SOUNDSCAPES
1/9/27 Chris Meyer’s
Alias Zone + Tony Obr
5/1/27 Jaymie Rose Hennegan
+ VLA (Very Lush Ambience)
January 9, 2027
Chris Meyer’s Alias Zone + special guest Tony Obr
Sandia Soundscapes co-founder Chris Meyer will be kicking off its second season with his unique blend of melodic ambient, world, and electronic music under the name Alias Zone. To paint these aural tapestries, he freely combines field recordings, acoustic percussion, and sounds from both acoustic and electronic instruments, including his speciality: the modular synthesizer, which resembles an old-fashioned telephone switchboard yet allows him to create custom instruments and sounds. Chris will be bringing an extended performance system for this evening’s concert, where he will play new work from his upcoming album in quadraphonic sound.
Opening the evening will be Tony Obr. Tony is a musician, sound designer, composer, visual artist, and educator. His work is situated at the confluence of music, art, technology, and performance, focusing on innovative uses of sound and the development of interactive, generative systems for electronic music performance and contemporary dance. A professor of music technology at Arizona State University, his musical performances combine deep drones, layers of washed out sound, minimal grooves, and occasional glitchy loops, all driven by hardware synthesizers, samplers, and groove boxes.
Both Chris and Tony performed at Steve Roach’s Soundquest Festival in Tucson this past August. They will be playing extended sets for this evening, making this a truly magical night displaying the talents of two cinematic electronic music virtuosos.
As usual, it will be held at FUSION | The Cell –
Here is the program for the evening:
6:30 doors open
7:00 introductions
7:05 Tony Obr performance
7:45 conversation with Tony Obr
7:55 intermission
8:10 conversation with Chris Meyer
8:25 Chris Meyer’s Alias Zone performance
9:30 evening concludes
Chris Meyer has led three lives in the music industry: creating electronic music instruments (including creating Vector Synthesis), teaching others how to use them through his web site Learning Modular and the book Patch & Tweak, and now performing his own version of emotional, cinematic electronic music under the name Alias Zone. One writer noted that “his creative process reveals a systematic yet deeply artistic methodology that has made him one of the most influential voices in modular synthesis education as well as electronic music creation.”
Each of Chris’ compositions tells a story: from illustrating a scene or an emotion, to describing journeys across exotic landscapes. He builds these cinematic vistas layer by layer, combining field recordings, ethnic percussion, voices, and rich tapestries of acoustic and electronic instruments including his speciality, the modular synthesizer. The result is a unique blend of ambient, world, and electronic musics with a strong melodic sense, ofter borrowing techniques from jazz, classical, and popular music – and always with a human touch.
Bones in the Sand
We Continue On
Tony Obr uses modular synthesizers and custom software built in Max/MSP to craft complex, generative, rhythmic patterns, as well as warm, gauzy, electronic detritus. In addition to electronic instruments, Tony also plays several wind and reed instruments including the saxophone; in 2025 he worked closely with Ashun Sound Machines designing sounds for their Diosynth electronic wind instrument. His work has been released on a number of international recording labels, including Home Normal, txt recordings, Schematic Music Company, Sunwarped, Satellite Era, Neotantra, Tessellate Recordings, and Stereoscenic.
Years of designing bespoke software for his own musical output eventually led him to opportunities to share his knowledge with others. As an educator, Tony has taught electronic music and sound design courses in Phoenix, Arizona, at Paradise Valley Community College since 2014, and music technology courses in the Arizona State University Popular Music program since 2021. He enjoys empowering students by demystifying seemingly complex music technology.
Spear
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About Us
Sandia Soundscapes hosts a series of electronic and electro-acoustic music concerts that escort your imagination on a colorful sonic journey. Our events appeal to lovers of ambient, cinematic, downtempo, and other creative, chilled-out non-mainstream styles; fans of jazz, classical, world, and other adventurous music will also find kindred musical souls.
One of our goals is to foster a feeling of community in this scene. Each evening includes conversations with the artists about how and why they create their music with their chosen instruments. Video screens fed by cameras aimed at what the artists are doing gives every seat in the house a close-up view of how they create their amazing sonic worlds. All of these, as well as the lively, friendly conversations that take place during breaks, contribute to the intimate feeling of being part of the ultimate “living room” concert – and our appreciative artists have responded with some of their best performances ever.
Sandia Soundscapes was founded in 2026 by New Mexican composers and performers Chris Meyer of Alias Zone and Jim Coker of Meridian Alpha.
Our current host is FUSION | The Cell at . This 25′ x 50′ space is a flexible “black box” space which we fill with crystal-clear quadraphonic sound, sumptuous lighting, and real-time video. All performances are seated, with discounts for purchasing your tickets early. Parking at FUSION is free, and street parking is free after 6 PM. Quality bar service is provided for each event by Safe House Distilling Co. and Teller Genuine Vodka.