Chris Close
Drummer. Percussionist. Teacher.
Chris is an active part of the Christchurch music scene, and spends a lot of his time playing different gigs around town. Drawing influence from a wide range of styles, including Rock and Pop, but also Hip-Hop / Soul, Chris has worked hard to develop his versatility and his own unique sound. His style reflects his diverse interests, and each one of his projects, whether it's his soulful keys/drums duo, or Rock band, shows a different side to Chris' abilities.
Chris Close
Drummer. Percussionist. Teacher.
Chris has been surrounded by music since a young age. Learning the piano early on gave Chris a solid musical knowledge and enabled him to push forward with the drums, developing an undoubtedly musical playing style. Chris has completed a degree in Musical Arts at the Christchurch Jazz School, and worked hard to develop his versatility and unique sound.
Performance has always been one of Chris’ strong points, playing in different groups over the years. He currently plays in Dragon Jack, a duo with his wife that plays at bars and private functions around town, and has an originals Rock band Black Fox Trio. Chris also plays in Satellite, the house-band at Eastercamp, a youth event run each year for over 3,000 teenagers.
In his final year at Jazz School, Chris worked on a recording project, in which he emulated the sound and playing styles of particular drummers, spanning from Heavy Rock to Motown. This project was an invaluable tool, not only in developing his own sound, but discovering other sounds, how to tell the difference and how to create them. This sparked an interest in studio recording, and what goes into it. Chris found the difference intriguing between his live sets and the energy and showmanship required, versus the precision and sonic knowledge required for great recordings. He has gone on to do recording sessions at popular studios around Christchurch, like The Sitting Room, Orange Studios and Riverside Sound.