Biography: Avis Upchurch is the new solo music project of Jeff Butterfield.  Jeff began making electronic music and simultaneously started the Avis Upchurch project in March, 2006 with the song "Tractors."  This first piece came into existance because of an assignment for a class entitled "Introduction to Computer Music," and started a snowball-effect leading to the creation of subsequent compositions.  Although new to electronic music, Jeff has been involved with music for most of his life as a drummer/percussionist, and occasionally a singer.  He holds a degree in percussion performance from Appalachian State University (Boone, North Carolina) and is currently finishing a master's degree, also in percussion performance, at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Influences:
Classical Music: Iannis Xenakis, Stuart Saunders Smith, Brian Ferneyhough, Olivier Messiaen, Elliott Carter, Johannes Brahms, Philip Glass and the Qatsi Trilogy,  Ludwig Van Beethoven, Dmitri Shostakovich, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Igor Stravinsky. Electronica: Venetian Snares, Aphex Twin, Autechre,  Squarepusher, Mum (and especially Bjork + Boards of Canada for turning me on to electronic music in the first place) Rock/Other: Cocteau Twins, Rush, Frank  Zappa, Yes. Most recently: Eraserhead, Randomatik Blast, The Escamotage

Sounds Like:
Confusion, insanity and schizophrenia in sound-form