Mason Bates / Masonic

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Masonic & MarsBassMan (David Arend) performing at the return of Mercury Soul at San Francisco's Mezzanine (Photo: Guru Khalsa). Mercury Soul's next event is "The Mercury Lounge" on Fri, Nov 13 at 111 Minna in San Francisco.

DJ and electronica artist Masonic has mixed his unique blend of jazzy hip-hop, trip-hop, French house, and funk at venues from San Francisco to Berlin to Rome. For two years running, the San Francisco hotspot Mezzanine presented his extraordinary project called Mercury Soul: An Electro-Acoustic Evening - an evening combining groovy electronica, contemporary classical music, and immersive lighting and visuals. Created in collaboration with stage designer Anne Patterson and Maestro Benjamin Shwartz of the San Francisco Symphony, this sold-out event brought over 1,400 people to its premiere. Don't miss The Mercury Lounge on Friday, Nov 13 at 111 Minna!
Around San Francisco, Masonic has been heard at a variety of spaces, ranging from large clubs (Temple and Mezzanine) to lounges (Sugar, Skylark, Fuse, Magnet) to art spaces (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Berkeley Art Museum, Varnish Gallery). During art and fashion shows his sets have been heard at 111 Minna, and often joining him on upright bass is the extraordinary David Arend. Their two monthly residencies are "First Fridays at Eve", and "Third Thursdays at John Colins."

Mercury Soul: In between sets of electronica performed by Masonic & MarsBassMan, classical musicians performed modern music to 1,000 people at Mercury Soul's premiere at San Francisco hotspot Mezzanine (info). Maestro Benjmain Shwartz conducts. (Photo by Guru Khalsa.)

During a residency in Berlin, he appeared at well-known venues such as the Roter Salon, smaller lounges such as Zu Mir, or at large clubs in the former east side such as Kinzo. While living in Rome, Masonic DJed in Monte Testaccio, the thriving nightlife scene built inside the mountain of an ancient pottery dump, at venues such as Metaverso and Scarabocchio. As Masonic & MarsBassMan, Masonic and upright bassist David Arend headlined at Portland's Doug Fir during the NWEAMO Festival, and they have also appeared at the SFMOMA and at Plado Media's huge parties in Golden Gate Park. Playing together since their studies at The Juilliard School, the two have performed at the San Jose Festival - a comfortable venue for Arend, who has worked with figures as diverse as Ornette Coleman and Bobby McFerrin. The Magnet Lounge also hosted them during the North Beach Jazz Festival.

Masonic performing live electronica at SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art)
In a recent article in Symphony Magazine, Kyle Gann discusses Masonic's blending of classical music and electronica in works such as Digital Loom, commissioned for Juilliard's 100th Anniversary. Another recent work, Liquid Interface, for orchestra & electronica, was given its New York premiere this month at Carnegie Hall, where Masonic performed live electronica onstage with Maestro Leonard Slatkin and The National Symphony. Masonic's original music, built from scratch from the ground up, most recently appeared in The Locrian Mode, a beautifully surreal film by Eric Lodal, features the combination of string quartet and electronica, a pairing that matches the film's intimate look at four characters who interact in a night club. The film stars Dominique Swaine and opened the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Masonic DJING at Berlin's lounge Zu Mir Oder Zu Dir

©2003-2007 by Mason Bates / Masonic (Full-length CD available here)

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January 16, 2007 : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Eve (SOMA, happy hour) : Mercury Soul brings The Mercury Lounge to 111 Minna. Groovy downtempo & classical music - be there! (SOMA, happy hour) : Eve (SOMA, happy hour) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Eve (SOMA, happy hour) : Mason Bates performs live electronica on the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, with David Arend on upright bass : San Francisco Electronica Music Festival : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Eve (SOMA, 5-9pm) : Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SOMA, 7-9pm) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Mezzanine (for Mercury Soul) : The San Francisco Symphony under Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas premieres The B-Sides, for orchestra & electronica : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : The Adorno Ensemble performs Red River, for mixed ensemble & electronica, at the Switchboard Festival : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Chicago Cultural Center : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : The Adorno Ensemble performs Red River, for mixed ensemble & electronica, at San Francisco State University on a concert featuring electronic music by Mason Bates & Mark Applebaum : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Portland's reknown Space hosts Masonic in an evening in collaboration with musicians of the Portland Symphony Orchestra : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : Terra (for GenArt party) : Varnish's 5 Year Anniversary party (SOMA, 8-11pm) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : John Colins (SOMA, 10pm-1am) : BAM Cafe (Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY), post-concert party : Mercury Soul at Mezzanine (SOMA, 9pm-2am) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : Mezzanine (7:30-9pm), for GenArt : With MarsBassMan, a set of live electronica opening the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, CA : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : 111 Minna (for the San Francisco Lovefest) : Mint (Mezzanine's new lounge, 7-9pm) : DJ set and live electronica with MarsBassMan : Sip (9-11:30pm, with MarsBassMan) : Varnish (SOMA, 6-8pm) : a spooky set on Friday the 13th, with MarsBassMan : Masonic&MarsBassMan perform live electronica interludes during an evening of new music under the baton of conductors Stuart Sims & Dustin Soiseth (State Theater, Modesto CA) : Mint (Mezzanine's new lounge, 7-9pm) : DJ set and live electronica with MarsBassMan : Sip (9-11:30pm, with MarsBassMan) : Varnish (SOMA, San Francisco,6-9pm) : Sugar (Hayes Valley, San Francisco) : Bruce Neuman opening at Berkeley Art Museum, 5:30-8pm
October 31, 2006 : Sugar (Hayes Valley, San Francisco)
September 24, 2006 : Doug Fir (Portland, OR) : headlining the NWEAMO Festival, with MarsBassMan
July 22, 2006 : Temple Club (sponsored by GenArt)
June 29, 2006 : Magnet Lounge
April 12, 2006 : 111 Minna's "Qool" Party, 6pm

May 11, 2005 : Roter Salon (Berlin), with MarsBassMan and members of The Berlin Philharmonic

March 20, 2005 : Zu Mir Oder Zu Dir (Berlin)

Upright bassist David Arend, who often joins Masonic, is a ubiquitous SF presence

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Mason Bates / Masonic
Mason Bates / Masonic : electronica and classical composer in San Francisco, Mason Bates is a member of Young Concert Artists, Inc. Official site of Mason Bates / Masonic (DJ and electronica / techno artist). ©2003 by Mason Bates / Masonic.