Why Chris Schlarb?
Here is a quick example: if you want to approximate an orchestra of instruments with a single keyboard, I am probably not the right one for the job. My best work utilizes any number of unique, real world instruments including tabla, euphonium, mandolin, marimba and upright double bass. I thoroughly enjoy working with real instruments, in real spaces, with real musicians.
If your film, video game or album requires texture and atmospheric depth, unique or unusual live instrumentation, and thoughtful arrangement, I would love to hear from you. For the last decade I have explored the ambient, jazz, folk, electronic and modern classical genres as a member of both the American Composers Forum and ASCAP.
I specialize in taking small and medium sized budgets and turning them into expensive sounding recordings. I operate my own mobile recording studio and engineer most sessions, saving time and cost.
My work can be heard on this site and read about in the New York Times, All About Jazz, Time Out New York, Chicago Reader and Pitchfork.
Record Labels
Asthmatic Kitty
Sounds Are Active
I Heart Lung
I Heart Lung Tour Texana
A year after I Heart Lung lurched out toward the East Coast we are venturing out for one week of Big Texas Fun. According to the Austin Chronicle: “I Heart Lung – guitarist Chris Schlarb and drummer Tom Steck – is a wily creature, jumping right to left brain with amphetamine grace.” Flattery will get [...]
Another Great Convergence
Everything is starting to come together again. I usually have so many projects ongoing that this sort of thing is inevitable and happens a few times a year.
Here, for example, is a short list of what has transpired in the last month:
Finished mixing the new I Heart Lung album, Interoceans.
Drove out to master it [...]
I Heart Lung Gets Asthmatic, Tours
Wow. What a few weeks it has been. Tom Steck and I have been working on wrapping up all things Interoceans and yesterday, our good friends at Asthmatic Kitty Records announced the signing of seven new artists to their roster, among them, I Heart Lung. Fine company indeed.
Now, we gladly leave for a week on [...]
Seven Days
Last Thursday my wife and I had the incomparable pleasure of watching and listening to Herbie Hancock perform live in front of a tiny crowd of 200 people. And if one musical legend wasn’t enough, Joni Mitchell made an unannounced three song cameo and brought the house down and, honestly, me to tears. I wrote [...]
Snow Din
Just last week my fingers were numb from rehearsing and recording songs for the new Liz Janes album due out later this year on Asthmatic Kitty Records. Today, they are suffering from a slight frost bite thanks to a weekend trip to the mountains near Big Bear, California.
With focus returned, this week will see [...]
Interviews, Reviews & You
As of today Twilight & Ghost Stories has been out for exactly a month’s time. In the days that have passed since its release I have been surprised by the reactions that people have had to the album. Honestly, it has surpassed the expectations that I placed on it and I can only thank those [...]
Paper Thin Walls and Stereo Subversion Features
Both Paper Thin Walls and Stereo Subversion have published interviews within the last few days. The interview with Stereo Subversion was an enjoyable duet with Tom Steck regarding I Heart Lung and the other was a feature story about the weekend I lost to Sean Carnage a few months ago.
Many thanks to Jessica Suarez [...]
Feeling Quite Well, Thank You
So it has been over a month since The Great Information Implosion of 2007 and here is what I have to show for my time.
Liz Janes and I are working on a new album together. Some great melodies and lyrics from Liz. Some complex and painful chords and progressions from yours truly.
I Heart Lung [...]