User:K7t/sandbox

Electric Birds was the collective pseudonym of Mike Martinez, an electronic musician, and his wife Danielle Damasius, who provided visuals during their live performances. Martinez's primary sources of sound were various musical instruments, drum machines, and music software.

Career
For a certain time, Martinez ran an independent record label called Deluxe, which was formed in 1995, with mastering and distribution maintained by the Baked Goods Distribution Company. He co-founded the label with Damasius and released his first two albums, Electric Birds and Panorama, on this label, which has featured such artists as Matmos and Blevin Blectum. On 3 May 2001, Martinez performed at the Second Annual San Francisco Electronic Music Festival.

Before he started his work under the name Electric Birds, Martinez was guitarist for emo hardcore rock band Reach Out and bass guitarist for American hardcore rock band John Henry West. In 1995, he became a member of another band, the indie emo rock band Cars Get Crushed.

In an article by SF Weekly, Martinez stated that he had met rap artist Doseone at an Amoeba Music Record Shop and had a conversation with him about Warp Records. He had received multiple CDs from the artist, which he listened to and really liked. He also stated that he was considering collaborating with him but has still never done so to this day.

Personal Life
When Martinez was still living in Berkeley before he moved to Seattle with Damasius on October 2000, he worked at the Mod Lang record shop, where he discovered experimental music artists such as Can, Tangerine Dream, and Steve Reich. From there, he found out about the European underground electronic scene and cited such artists as Aphex Twin and Autechre.

Martinez stated that he counted on Damasius to do business transactions related to the Deluxe label while he himself ventured out for new possibilities.

After releasing his last song, When I See the Sun, in 2004, Electric Birds quit his music career to pursue the alternative hobby of skateboarding. In an interview conducted by music blogger Adam Balest, aka. Dubtek, on 11 November 2017, Martinez stated that he had filmed and edited a few skateboarding videos and owned an indoor skatepark called Inner Space, which is now closed. He also worked at a skate shop by the name 35th North and had started a hat brand called Birds of the North. Mike mentions the possibility of reissuing his albums and making new music.

Albums

 * Electric Birds (Deluxe, 2000)
 * Panorama (Deluxe, 2001)
 * Strata Frames (U-Cover, 2001)
 * Gradations (Mille Plateaux, 2002)

EPs

 * The Chase (Etherdrag, 2000)
 * Strata (Inc.us, 2001)
 * Zealectronic Green (Zealectronic, 2001)
 * Frames (Inc.us, 2002)