Chris Hellstrom

THE EARLY YEARS...

I grew up surrounded by music. Artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart were frequently heard in the Hellstrom household. Music was always a part of life and when I later was exposed to bands like The Sweet and later KISS it was life changing. Ace Frehley made me want to play guitar...

GETTING SERIOUS...

After playing in several local bands and feeling a desire to further my craft, I relocated to Hollywood, CA in 1991 and graduated from G.I.T (Guitar Institute of Technology) the following year. I also went on to study at K.I.T. (Keyboard Institute of Technology), learning synthesis, sound design and early sampling techniques.

I spent the rest of the 90's developing my sound, doing a variety of sessions, from folk to pop to metal. I was also a member a few bands, including the Queensryche tribute band "Operation: Queensryche", which played extensively in Los Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV. 

The late 90's was a time of musical growth. Having been really into being just a guitarist, and admiring all the session players at the time (Steve Lukather, Dan Huff and Michael Landau etc.), I began exploring bands like Nine Inch Nails, Tweaker and Marilyn Manson. It was from my perspective, something new, different and exciting.

EVOLVING...

With the arrival of the new millennium, I shifted more of my energy towards engineering and studio work. Having been involved with computers and their roll in music production since '93, this was a natural progression. These days, I'm essentially all "in the box", and my DAW of choice is Logic Pro, if that's of interest.

To this date, I've been involved in several albums, either as performer, producer, engineer, mixer or re-mixer for artists like Siva Noir, Jody Whitesides, Left of You, George Leger III, Mother Kingdom, Cellout, as well as my own projects: Syren, with Michelle Aragon, and Sonic Scandal with David Fredriksson. In 2015, I released my first solo album entitled "Ambience, Groove & Distortion" which, like the name implies, is 10 songs full of ambient soundscapes, heavy grooves, lots of guitars and string arrangements. It was the kind of album I had wanted to make for a long time, and I'm still very proud of it. 

THE PRESENT...

The last couple of years, I've been composing a lot of music for various music libraries. I have often been told that my music sounds like it 'belongs in movies'. I decided that those people had a point, and started to explore that side of writing. It's something I really enjoy doing, and the process is really intriguing.

I'm still working on more 'traditional' songwriting as well. I recently reunited with David Fredriksson, and together we're working on more Sonic Scandal material. I am also working on upcoming releases for other artists, and I'll have more information when they are about to be released.

Lastly, I'm also busy co-hosting the podcast "Inside the Recording Studio", with Jody Whitesides, available wherever you get your podcasts. Check it out. 

All the best,

Chris

 

I am available for recording sessions, mixing/re-mixing, tuition and live performances. Please use the contact page for rates and availability.


 SELECTED CREDITS:

  • Dave Haynes "Get Some"
  • Siva Noir "Amnesia Moon"
  • Street Survivors (Movie) "The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash" 
  • Chris Hellstrom "Ambience, Groove & Distortion"
  • Sonic Scandal “ONE” & “II”
  • Dave Celentano "Desert Storm"
  • Syren “Sessions”
  • Cellout “Superstar Prototype”
  • Jody Whitesides “Hero Unexpected”
  • Jody Whitesides “Practical Insanity”
  • Jody Whitesides “Xmas Past, Present & Future”
  • ShadowNET (Movie) Original Music
  • Left of You “Waking the Angels”

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Thank You: