“Philadelphia-based guitarist and composer Tim Motzer finds infinite joy in diversity. His output as a leader and sideman crisscrosses multiple musical universes, including jazz, fusion, prog, hip-hop, soul, electronica, and the avant-garde.” ”
photography by Avraham Bank
Solo and Collaborative Recordings:
1krecordings.bandcamp.com
Tim Motzer interview by A.D. Amorosi, Dosage Magazine
https://www.dosagemagazine.com/tim-motzer-philly-guitarist-and-painter/
Tim Motzer interview by Chuck Van Zyl, WXPN Star’s End
https://youtu.be/U7iPMKfuBgw
The Day the Earth Stole Heaven article featuring Tim Motzer, David Sylvian, and Burnt Friedman https://sylvianvista.com/2020/07/10/the-day-the-earth-stole-heaven/
Tim Motzer WMUH interview 3/3/2020
(parts 1 and 2, audio)
https://soundcloud.com/1krecordings/tim-motzer-wmuh-interview-part
https://soundcloud.com/1krecordings/tim-motzer-wmuh-interview-part-2
Prepared Guitar: 13 Questions interview
http://preparedguitar.blogspot.com/2014/02/tim-motzer-13-questions.html
Guitar Player Magazine interview
http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/tim-motzer/11632
Innerviews interview
http://www.innerviews.org/inner/motzer.html
Tim Motzer and Kurt Rosenwinkel interview in Guitar Moderne
https://www.guitarmoderne.com/artists/spotlight-kurt-rosenwinkel-and-tim-mozter-a-k-a-bandit65
Bandit65 Searching the Continuum - Downbeat Magazine five-star review:
https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/searching-the-continuum
Tim was nominated for the prestigious Pew Fellowship Award in 2012 and 2017.
After two decades of world touring, 12 solo guitar soundscape albums, and a multitude of stunning collaborations including over 100 albums of credits, Tim Motzer continues to “traverse manifold territories in music” (Guitar Player magazine).
Tim is a sonic pioneer and widely known for his distinct textural acoustic-electro guitar voice utilizing looping, bowing, electronics, and prepared techniques. He has collaborated with numerous musical luminaries including David Sylvian, Burnt Friedman, Jaki Liebezeit, poet Ursula Rucker, King Britt, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Vernon Reid, David Torn, Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto, and Percy Jones, among others.
Since 2016, Tim has toured the world playing prestigious venues and jazz festivals with Bandit65, an improvising trio he co-leads with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and drummer Gintas Janusonis; their most recent release, Searching the Continuum (Heartcore Records), received a rare five-star review from J.D. Considine in Downbeat Magazine.
His film/TV credits include the hit HBO series True Blood as well as Miami Vice, a major motion picture directed by Michael Mann, and recently, the motion picture, Hustle, by Adam Sandler.
As an in-demand, solo live composer/improviser in the world of modern dance, Tim co-creates alongside master choreographers at Princeton University and the University of the Arts. He has composed and performed with a diverse array of extraordinary choreographers worldwide including Peggy Baker, Olivier Tarpaga, Limon Dance Company, Sean Feldman, Won Kim, Raphael Xavier, Manfred Fischbeck and Curt Haworth among others.
For the past 23 years, Tim has brought his dynamic, eclectic array of musical projects together under his own 1k Recordings imprint, which has over 60 releases and counting. He composes, records, and produces his own solo and collaborative work, along
with projects for other artists.
For more info about 1k, please visit 1krecordings.bandcamp.com
Full CV available upon request.
DISCOGRAPHY LIVE PERFORMANCE
ALBUMS
Select Discography Select World Tours/Residencies/Concerts/Festivals
Bandit 65 (Kurt Rosenwinkel/Tim Motzer/Gintas Janusonis): 44 concerts worldwide including the prestigious Elbephilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany; Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London; and 6 concerts in Tokyo, Japan. Festival appearances include Brussels Jazz Festival 2018, XJazzFestival/Berlin; KOA Jazz Festival/Montpellier, France; Festival Cadiz Jazz, Cadiz, Spain; Jazz Nigran/Nigran, Spain; Casa del Jazz Festival/Rome; Peccorincino Jazz Festival/Rossano Calabro, Italy; Lagarina Jazz Festival/ Trento, Italy; Ars Nova Workshop/Philadelphia (2020) among many others.
1k Presents live music series at the Arete Brooklyn: Presented and performed in concerts with musical luminaries David Torn, Vernon Reid, Suphala, Markus Reuter, Mark Wingfield, Tobias Ralph, Matt Mitchell, Fides Krucker, and others during this residency. Produced by Tim Motzer.
Ursula Rucker, Musical director and guitarist: 18 years of world touring including the Montreux Jazz Festival; Montreal Jazz Festival; Punkt Festival, Kristiansand, Norway; Vibrophonic Festival UK; Big Chill UK; BAM Barcelona, Spain; Trans-Musicales Festival, Rennes, France; Hultsfred Festival, Sweden; Freedom Fest, Capetown, S Africa; Wroclaw Festival Poland; La Labbra Nude Jazz Festival Rome, Italy; Amnesty International 11 city tour Australia, New Zealand; and numerous concerts in London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, Helsinki, Zurich, Bern, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Budapest, Lisbon, Oporto, Hamburg, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, Brugge, Vienna, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Ursula Rucker - My Father's Daughter one-woman theatrical play (music director, music composer, guitarist) Presented at LaMaMa Theatre NYC; Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre/ Pittsburgh; Annenberg Center, Freedom Theatre; Plays and Players, Philadelphia
Tim Motzer Solo tour and performance highlights: The Ardmore Music Hall with Stick Men; The Saint, Asbury Park with Stick Men; The Linda Performing Arts Studio, Albany NY; Arete, Brooklyn; Cocofli/Wroclaw, Poland; Berlin residency; Townhall Kulturverrein, Bielefeld, Germany; The Gatherings series, St. Mary's Church/Philadelphia; Rotunda/Philadelphia; WXPN broadcast: WPRB broadcast; Spectrum/NYC; WLFR broadcasts; Johnny Brendas/Philadelphia; Gilly's/Dayton, Ohio; Southgate House/ Newport, KY; Fire Museum presents/Philadelphia; Commotion Festival, Crescent Park/Philadelphia
Orion Tango concerts
WXPN studios/Philadelphia; ProgHouse/Dundee, NJ; Ortliebs/Philadelphia; 8x10/Baltimore
Instant Takemitsu US Tour (Tim Motzer & Dino J.A. Deane with visuals by Dejha Ti): Sonic Circuits Festival/Maryland; Roulette/Brooklyn; Rotunda/Philadelphia; radio performances on WRTI, Philadelphia; WPRB, Princeton, NJ; Shape Shifter Lab/Brooklyn; fidgetspace/Philadelphia
4th Dementia U.S. Tour (Julie Slick, Marco Machera, Pat Mastelotto, Tim Motzer) Washington DC; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia, PA; Dundee, NJ; New York, New York.
Festivals
Punkt Festival Kristiansand, Norway
I was invited to play the closing night's EXIT performance with outstanding Norwegian musicians Arve . Henriksen, Jan Bang, Eric Honore, Eivind Aarset, Bugge Westletoft, UK producer/composer Guy Sigsworth, and UK pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole.
La Villette Jazz Festival, Paris, France with saxophonist Julien Lourau. La Vilette Festival honoured Wayne Shorter, Steve Coleman, & Julien Lourau
JazzSaalfeldon Festival, Saalfeldon, Austria with Burnt Friedman and Jaki Leibezeit
Jamaaladeen Tacuma's Outsiders Festival Philadelphia
Cuneiform Festival, The Stone NYC with Ottokar, curated by John Zorn and Cuneiform Records.
Select Dance Collaborations
Only One Will Rise, Limon Dance Company (2022) choreography by Olivier Tarpaga. Music co-composed by Olivier Tarpaga and Tim Motzer. Performed by Tim Motzer, Daniel Johnson, Saidou Sangare. Performed live at The Joyce, New York City, NY
Resurfacing, UArts Dance (2022) Directed by Curt Haworth, Amalia Colon-Nava, Tim Motzer. Music composition and performance: Tim Motzer at the Gerschman Y, Philadelphia PA
Out of Sync, Princeton University Dance Festival Reimagined, choreographed by Olivier Tarpaga, music co-composed/performed by Tim Motzer, Daniel Johnson, and Olivier Tarpaga. Music produced by Tim Motzer. Princeton, NJ
into a pile of mirrors or buttons or frivolous shoes, UArts Dance, choreographed by Curt Haworth, music composed/performed by Tim Motzer, Merriam Theatre, Philadelphia PA
Movement Sound Experiment, Tim Motzer & NYC drummer Tobias Ralph, various UArts/local dancers. Arete, Brooklyn and Mascher Space/Philadelphia, with choreographer Curt Haworth
microhabitat body, HeJin Jang, Seoul, South Korea – (music taken from the album Live from Stars End by Tim Motzer)
Syria: The Fractal of We, Group Motion, live score, Philadelphia
Replay, Peggy Baker Dance, Theatre Centre, live score, Toronto, Ontario
ActionDanse Festival, live score, Olivier Tarpaga, Oujda, Morocco
Philly Files, Philadelphia, Faustin Linyekula and dancers, live score in collaboration with King Britt
Re:placing Philadelphia, Faustin Linyekula, Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia with King Britt
Numerous scores for choreographer Manfred Fischbeck, Group Motion Dance Company
MODAFE, Won Kim and dancers, live score, Seoul, Korea
Session House with dancer/choreographer Olivier Tarpaga, live score, Tokyo, Japan
University of the Arts Dance, live scores, Merriam Theatre Philadelphia
Electronic score for Group Motion City Dances Parkway, Philadelphia
Electronic dance score for Sean Feldman, Scottish Dance Theatre, Dundee and Edinburgh, Scotland
Select Film/Television Scores/Sync
Hustle, Adam Sandler, Netflix
The Last Dance, Michael Jordon documentary, ESPN
True Blood, HBO television series
Miami Vice, motion picture, director: Michael Mann
Hex, dance score, London
Je Suis Un Cheval, I Am A Horse, Burkina Faso
Union Rags: An American Love Story (doc about the Wyeth family’s race horse)
Poet: Ursula Rucker, documentary
TedXPhilly bumper music
Select Teaching/Masterclasses
Princeton University, Princeton NJ, composer
University of the Arts, adjunct faculty/composer
Kimmel Center Summer Jazz Camp
University of the Arts Guitar Masterclasses
Kimmel Center Creative Music Workshops
Scribe Film Workshops
Muhlenberg University masterclasses
American Dance Festival, Duke University
Select Production/Engineer credits
Last Poets with Jamaaladeen Tacuma (engineer)
Ursula Rucker, various albums/remixes for k7 Records, Berlin, Germany (producer/engineer/composer)
King Britt presents Sister Gertrude Morgan, Ropeadope (producer, composer, engineer)
Vernon Reid, Calvin Weston, Jamaaladeen Tacuma (engineer, mixer)
Michelle Lordi (producer/mixer/composer)
Grimace Federation - On Velvet (producer/mixer)
Tim Motzer
Tim Motzer - Many Ways Around The Sun (Ropeadope)
Tim Motzer - ditties & deities (1k)
with (Blade Of)
featuring David Torn, Tim Motzer, Jeremy Carlstedt
(Blade Of) Carlstedt Motzer Torn - The Flowering Am (1k)
with PAKT
featuring Percy Jones, Alex Skolnick, Kenny Grohowski, Tim Motzer
PAKT (MoonJune) debut
PAKT - Live in Pawling (MoonJune)
PAKT - Live in Syracuse (MoonJune)
PAKT - Live in Kennett Square (MoonJune)
PAKT - Live in Buffalo (MoonJune)
with Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit65
Bandit65 - Searching the Continuum (Heartcore)
Bandit65 – Live At Nefertti (1k)
Bandit65 (1k) debut
with Burnt Friedman/Jaki Leibezeit
Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit – Secret Rhythms 2 - 5 (Nonplace)
Burnt Friedman- First Night Forever (Nonplace)
Burnt Friedman & Jaki Liebezeit with David Sylvian – Out Of The Sticks (Nonplace)
Jaki Liebeziet & Burnt Friedman – Unlimited Edition – (Nonplace)
Burnt Friedman – Nonplace 10th Anniversary Edition (Nonplace)
with David Sylvian
Nine Horses (David Sylvian) – Snow Borne Sorrow (Samadhisound)
Nine Horses – Money For All (Samadhisound)
David Sylvian – Sleepwalkers (Samadhisound)
with Ursula Rucker
Ursula Rucker – She Said (Noizyboy)
Ursula Rucker – Ruckus Soundsysdom (Fivesix)
Ursula Rucker – Ma’at Mama (K7)
Ursula Rucker – Supa Sista (K7)
Ursula Rucker – Silver Or Lead (K7)
Ursula Rucker – One Love: Best Of (K7)
with King Britt
Sister Gertrude Morgan (Ropeadope) Produced By King Britt/Tim Motzer
Sylk 130 – When The Funk Hits The Fan (Six Degrees)
Sylk 130 – Re:Members Only (Six Degrees)
True Blood HBO Soundtrack- Season Two (Atlantic)
Miami Vice – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Atlantic)
with Kenny Lattimore
Kenny Lattimore – From The Soul Of A Man (Sony)
Kenny Lattimore – The Remixes (Sony)
Kenny Lattimore – Days Like This: The Best Of (Sony)
on 1k Recordings
solo guitar ambient/looping/soundscape
Tim Motzer – Beacon (1k)
Tim Motzer – Angels and Demons (1k)
Tim Motzer – Live at Sellersville Theatre (1k)
Tim Motzer – Live at Kennett Flash (1k)
Tim Motzer –The Twilight Somnabulist (1k)
Tim Motzer –The Wisdom of Water (1k)
Tim Motzer – The Great Expanse (1k)
Tim Motzer – Luminous (1k)
Tim Motzer – Soak (1k)
Tim Motzer – Unseen Universe (1k)
Tim Motzer – AKA (1k_Artifact_002)
Tim Motzer – Live From Stars End (1k)
with Orion Tango
Orion Tango debut (1k)
Orion Tango - The Apple of No (1k)
Orion Tango - The In Between (1k)
with Markus Reuter
Reuter/Motzer/Grohowski – Shapeshifters (MoonJune)
Tim Motzer & Markus Reuter – Rapture (1k)
Markus Reuter & Tim Motzer – Space Is The Place (1k)
Tim Motzer & Markus Reuter-Descending (1k)
Pat Mastelotto/Markus Reuter - FACE (Tempus Fugit)
with Nucultures
Nucultures – Butterflies, Zebras, And Moonbeams (1k)
Nucultures – Fall to Earth (A 1k Mix Collection 1999-2002) (1k)
Nucultures – Tai Chi & Ruby Red (1k)
Nucultures – The Zebramoon Remixes (1k)
collaborations on 1k Recordings
Tim Motzer/ Jeremy Carlstedt – Convergence (1k)
Fides Krucker & Tim Motzer – Vanishing (1k)
Swana/Motzer/Hirlinger – Channels (1k)
Tim Motzer & Markus Reuter – Rapture (1k)
Michelle Lordi – Eidolon (1k)
Alon Ilsar, Jane Sheldon, Tim Motzer – Coming Down For Air (1k)
Goldbug – Naacal (1k)
Orion Tango – The Apple Of No (1k)
Tim Motzer & Bernhard Wostheinrich – Hypnosis (1k)
Tim Motzer & Bernhard Wostheinrich – Metamorphosis (1k)
Jeremy Carstedt & Tim Motzer – Moonstone (1k_Artifact_005)
Ursula Rucker & Tim Motzer – Intro-Peace (1k)
Instant Takemitsu – Shapeshifters (1k_Artifact_003)
Base3 – Northstar (1k_Artifact_001)
Instant Takemitsu – Small Magic (1k)
Tim Motzer – Live From Stars End (1k)
Jeremy Carlstedt – When I Wake Up (1k)
Nucultures – Tai Chi & Ruby Red (1k)
Ilsar-Motzer – Tales Of The Blackwinged Bird (1k)
Global Illage – The Complete Portland Sessions (1k)
Goldbug – The Seven Dreams (1k)
Tim Motzer & Markus Reuter-Descending (1k)
Base3 – Darkmatter (1k)
Secret Voices – No Time For Silence (1k)
Tilomo – Soft Lunch (1k)
Jazzheads – Avant Wot Not – (1k)
other notable releases:
The Last Poets – Transcending Toxic Times (Ropeadope)
Sister Gertrude Morgan – (Ace/Ropeadope Vinyl Issue)
Julie Slick/Echotest – From Two Balconies (Slicksound)
Julie Slick – Terroir (Slicksound)
Pat Mastelotto - Recidivate (7d Media)
Pat Mastelotto & Markus Reuter – FACE
Jamaaladeen Tacuma/Henry Grimes – Spark/Fire (Jamaal)
Jamaaladeen Tacuma – Journey Into Gemini Territory (ITM Pacific)
Moonbound – Uncomfortable News From The Moon (PowerProg_Italy)
Lee Fletcher _ Faith In Worthless Things (UK)
Les Nubians – Echoes – Chapter One Nubian Voyager (Earthaware Editions)
Les Nubians – Echoes – Chapter One Nubian Voyager (Triloka)
Don Mccloskey-Corporal Spirits