Classically trained as well as schooled in the sound of the streets, Cox's music
can be heard in feature films and on television. In addition to his work as a
composer, Michael is frequently called upon to spin, having served as the resident
DJ at Bal Arabiana at Les Deux Cafes in Hollywood. It was during this time that
his remix skills came to the attention of Caravan Records.
"This style gives me a lot of freedom to do what I want with music. By that,
I mean mixing East and West," exclaims Los Angeles musician Michael Cox.
He began his career in the mid 70s as a multi-instrumentalist and composer. Having
harbored a love for the music of other cultures since a boy, he learned to play
Arabic music in a series of ensembles in East Coast night clubs. "The foundation
for what I do is provided by using Arabic drum patterns combined with hip hop
or house drums, along with a strong bass line. I can build a composition where
Im free to do nearly anything I want, because the basic foundation is so strong.
I can use a Western song form, or a pattern based on Arabic scales, or even a
one or two chord vamp as a basis for improvisation. Musically, the skys the limit,
really, because its so grounded rhythmically."
In 2003, he launched his own label, Down Dog Records, and released In The
Moment, under the name Petrol Bomb Samosa. This is more of an Indian/Western
ambient sort of fusion. The next year, under the moniker Cairo Tip Hop Underground,
he followed up with Raks Zahra, an eclectic collection of original music and two
remixes of the Rimsky-Korsakov classic Scheherazade.
Michael is also a member of Kan Zaman, a Pasadena-based ensemble that plays classical
and folkloric Arabic music. Check them out at www.myspace.com/kanzamanmusic
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