Tony Obr is a musician, sound designer, composer, visual artist, educator, and Max certified trainer. His work is situated at the confluence of music, art, technology, and performance, focusing on innovative uses of sound and the development of interactive, generative systems for electronic music performance and contemporary dance.
Tony has performed under the stage name “tsone” since 2009. In his music he uses modular synthesizers and custom software built in Max/MSP to craft complex, generative, rhythmic patterns, warm, gauzy, electronic detritus, and blasts of impenetrable walls of sound. In 2021 his work was featured in Steve Roach’s SoundQuest Fest. His work has been released on a number of international recording labels, including: Home Normal, txt recordings, Schematic Music Company, Sunwarped, Satellite Era, Neotantra, Tessellate Recordings, and Stereoscenic.
Years of designing bespoke software for his own musical output eventually led him to opportunities to share his knowledge with others. As an educator, Tony has taught electronic music and sound design courses in Phoenix, Arizona, at Paradise Valley Community College since 2014, and music technology courses in the Arizona State University Popular Music program since 2021. He enjoys empowering students by demystifying seemingly complex music technology.
Tony’s visual design has been featured in album artwork and poster design, most notably for the record label txt recordings.
An avid enthusiast of modular synthesizers, since 2017 Tony has been the primary coordinator of the world renowned annual Phoenix Synthesizer Festival. In 2020 his monthly, live-online modular synthesizer workshops attracted a sizable, regular following.