Mark West Art / Alex Johnson

New Release by Mark West Art & Alex Johnson

About the Collaboration

Mark D. West • Multi-Instrumentalist / Artist
Click Here to visit Mark’s Media Page.

Mark is a talented drummer and multi-instrumentalist. His unique style of music is well suited to my own special brand of bass playing and writing.

Mark is a friend of mine from back when we both lived in Seattle. In addition to being an accomplished musician, he is also creative and prolific in several other art forms. We recently renewed our friendship and decided to do some creative collaborations. He has been working in a new direction with his music lately, and he thought our styles might be a good fit.

Since we don’t live in the same city anymore, our collaboration is now online. Mark has been sending me some of his latest compositions and I have been able to add any bass parts I feel might contribute to the piece in a significant way.

We have been having a lot of fun writing these songs, and we are both looking forward to writing more music and producing more videos together.

Our collective style is one that is hard to categorize—but promises to be unique and engaging in a new way.

Inspiration, Collaboration and the “Story of 3”

by Mark D. West

With “Transformation” now available for you all to hear, I realized how much this electronic music path has been forged through several powerful and priceless things: The inspiration and encouragement of good people, the collaboration of ideas, and my forging onward with something that is more meditation than music at its core.

I have been writing and recording for years—although usually more like rock-n-roll. But electronic music and more advanced use of midi-based tools has only come together since late 2022. That was the moment I reconnected with Alex Johnson, an old Seattle music friend that I met years ago, when we both lived up in the northwest.

In the process of making my first official release, Alex and I worked on our collaborative variation of instrumental electronic music, adding his violin and bass guitar expertise to my electronics and drumming. VOILA, “Transformation” was born! By that point my focus and abilities had strengthened and the power of collaboration transformed the music to something so much greater than either of us!

The very emotionally challenging last few years has really brought so much goodness into the music for me. Pain and joy merge to one and provide movement forward with purpose. “Transformation” symbolizes the moment things shifted—and the music transformed all that was—into something beautiful.

How I Know Alex and the Meaning of “Transformation”

From the archives of Mark West Art, chatting about Alex Johnson

“How do I know Alex Johnson? Alex has entered my life at two very pivotal creative times in my journey. Before people knew me as “Mark West Art,” I was Mark D. West. I had just moved to Seattle, fresh off the trail from western New York, and was looking to meet people and play music. Enter Alex Johnson and his creation, “Musician’s Network.” My friend Mike Green connected us. Alex was instrumental in getting me connected with the post-grunge Seattle music scene. Flash forward over 25 years, and my long-time Facebook friend Alex was looking for long-distance music collaboration. I had never actually played with Alex. After all these years, a great opportunity was there to be had. The result? “Transformation.” Everything has changed lately, and this is a title that represents the musical and personal changes in my life over the last year. For the first time, I have “found a groove” in the electronic music form that suits me. Through the encouraging support of Alex, I have pursued new approaches, new technology and new methods, resulting in genuine, touching expression and creativity that I hope others will appreciate. Thanks to Alex, I have learned a new discipline and curiosity in creating that I hadn’t fully embraced before.”