About
Ted Byrnes is a drummer/percussionist living in Los Angeles. An alumnus of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, he comes from a jazz background and has since made his home in the worlds of free improvisation, new music, electro-acoustic music, and noise.
Ted primarily works in ad hoc improvisational settings, but has standing improvisational groups including, a duo with Jeff Parker, a duo with Chris Cooper (AQH), a duo with Charlie Mumma, a duo with Sam McKinlay, a duo with William Hutson, a trio with Jacob Wick and Michael Foster, among others. Additionally, Ted has played in duo/trio/or ensemble settings with: Mazen Kerbaj, Matt Weston, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Charlemagne Palestine, Alfred 23 Harth, Arrington de Dionyso, Jaap Blonk, Torsten Muller, Kim Myhr, Jim Denley, Lloyd Honeybrook, Chris Schlarb, Mike Watt, Paul Masvidal, the LAFMS (including Smegma, Airway, Ace Farren Ford’s Artificial Art Ensemble, Rick and Joe Potts, Fredrik Nilsen, Tom Recchion, Vetza, etc), Sissy Spacek (the band), Maher Shalal Hash Baz, and more.
Ted’s recorded output oscillates between heavily acoustic music and harsh noise while keeping a similar approach.
Ted has also collaborated with / worked for a variety of visual artists: he has accompanied a Doug Aitken “happening”, scored and performed percussion for an Emily Mast performance, collaborated with Olivia Booth to play her glass artworks, performed accompanying a sound installation by Thomas Bayrle and Bernhard Schreiner, and has performed for FLUXUS artist Jeff Perkins on multiple occasions for his projector/light installations.
Currently, Ted is delving further into the possibilities and realities of solo drumset and percussion performance in addition to continuing to work with his existing projects.