Chris Schlarb

Chris Schlarb is a musician, writer, father and husband. He is also the owner and founder of Sounds Are Active, a Long Beach, California-based record label specializing in jazz, experimental, electronic and other progressive musics. In addition to releasing music with a number of different groups, Chris has also released solo electric guitar music under the name Xn. In 2007 he will release the first album under his own name, Twilight & Ghost Stories, a massive five-year work with over forty collaborating musicians.

Along with Orlando Greenhill and Steve Richardson, he co-founded the free form ensemble Create (!) in 1999. In addition to playing in recital halls, rock venues, and as backing band for hip-hop emcee battles, the group has authored and taught the Create (!) Workshops at schools and parks throughout Los Angeles County. In 2004 Chris and fine artist/drummer Tom Steck created I Heart Lung, an outlet for their manic free jazz skronk and drone-fed meditations which Tiny Mix Tapes called “some of the most high energy free-jazz to spit out of America.”

A distinct and versatile musician who has performed on the stages of both the BET Black Image Awards and avant-garde stronghold Tonic, Chris Schlarb has performed, recorded and collaborated with Dave Easley (of the Brian Blade Fellowship), Nels Cline, Languis, Sufjan Stevens, Lynn Johnston, Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Walter Kitundu, Freestyle Fellowship producer Omid, Glenn Bach, Noah Phillips, The Mars Volta keyboardist Ikey Owens, Abstract Rude, Dave Longstreth (of Dirty Projectors), Parker Paul, John Kannenberg, Kris Tiner, David Kendall and Half-handed Cloud.