Guitarist Ted Martinez works alone, but it wasn’t always supposed to be that way. Originally, he planned to work with a musical partner, hence his now alter-ego name, “This Is Where Two Oceans Meet.” Things didn’t work out that way, and now Martinez creates multi-layered soundscapes using a variety of electronic looping devices, pedals, and percussion. The effect is like hearing up to three or four people perform at once.
“I have a reliable band partner now,” Martinez jokes.
In studio at Texas Public Radio, Martinez performed three songs from his self-produced EP. The gentle melodies carry you away. “My stuff is very simple, but I try to use the right phrasing and shape it with the right tone, to make it glitter and sparkle,” he says.
“I’ve had some people message me and say how beautiful [the music is],” Martinez continues. “[Audiences tell me] how they felt all these emotions running through it. I’m not trying to project any emotion or idea. People take the sound and let it evolve in their own mind.”
For his own part, Martinez says he feels “serene” when performing.
Martinez says he’s comfortable as a solo act, for now. “The control is intoxicating, I’m not going to lie!” he adds with a laugh, looking down again at his pedal rack.
You can hear This Is Where Two Oceans Meet once a month at J&O’s Cantina on S. Presa, as well as Jack’s Patio off of Thousand Oaks. He’s also working toward playing gallery openings, where his music becomes a fitting soundtrack to an evening of fine art.
