Niko Bolas
Encyclopedia
Niko Bolas is an American music producer, sound engineer, and consultant and business developer in the fields of virtual reality and Internet radio. In 1989, Bolas founded Fakespace Music with Mark Bolas, Ian McDowall and Christian Greuel, which, in 1995, developed the Soundsculpt Toolkit, a software interface that allows the world of music to communicate with the graphical elements of virtual reality.
In 1999, he became the CEO of Sonicbox, Inc., the Internet radio company he founded with Mark Bolas and Ian McDowall. Sonicbox developed and marketed the first internet radio device, which became available in consumer stores in year through a licensing agreement with Philips Consumer Electronics. For the first time, the iM Band(TM) was alongside AM and FM on the radio dial, allowing consumers to listen to Internet radio from around the world.
He assisted the start-up company LibSyn in creating the first podcast network in 2005. He also works with the University of Southern California's Interactive Media Division of the School for Cinematic Arts, as well as consulting for USC's Institute for Creative Technology, the Mixed Reality lab.
His current music enterprise is McNeeks Production in Blackbird Studio.
Among his most notable production works are Neil Young
's This Note's for You
, Freedom
and Living with War
, Warren Zevon
's Sentimental Hygiene
and Melissa Etheridge
debut self-titled album. Bolas' trademark technique is clear and loud recording of vocals. The same can be said of his talent at recording other musical instruments - in the early 80s, Bolas collaborated with legendary American hard rock band KISS
, on their album Creatures of the Night
, recording Eric Carr
's drums.
Notable music-driven virtual projects to which he contributed include:
Opera Totale, Teatro Toniolo, Venice Italy, Nov 7-8, 1997.
Virtual Reality Education Foundation Inc., Exploratorium, San Francisco, Feb 12, 1997.
Experience Music Project, Pacific Science Center, Seattle, Dec 13, 1996 - Feb 2, 1997.
SIGGRAPH '96, Digital Bayou, New Orleans, Aug 6-8, 1996.
intermediaWORLD '96, VR Garden, San Francisco, March 5–7, 1996.
IS&T/SPIE Symposium on Electronic Imaging, Sculpting 3D Worlds with Music, San Jose, Feb 2, 1996.
SIGGRAPH '95, Interactive Entertainment, Los Angeles, Aug 8-10, 1995.
Reviews included:
"...an intense musical adventure..." - Computer Graphics World
" The experience is really exciting and beautiful..." - CyberEdge Journal
" Just another VR experience with cool graphics? Not quite." - Silicon Graphics World
In 1999, he became the CEO of Sonicbox, Inc., the Internet radio company he founded with Mark Bolas and Ian McDowall. Sonicbox developed and marketed the first internet radio device, which became available in consumer stores in year through a licensing agreement with Philips Consumer Electronics. For the first time, the iM Band(TM) was alongside AM and FM on the radio dial, allowing consumers to listen to Internet radio from around the world.
He assisted the start-up company LibSyn in creating the first podcast network in 2005. He also works with the University of Southern California's Interactive Media Division of the School for Cinematic Arts, as well as consulting for USC's Institute for Creative Technology, the Mixed Reality lab.
His current music enterprise is McNeeks Production in Blackbird Studio.
Among his most notable production works are Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's This Note's for You
This Note's for You
This Note's for You is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, released in 1988. It was originally credited to Young and the Bluenotes. Most of the album's concept centered around the commercialism of rock and roll, and tours in particular...
, Freedom
Freedom (Neil Young album)
Freedom has received mainly positive reviews. Allmusic's William Ruhlmann rated the album four-and-a-half out of five stars, explaining that it "was the album Neil Young fans knew he was capable of making, but feared he would never make again." He also stated that "there were tracks that harked...
and Living with War
Living With War
Living with War is the twenty-ninth Grammy and Juno Award-nominated studio album by Canadian musician Neil Young, released in 2006. The album's lyrics, titles, and conceptual style are highly critical of the policies of the George W. Bush administration; the CTV website defined it as "a musical...
, Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
's Sentimental Hygiene
Sentimental Hygiene
Sentimental Hygiene is an album by rock singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, released in 1987. The release of Sentimental Hygiene marked the first studio album for Zevon in five years...
and Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
debut self-titled album. Bolas' trademark technique is clear and loud recording of vocals. The same can be said of his talent at recording other musical instruments - in the early 80s, Bolas collaborated with legendary American hard rock band KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, on their album Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night
Creatures of the Night is the tenth studio album by Kiss. It is the band's last album for Casablanca Records, the only label the group had ever recorded for up to that point...
, recording Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
's drums.
Notable music-driven virtual projects to which he contributed include:
Opera Totale, Teatro Toniolo, Venice Italy, Nov 7-8, 1997.
Virtual Reality Education Foundation Inc., Exploratorium, San Francisco, Feb 12, 1997.
Experience Music Project, Pacific Science Center, Seattle, Dec 13, 1996 - Feb 2, 1997.
SIGGRAPH '96, Digital Bayou, New Orleans, Aug 6-8, 1996.
intermediaWORLD '96, VR Garden, San Francisco, March 5–7, 1996.
IS&T/SPIE Symposium on Electronic Imaging, Sculpting 3D Worlds with Music, San Jose, Feb 2, 1996.
SIGGRAPH '95, Interactive Entertainment, Los Angeles, Aug 8-10, 1995.
Reviews included:
"...an intense musical adventure..." - Computer Graphics World
" The experience is really exciting and beautiful..." - CyberEdge Journal
" Just another VR experience with cool graphics? Not quite." - Silicon Graphics World
External links
- neeks.com - Niko Bolas' personal site
- http://www.blackbirdstudio.com/
- http://www.libsyn.com/
- http://web.me.com/essphillips/BlackbirdPro/Home.html