Wayne Gerard Trotman
Encyclopedia
Wayne Gerard Lionel Trotman (born 16 May 1964, San Fernando
, Trinidad
), is a British
independent film
maker, writer
, photographer, composer
and producer of electronic music
.
, Trinidad
. By the age of six, Trotman was experimenting with recording
on a reel-to-reel
tape recorder
. He recorded science fiction
stories in which he performed all the dialogue
and created all the sound effects. At this time, Trotman also developed an interest in drawing
, painting
and photography
.
(Gershon Kingsley
) by Hot Butter
in 1972 and Equinoxe Part 5 by Jean Michel Jarre
in 1979 as the catalysts for his development as a composer
and producer of electronic music
.
In 1979 he received a Casio VL-1 also known as a Casio VL-Tone http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/casio_vl1/ as a gift and began to teach himself music composition. He continued his experimentation with tape loop
s, overdubbing
and most notably the creation of rhythm
s using only audio feedback
. Trotman is a self-taught musician and has never had traditional piano
lessons nor does he possess substantial knowledge of reading or writing musical notation.
Trotman found the Casio VL-1 limiting and as a result, his initial exploits in music creation were very frustrating. In 1981 he began using a Casiotone MT-70 electronic keyboard
and produced compositions recorded using two audio cassette recorders and a mono
echo recorder. By 1983 Trotman had produced over 200 experimental, often bizarre, home recordings.
and art
at Presentation College
, San Fernando
, Trinidad
where he won the Presentation College Art Prize twice - 1979 and 1982. During the early 1980s, Trotman also won national art prizes in Trinidad and Tobago
. His artwork during this period consisted largely of comic book
illustrations and acrylic
or oil painting
s. Photographs of his work were submitted to the Heatherley School of Fine Art
in Chelsea, London
winning him a place to study art and design
there in 1984.
to study art and design at to the Heatherley School of Fine Art
in Chelsea, London
. In 1985, Trotman's painting entitled 'Psychedelic Eric' was accepted for the London Youth Festival exhibition and he was featured in both The Caribbean Times http://www.caribbeantimes.co.uk/ and West Indian World newspapers.
– the Roland JX-3P
and this instrument has featured in virtually all his recorded music since that time. But his transition to professional musician came with the addition of the Ensoniq SQ-80
synthesiser in 1988, swiftly followed by the addition of an Ensoniq Mirage
sampler and Alesis HR-16 drum machine http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html.
(BSkyB) as well as low budget
independent film productions. He completed his second feature film script entitled Ashes to Ashes in 1994 and in 1995 his short film - London: Metropolis of the Future premiered at the British Short Film Festival.
Trotman directed, co-produced, scored and edited
the British
independent film
Ashes to Ashes
in 1998. He also played the film’s lead role of Gabriel Darbeaux and used real martial arts
weapons including the nunchaku
or two-piece rod
.
In 2006, Trotman co-produced a training DVD, which tackles the root cause of anxiety and panic attacks: The Fight or Flight Response.
Between 2006 and 2009, Trotman wrote part one of the epic Psychic Wars sci-fi saga: Veterans of the Psychic Wars.
----
, Red Moon Chronicle: Reviews & Interviews - Dedicated to Science Fiction
, Fantasy
and the Speculation of Creative Minds, Trotman has interviewed Syd Mead
, John Howe (illustrator), Kevin J. Anderson
, Larry Fast
, Linda Nagata
, Jeremy Robinson
, Kevin Baldeosingh
, Peter Coleborn, Kevin D. Anderson and others.
----
----
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San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
), is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
maker, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, photographer, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and producer of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
Formative years
On 16 May 1964, Wayne Gerard Trotman was born in San FernandoSan Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. By the age of six, Trotman was experimenting with recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
on a reel-to-reel
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
Reel-to-reel, open reel tape recording is the form of magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording medium is held on a reel, rather than being securely contained within a cassette....
tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
. He recorded science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
stories in which he performed all the dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
and created all the sound effects. At this time, Trotman also developed an interest in drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
.
Early musical development
Trotman attributes hearing the popular singles PopcornPopcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
(Gershon Kingsley
Gershon Kingsley
Gershon Kingsley a contemporary German American composer, is well known as a pioneer of electronic music and the Moog synthesizer and founder of the First Moog Quartet, as a partner in the famous electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his rock-inspired compositions for Jewish religious...
) by Hot Butter
Hot Butter
Hot Butter was an instrumental cover band fronted by the keyboard player Stan Free. The other band members were Dave Mullaney, John Abbott, Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome, and Danny Jordan. They are best known for their 1972 cover of the Moog synthpop instrumental, "Popcorn", originally recorded by its...
in 1972 and Equinoxe Part 5 by Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
in 1979 as the catalysts for his development as a composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and producer of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
In 1979 he received a Casio VL-1 also known as a Casio VL-Tone http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/casio_vl1/ as a gift and began to teach himself music composition. He continued his experimentation with tape loop
Tape loop
In music, tape loops are loops of prerecorded magnetic tape used to create repetitive, rhythmic musical patterns or dense layers of sound. Contemporary composers such as Steve Reich and Karlheinz Stockhausen used tape loops to create phase patterns and rhythms...
s, overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
and most notably the creation of rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
s using only audio feedback
Audio feedback
Audio feedback is a special kind of positive feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input and an audio output...
. Trotman is a self-taught musician and has never had traditional piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
lessons nor does he possess substantial knowledge of reading or writing musical notation.
Trotman found the Casio VL-1 limiting and as a result, his initial exploits in music creation were very frustrating. In 1981 he began using a Casiotone MT-70 electronic keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
and produced compositions recorded using two audio cassette recorders and a mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
echo recorder. By 1983 Trotman had produced over 200 experimental, often bizarre, home recordings.
Fine Art
Trotman studied historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
at Presentation College
Presentation College
Presentation College is a selective, government-assisted Roman Catholic secondary school located in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. It claims to be the first Catholic secondary school in South Trinidad, having been established circa 1930 in the basement of San Fernando Presbytery. It relocated...
, San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
, Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
where he won the Presentation College Art Prize twice - 1979 and 1982. During the early 1980s, Trotman also won national art prizes in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. His artwork during this period consisted largely of comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
illustrations and acrylic
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
or oil painting
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
s. Photographs of his work were submitted to the Heatherley School of Fine Art
Heatherley School of Fine Art
The Heatherley School of Fine Art was named after Thomas Heatherley who took over as principal from James Mathews Leigh . Founded in 1845, the school is affectionately known as Heatherley's...
in Chelsea, London
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
winning him a place to study art and design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
there in 1984.
Emigration
In August 1984 Trotman moved to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to study art and design at to the Heatherley School of Fine Art
Heatherley School of Fine Art
The Heatherley School of Fine Art was named after Thomas Heatherley who took over as principal from James Mathews Leigh . Founded in 1845, the school is affectionately known as Heatherley's...
in Chelsea, London
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
. In 1985, Trotman's painting entitled 'Psychedelic Eric' was accepted for the London Youth Festival exhibition and he was featured in both The Caribbean Times http://www.caribbeantimes.co.uk/ and West Indian World newspapers.
Professional music composition
In 1985 Trotman purchased his first ‘professional’ electronic keyboardElectronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
– the Roland JX-3P
Roland JX-3P
The Roland JX-3P is a synthesizer produced by Roland Corporation of Japan in 1983. It is notable as the one of the company's first products to incorporate a MIDI interface, limited to note-on/note-off data only.-Features:...
and this instrument has featured in virtually all his recorded music since that time. But his transition to professional musician came with the addition of the Ensoniq SQ-80
Ensoniq SQ-80
The Ensoniq SQ-80 is a synthesizer from Ensoniq. It was basically an update to the original Ensoniq ESQ-1.Compared to the ESQ1, the SQ80 includes 43 additional waveforms , an enhanced sequencer, and a floppy disk drive for storing patches and sequences...
synthesiser in 1988, swiftly followed by the addition of an Ensoniq Mirage
Ensoniq Mirage
The Ensoniq Corporation's Mirage was an 8-bit sampler introduced in 1984. Priced below $2000 with features previously only found on more expensive samplers like the Fairlight CMI, it became a best seller....
sampler and Alesis HR-16 drum machine http://www.vintagesynth.com/index2.html.
Film and video work
Between the late 1980s and mid 1990s Trotman produced compositions for British Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
(BSkyB) as well as low budget
Low budget film
A low-budget film is a motion picture shot with little or no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many Independent films are made on low budgets but films made on the mainstream circuit with unexperienced or unknown filmmakers can also have low budgets. Many young or first time...
independent film productions. He completed his second feature film script entitled Ashes to Ashes in 1994 and in 1995 his short film - London: Metropolis of the Future premiered at the British Short Film Festival.
Trotman directed, co-produced, scored and edited
Video editing
The term video editing can refer to:* Linear video editing, using video tape* Non-linear editing system , using computers with video editing software* Offline editing* Online editing...
the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (film)
Ashes to Ashes is a 1999 action film by British independent filmmaker Wayne Gerard Trotman. The producers, Red Moon Productions Limited claim that Ashes to Ashes is the first British homegrown martial arts movie and a tribute to 1970s cinema...
in 1998. He also played the film’s lead role of Gabriel Darbeaux and used real martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
weapons including the nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
or two-piece rod
.
In 2006, Trotman co-produced a training DVD, which tackles the root cause of anxiety and panic attacks: The Fight or Flight Response.
Between 2006 and 2009, Trotman wrote part one of the epic Psychic Wars sci-fi saga: Veterans of the Psychic Wars.
Novel
- Veterans of the Psychic Wars, (2011), Red Moon Productions Ltd. ISBN 978-0-9567872-0-0
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Blog
On his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Red Moon Chronicle: Reviews & Interviews - Dedicated to Science Fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, Fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and the Speculation of Creative Minds, Trotman has interviewed Syd Mead
Syd Mead
Sydney Jay Mead, commonly Syd Mead, is a "visual futurist" and concept artist. He is best known for his designs for science-fiction films such as Blade Runner, Aliens and Tron...
, John Howe (illustrator), Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin J. Anderson is an American science fiction author with over forty bestsellers. He has written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the Dune prequels...
, Larry Fast
Larry Fast
Lawrence Roger 'Larry' Fast is a synthesizer expert and composer. He is best known for Synergy, his 1975–1987 series of synthesizer music albums, and for his contribution to a number of popular music acts, including Peter Gabriel, Foreigner, and Hall and Oates.- Biography :Fast grew up in...
, Linda Nagata
Linda Nagata
Linda Nagata is an American science fiction author who won the Nebula award for best novella in 2000 . She frequently writes about nanotechnology and the integration of advanced computing with the human brain.-Bibliography:...
, Jeremy Robinson
Jeremy Robinson
Jeremy Robinson is a writer of adventure and sci-fi novels. He is also the author of the non-fiction title, The Screenplay Workbook .-Life:Robinson was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, where he lived until he was 20...
, Kevin Baldeosingh
Kevin Baldeosingh
Kevin Baldeosingh is a Trinidadian newspaper columnist, author and Humanist, who has been involved in many controversial social issues. He now works with the Trinidad and Tobago Express as a writer on a freelance basis.-Writing:...
, Peter Coleborn, Kevin D. Anderson and others.
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Discography
- Motion (2006)
- Red Moon (2006)
- Promised Land (2006)
- Land and Sea (2007)
- Ashes to Ashes - Music from the Wayne Gerard Trotman film (2007)
- Atmosphere (2007)
- Popcorn / Sultana (Medley) - Single (2010)
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Films
- London: Metropolis of the Future (1995)
- Ashes to AshesAshes to Ashes (film)Ashes to Ashes is a 1999 action film by British independent filmmaker Wayne Gerard Trotman. The producers, Red Moon Productions Limited claim that Ashes to Ashes is the first British homegrown martial arts movie and a tribute to 1970s cinema...
(1999)
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