Portland, Oregon based guitarist, synth wizard and cinematic expressionist, Alex Callenberger creates soundscapes to dream and swim through. Calling on the powers of electric guitar, live looping, electronic and experimental instruments, he casts sonic spells that straddle and bind the genres of ambient, down-tempo, experimental, psych and folk-minimalism.
As a child, Alex suffered from scarlet fever which caused deafness in both of his ears. It is perhaps this event that influenced his unique understanding of vibration and frequency. Picking up his first guitar at the age of 13, he established an intimate relationship to sound that he carries into his work today.
Alex distinguishes himself in the musical realm not only through performance and production, but by creating immersive sound experiences with visual elements. In the most recent presentation, Flying Together (Seattle, 2021), he collaborated with an installation artist to create a soundtrack for more than 100 model birds suspended from the ceiling of a six-story atrium. His own music catalog contains more than a decade's worth of releases, with his most recent works Dividing Lines (2022) and Redetermination (2020) being deeply embraced by listeners.
Recent commissioned work and awards
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
flying together: composed 2hrs of ambient music to be played as part of an art installation in the 6 story atrium located in the building headquarters in Seattle, wa
2024 RACC Arts3C Grant
compose and complete music for a solo vinyl release of ambient works
LOVE, CHERYL by Devin Febbroriello
sound design, composer and mixing