottest tracks -- as a buyable commodity with no vampyric middlemen.