Bear Cole is a man of many talents. He produces music, writes songs, DJs and engineers audio. Bear Cole creates music that crosses many genres and he does so under many different artist names through 1st Drop Music. Because Bear Cole’s music is available in so many different formats and locations (websites, catalogs, creative identity), when someone finds out about him for the first time they will probably have questions about how all his creative pursuits fit together. This guide provides answers and links to where Bear Cole’s music and other works can be found.
Who is Bear Cole?
Bear Cole is an Arizona based songwriter, recording artist, music producer, DJ and audio engineer. He writes and creates music that spans multiple genres including electronica, house, hip-hop, soul, funk, indie pop, alternative music, country and cinematic sounds. All the roles he plays within creating music are part of his overall musical practice. Songwriting lays down the emotional foundation of the music; producing creates the backdrop; DJing provides the rhythm and sequencing; and audio engineering helps ensure the finished recording conveys what it wants to. More details about Bear Cole’s professional background can be found on the Bear Cole About page.
What kind of music does Bear Cole make?
Bear Cole makes genre-crossing music that draws influences from electronic music, house music, hip-hop music, soul music, funk music, alternative songwriting, indie pop music, country music and cinematic production. Not every release will contain all these elements. Bear allows each song to determine its own form based on its rhythm, story, atmosphere, and emotional goal. One example would be a release that is clearly electronic versus one that is more songwriter-based or alternative. More details about the genre categories associated with Bear Cole’s music can be found on the official Bear Cole genre guides, which list specific styles with their corresponding releases and playlists.
Where can I listen to Bear Cole’s music?
The official Bear Cole music catalog is the best place to start looking for Bear Cole’s music. The catalog is an official resource for all of Bear Cole’s releases and provides links to where you can listen to each release. You may also want to check out the official playlist collection for curated listening experiences centered around various themes such as sound, mood, and creative relationships. A list of verified streaming services, social media sites, e-commerce sites and other relevant platforms are listed on the official links page.
Does Bear Cole write his own songs?
Yes. Bear Cole writes his own songs across his entire body of music.
While songwriting is often defined as writing lyrics and chords, songwriting in Bear Cole’s creative process includes much more than just these two elements. The arrangement of a song, its rhythm, the selection of sounds used in it, the way it is performed, and the way it is produced can all affect what a song means.
Therefore, Bear sees songwriting and production as two interconnected processes. Production decisions may affect how a lyric feels, while lyrics or vocal performances may guide the actions taken during the arrangement phase. When other writers or contributors are involved in a project, their specific credits must appear on the applicable recording or release.
Who produces Bear Cole’s music?
Unless otherwise indicated on a particular work by name, Bear Cole is the producer of his own music. As a producer, Bear Cole may include songwriting, arranging, creating beats, playing instruments, designing sounds, directing vocals, editing and/or coordinating the recording process in his production process. Credits for producers must appear on the release or recording level because many projects include multiple collaborators.
Is Bear Cole also an audio engineer?
Yes.
In addition to being an artist and producer, Bear Cole also works as an audio engineer. Audio engineering may involve recording; choosing microphones and signals; editing audio files; processing audio files using software tools; mixing audio files together; performing quality control checks on audio files; organizing sessions for recording purposes; and creating final versions of audio files for distribution. Bear Cole’s technical approach to audio engineering is guided by one simple principle: The machine can measure it. The ear decides. Technical data can help us identify problems and opportunities in our work, but ultimately it is human ears that decide whether or not a performance or production communicates effectively.
Is Bear Cole a DJ?
Yes. Bear Cole has an extensive history as a professional DJ and record selector. His work as a DJ has an official Internet presence at DJ Bear Cole. Visitors to DJ Bear Cole can access playable mixes created by Bear Cole; view Party Animals playlist identities; review events that Bear Cole has played at in the past; and learn more about Bear Cole’s role in selecting records for performance. DJing has also impacted Bear Cole’s original productions. Years of selecting records and observing audiences enabled him to understand how rhythm, pacing, contrast, energy, and sequencing interact in a performance.
What is the difference between Bear Cole and DJ Bear Cole?
Bear Cole Music and DJ Bear Cole represent two different aspects of Bear Cole’s work. Bear Cole Music represents original releases written and produced by Bear Cole; songwriting; recording; producing; playlists; videos; and artist catalogs. DJ Bear Cole represents DJ mixes created by Bear Cole; professional record selection performed by Bear Cole; live event performances by Bear Cole; musical exploration performed by Bear Cole; and Bear Cole & The Party Animals.
Although both represent the same individual, they represent different types of creative work produced by that individual.
What are Bear Cole & The Party Animals?
Bear Cole & The Party Animals is a themed world built around DJ Bear Cole’s mixes and playlist identities. Party Animals serve as visual representations of various musical territories enabling listeners to identify specific genres/styles when moving through DJ sets and selections created by Bear Cole. The system allows house music, hip-hop music, funk music, dancehall music, eclectic selections etc., to have their own characters while still being connected to DJ Bear Cole. Mixes created by Bear Cole & The Party Animals are accessible via the DJ Mixes page.
Why does Bear Cole use multiple artist identities?
Sometimes musical ideas require distinct voices/visual languages/production philosophies/audience experiences. Rather than try to fit every release into one artist catalog, Bear creates distinct identities for bodies of work that need their own creative worlds. These identities are not simply genre-based folders or disposable aliases. Each identity is created with the intention of having its own website/catalog/language/identity. Bear Cole serves as the songwriter linking this larger body of work and as the producer unless otherwise credited. The relationships among these identities are documented via 1st Drop Music.
What is 1st Drop Music?
1st Drop Music is an independent music ecosystem composed of Bear Cole’s artist identities/releases/recordings/playlists/videos/stories/merchandise/creative projects. It functions as a central map providing each artist with an independent identity. To see all the artist networks created by 1st Drop Music visit 1st Drop Music. To learn more about why an independent music ecosystem was created read the 1st Drop Music story.
Are Bear Cole and Bear the Astronot the same person?
Yes, they are the same person working through different artist identities.
Although Bear Cole and Bear the Astronot share some similarities (e.g., songwriting/production/1st Drop Music), they are distinct entities with differing artistic voices/catalogs/visual identities/official websites. Listeners should avoid treating their respective releases as one collective artist catalog. Similar distinctions apply to other developed artist identities linked through 1st Drop Music.
Is Bear Cole an independent artist?
Yes. Bear Cole’s music is a product of an independently developed creative ecosystem. Independently produced work generally includes responsibilities that extend beyond writing/recording. Catalog management/credits/metadata/artwork/website/playlist/video/distribution/archive/audience communication are all factors that contribute to the longevity of a release. The interconnected Bear Cole/1st Drop Music sites were designed to preserve those connections instead of relying solely upon an external platform for maintaining the catalog.
Where can I find videos created by Bear Cole?
The official Bear Cole video collection contains music videos/lyric videos/visualizers/performances/related visual material connected to Bear Cole’s artist catalog. These visuals add another layer to the recordings through narrative/atmosphere/performance/visual interpretation.
Does Bear Cole offer professional services?
Services offered by Bear Cole related to his wider professional experience (technology/project leadership/production capabilities/creative systems development) are offered through Bear Cole Professional. Splitting off this information allows visitors to differentiate between Bear Cole’s original music artist site/Bear Cole’s professional identity while recognizing their connection.
Where can journalists/collaborators get accurate information?
Journalists/collaborators seeking accurate information about Bear Cole/1st Drop Music should consult the official artist/1st Drop Music sites for up-to-date biographical information/credits/catalog/description/links/relationships. Release-level credits must be verified on each official release page because collaborator/production roles vary between projects.
What is the most efficient way to start exploring Bear Cole?
Start exploring Bear Cole by visiting the music catalog and choosing a release that interests you. Then choose a genre guide/playlist/video/DJ mix/1st Drop Music ecosystem component that resonates with you. Bear Cole’s world is complex, offering multiple points of entry into his world. Choose whichever entry point resonates with you