Dark Vader

DARK VADER

Born and raised in the John Waters-inspiring neighborhood of Hampden in Baltimore, MD, and now living, working and breathing in Chicago since 2002.  My name is David Z Marsalek and I have operated IZM Records since our first release in 2004, Trioizm's full length JUNGLEBOP.  

I grew up playing violin at age 3, then switched to cello at 4, music has always been a large part of my existence.  My focus switched from classical music and orchestras to drums when I was 10 and fell in love with the great genre METAL!  I performed in a few metal/death metal/nu metal groups in the mid-90s (Erebus and Qube, namely) before advancing my musical studies in college.  Taking 5 years, I completed my Bachelors of Music degree for Percussion and Jazz Drum set at Towson University in June 2001.  Meanwhile I was performing with Hit and Run, Zuul, Injection Trio/Quartet, Nick Marsalek, and Stop Intelligent at Paloma's.  In 2001 a week after September 11th 2001, I traveled to Chicago and hit the Phrenology Festival and caught every freejazz show I could catch, and fell in love with the city.  I ended up moving to Wicker Park in Chicago not even a year later, in August 2002.  

Since being in Chicago my musical career has really taken me several great directions.  After an intensive 5-6 hours a day 6 month woodshedding period after hitting the Midwest ground running here, I started performing around town.  I made connections immediately with the thriving freejazz scene here and began taking part in local jam sessions.  I started the duo SPIZM with Urugyuan bassist Pablo Pascoll and trio Trioizm with tenor saxist Joseph Grzesik and bassist Felix Moreno (of Future Rock) and began extensive touring, recording and gigging.  SPIZM is notable for it's style, being coined as "Freespazz".  Trioizm is noted for coining the style "Junglebop".  

2005-2007 saw the opening of The Muse Cafe on 817 n Milwaukee Ave, which was co-owned and operated by myself and Joseph Grzesik.  Several jam session format nights started happening, notably Chicago Junglebop Workshop, Electro-Acoustic Workshop, and Jazztronik Experiment.  The Chicago Junglebop Synidcate was formed out of the CJW at Muse.  Following the demise of the Muse, I joined the stalwart experimental jazz quartet DOPPLER SHIFT and recorded our full length RESISTOR and gigged constantly.  SPIZM resurfased after Muse's demise in 2007 and gigs and recording commenced until Summer 2008.  After SPIZM disbanded, I continued Doppler Shift while taking on a new duo, YETI VS YETI with bassist Brendan Joyce (of KB Duo) and DJM Trio with Chapman stick player Matt Tate and Trioizm's Joe Grez on sax/guitar.  Gigging/recording and touring commenced.  DJM Trio broke up in May 2010 after 2 full length recordings with Joe moving to Melbourne Australia.  Matt Tate and myself decided to advance our musical studies and started DESTROYER OR LIBERATOR, which recorded a full length masterwork called INCOMING! released in June 2012.  YETI VS YETI released their album in Dec 2010 and disbanded in Sept 2012 before Brendan moved to San Diego.  DESTROYER OR LIBERATOR called it fine in Spring 2013 after a slew of Chicago shows, ending on mutual considerations to enable each musician to explore new musical avenues.

The present...future?  Since DoL broke up in 2013, I have mainly been involved with spearheading choice tribute bands and performances, such as Zombie Eaters (Faith No More, lead vocals/keys) October 26th 2013 at The Mutiny Halloween show and New Born (Muse- lead vocals/drums) March 7th 2014 at Elbo Room.

DJM Trio's 2nd full length release is still in the "on-deck" spot for production, mastering and release.  It has been 4 years since it was recorded on Chicago's NW side.  On a side note, DJM Trio's first release, The Intrigue, is due for a re-production and mastering.

SPIZM's full length from 2008's recording at Paragon Studios has yet to be finalized but the tracks are there, recorded onto tape to digital.  There were issues or concerns of recording fidelity from the sessions, which have dampered our interest in putting more time and energy into the release.  



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