User:Kevin Zen/sandbox

Kevin Zen
Kevin Zen is a rock musician based in Liverpool UK.

Born February 1957, Otley, West Yorkshire.

Age 16 started playing bass in a friend's garage in Yeadon, for a Leeds band called Plexus.

The lineup was Jem Wallis / guitar, Mick Krem / guitar and Colin McCaig / drums.

Playing covers by Sanatana, Cream, Wishbone Ash, Free and Humble Pie. Jem Wallis later left and the remaining members began writing their own material including Non Toxic Lake, Trident To Nazca and Black Ram.

They played two gigs at end of year parties in Aireborough Grammar School and Benton Park Secondary School. Their final gig with this lineup was at Hawksworth Hall, Guiseley.

They continued to write and jam with various musicians at St Johns Church hall, Yeadon, including: Jonathan Beardsworth/vocals (Later formed City Limits) and Alan Snowden/Drums of Pudsey band formed by Nij and Tim Lawson called Khazad-dûm. Wright later joined but never gigged with Khazad-dûm.

In 1976 he joined Chris Reed's jazz rock band in Leeds, writing and rehearsing in Reed's father's Motorbike shop in Meanwood. The lineup had Simon Baskind on drums and a classical violinist called Liz.

He left when his father died and was replaced by a female vocalist. (Chris Reed later went on to form Red Lorry Yellow Lorry)

The death of his father caused him to write and he begin playing lead guitar and synthesizer.

He began multitrack recording in 1977, writing numerous instrumentals but never released any material.

During his increased guitar practise he devised a system for reading and displaying chords that could clip on the guitar. He called this "The Chord Lord" it was a series of rotating tubes that displayed the most exotic progressive rock chords. His attempts to interest manufacturers with his invention was doomed in the new wave of punk.

The chords from one of these tubes can be found in his later released track called "Flame Forever Burning"

One of the more advanced tubes contains the chords for his track "Is Life Just A Joke (Your Heart Is A Rose)"

In the late seventies he developed a deep interest in Yoga and Tai-Chi and immersed himself in metaphysical studies which eventually led him to relinquishing all ambitions for Western existence and join a quasi Buddhist cult.

The organisation he joined was called the society for the teachings of the master (SOTOM).

Two friends introduced him to it.

Meditation would involve an hour morning and night, then six hours every weekend from 10pm till 4am.

Discography
Space Is Alive released 2nd April 2013 Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Space-Is-Alive-Kevin-Zen/dp/B00C5TKVNA

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/space-is-alive/618320828 Tower Records http://www.tower.com/space-is-alive-kevin-zen-cd/wapi/123783481