Adrian Romero is a classical guitarist, rock musician, composer, and electronic cut-up artist and audio masher (the latter under the Radiomen Roar moniker). He is also a songwriter and has composed soundtracks for films for Sundance/IFC. Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he is a devotee of his hometown’s nylon string traditions of classical, mariachi, and flamenco guitar. Romero is equally regarded for his electric guitar and bass playing, and for yelling into a mic.
During his career he has moved around like an army brat, ricocheting between New Mexico and places as disparate as Pierre, South Dakota, La Paz, Bolivia, Denver, Colorado. He currently resides in New York City.
Romero was recently mentioned in Guitar Player Magazine for his forays into fretless classical and fretless electric guitar. He was also seen out playing the Bicycle Wheel with instrument inventor Ken Butler, and the Samchillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee, both on record and with the instrument’s inventor Leon Gruenbaum’s band Genes and Machines.
He is internationally recognized as an innovator of experimental musical instruments created from diverse materials including tools, sports equipment, and household objects. The idea of bricolage, essentially using whatever is “at hand”, is at the center of his art, encompassing a wide range of practice that combines assemblage art, live music, instrument design, performance art, theater, sculpture, installation, photography, film/video, graphic design, drawing, and collage.
