Dren McDonald

McDonald began his music career in 1994 with the release of Giant Ant Farm's Fortune on Vaccination Records.{{Cite news |last=Boehm |first=Mike |last2= |first2= |date=1995-04-13 |title=GAF, Soul Scream: Acts of Individualism |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-13-ca-54134-story.html |access-date=2023-01-31}}{{Cite web |title=Cage: Europeras 3 and 4 – Mode Records |url=https://moderecords.com/catalog/038_39cage/ |access-date=2023-01-31}}File:Giant Ant Farm Los Angeles 1994.jpg

The album was reviewed in the Los Angeles Times, with critic Mike Boehm writing "[i]n contrast to the overt expressions of anger and dread you get in most punk songs about the declining state of things, McDonald offers symbolic and metaphoric dreamscapes"

In 1995, McDonald made an appearance as a turntablist on John Cage's Europeras 3 & 4 with the Long Beach Opera on Mode Records. In 1996, Giant Ant Farm's second album, an EP titled Dressed in Milk, was released.

In 1996, McDonald also made an appearance on the compilation record, Eyesore: A Stab at The Residents (a tribute to the art collective The Residents), appearing with artists such as Primus, Cracker, Stan Ridgway, and Vaccination Records labelmates Charming Hostess, The Poxy Boggards, and The Residents themselves.{{Citation |title=Various Artists - Eyesore: A Stab at the Residents Album Reviews, Songs & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/eyesore-a-stab-at-the-residents-mw0000185887 |work=AllMusic |access-date=2023-10-29 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Penn Jillette – The Vogue |url=https://thevogue.com/artists/penn-jillette/ |access-date=2023-01-31}}{{Cite web |last=Cerio |first=Steven |date=2010-05-30 |title=Interview with The Residents- Seconds #43 (1997) |url=https://www.stevencerio.com/2010/05/interview-with-the-residents-seconds-43/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=StevenCerio.com}}

McDonald served as a stage manager at the 1997 Making Waves music festival in San Francisco, which featured multiple performers from Vaccination Records.{{Cite web |last=Prestianni |first=Sam |date=1997-07-02 |title=Barely a Ripple |url=https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/barely-a-ripple/Content?oid=2134354 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925165312/https://archives.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/barely-a-ripple/Content?oid=2134354 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2021-09-25 |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=SFWEEKLY}} McDonald also moderated a panel at the North by Northwest media conference and festival in 1998.{{Cite web |last=Steininger |first=Alex |date=October 1998 |title=In Music We Trust - NORTH BY NORTHWEST: Conferences and Music |url=https://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/13f03.html |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=www.inmusicwetrust.com}}

File:GAF EyesoreReleasePArty.jpg

McDonald's next releases came with the band Grndntl Brnds (pronounced Grand National Brands) with Communicating for Influence (2000) and The Great Dumbening (2002). The band debuted in 1998 and often changed the second half of their name for shows.{{Cite web |last=Hemm |first=Mae |date=1998-11-26 |title=Mae Hemm: Week of Nov.26th-Dec.2nd |url=https://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Mae-Hemm-Week-of-Nov-26th-Dec-2nd-2976758.php |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=SFGATE}} Besides McDonald, Grndntl Brnds included members of Fibulator, Little My, and Molecules.{{Cite web |last=Hemm |first=Mae |date=1999-02-05 |title=Mae Hemm: Week of Feb.5th-11th |url=https://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Mae-Hemm-Week-of-Feb-5th-11th-2948550.php |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=SFGATE}} The Great Dumbening would also be the last title released by Vaccination Records.{{Cite web |title=Vaccination Records |url=http://www.vacrec.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030325082922/http://www.vacrec.com/ |archive-date=2003-03-25 |access-date=2023-06-22}}

McDonald also took over The Residents' Ralph America merchandise business and founded a new e-commerce business called Clamazon.{{Cite web |last=Hurwitt |first=Sam |date=2001-06-08 |title=All About the Clam |url=https://eastbayexpress.com/all-about-the-clam-1/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=East Bay Express}} Clamazon sold albums and music packages and included internet radio stations and a database of music credits that helped users find related music.

In the early 2000s, McDonald began to change his career and looked into working on video game music and sound.

McDonald has composed music for video games such as Ravenwood Fair, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Commander, Skulls of the Shogun, Dangerous Dave Deluxe, and the video game adaptation of Transformers: Age of Extinction.

File:Dren McDonald conducting The String Arcade.jpg

In 2014, McDonald created the musical sound design for Elevate, Apple's pick for App of the Year in 2014.{{Cite news |last=Graham |first=Jefferson |date=2014-12-08 |title=Meet Apple's iPhone app of the year: Elevate |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2014/12/08/meet-apples-iphone-app-of-the-year--elevate/19951673/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |magazine=USA TODAY}} That same year he also contributed to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Music Kits and released a fundraiser album of video game music arranged for string quartet, entitled The String Arcade.{{Cite web |date=2014-02-11 |title=The String Arcade — available today — beautifully combines video game music with string instruments |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/the-string-arcade-available-today-beautifully-combines-video-game-music-with-string-instruments/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=VentureBeat}} The String Arcade release gave 100% of its sales and streaming revenue to Alameda Music Project (now known as Bay Area Music Project).{{Cite web |last=Cowan |first=Danny |date=2014-01-28 |title=Classic game themes get classier in string quartet album The String Arcade |url=https://www.engadget.com/2014-01-28-classic-game-themes-get-classier-in-string-quartet-album-the-str.html |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Engadget}} It won an award at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards in 2015 for Best Game Music Cover/Remix.{{Cite web |last=Savery |first=Richard |date=2015-03-10 |title=13th Annual GANG Awards Winners |url=https://www.audiogang.org/gang-awards-winners-2/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Game Audio Network Guild}}

Later that year, McDonald organized a Music in Schools fundraiser with Humble Bundle, putting together a large bundle of music and games that also went to support Alameda Music Project. The collection included The String Arcade along with releases from Jello Biafra (and three other titles from his label, Alternative Tentacles), unreleased cues from Sam Hulick's Mass Effect 3 soundtrack, soundtracks from Fez, Dear Esther, FTL, and Spelunky.{{Cite web |title=Humble "Music in Schools" Bundle - Raise Funds for Music Education |url=https://geardiary.com/2014/06/04/humble-music-schools-bundle-raise-funds-music-education/}}

In 2015, McDonald contributed soundtracks to Pontoco's Gathering Sky.{{Cite web |title=Gathering Sky |url=https://pontoco.com/gathering-sky |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Pontoco}}{{Cite web |last=Hickey Jr. |first=Patrick |date=2016-01-09 |title=Dren McDonald Talks "Dangerous Dave" and More |url=https://reviewfix.com/2016/01/dren-mcdonald-talks-dangerous-dave-and-more/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Review Fix}} Many of the game’s reviews recognized McDonald's interactive score.{{Cite news |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=2015-08-14 |title=Gathering Sky is a short, meditative game about birds in a distant world |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gathering-sky-is-a-short-meditative-game-about-birds-in-a-distant-world/ |access-date=2023-02-01}}{{Cite web |last=Hudson |first=Laura |date=2015-08-13 |title=Soar on the wind as a flock of birds in Gathering Sky |url=https://boingboing.net/2015/08/13/gathering-sky-game.html |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Boing Boing}}{{Cite web |last=Rochefort |first=Simone de |date=2015-09-08 |title=Gathering Sky Review: A Relaxing, Immersive Journey |url=https://pixelkin.org/2015/09/08/gathering-sky-review-a-relaxing-immersive-journey/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Pixelkin}} The score was recorded at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where McDonald would later teach as an adjunct professor; it was the first project recorded at SFCM's brand new Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) facilities.{{Cite web |date=2015-05-21 |title=San Francisco Conservatory of Music stretches bounds |url=https://www.yourclassical.org/story/2015/05/21/san-francisco-conservatory-of-music-stretches-bounds |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=www.yourclassical.org |language=en}}

In 2016, McDonald won three awards at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards for his work on Gathering Sky, namely Best Audio for an Indie Game, Best Sound Design in a Casual/Social Game, and Best Game Audio Article, Publication, or Broadcast.{{Cite web |title=2016 G.A.N.G. Awards Winners |url=https://www.audiogang.org/awards-archive-old/2016-g-a-n-g-awards/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Game Audio Network Guild}}

That same year, McDonald appeared in the documentary Beep: A Documentary History of Game Sound which included a compendium book.{{Cite journal |last=Collins |first=Karen |date=October 2016 |title=Game Sound in the Mechanical Arcades: An Audio Archaeology |url=http://gamestudies.org/1601/articles/collins |journal=Game Studies |volume=16 |issue=1 |issn=1604-7982}} He also wrote began a game project called Fire Child which remains unfinished, though a trailer for the game has been released.{{Cite web |title=FIRE CHILD Blends Cartoon Style Animation with Creepiness |url=https://gametyrant.com/news/fire-child-blends-cartoon-style-animation-with-creepiness |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=GameTyrant}}

That year he also began work on another game with John Romero, Gunman Taco Truck, which was designed by Romero's stepson, Donovan.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-23 |title=A 10-year-old designs Gunman Taco Truck with help from legendary gaming parents |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/a-10-year-old-designs-gunman-taco-truck-with-help-from-legendary-gaming-parents/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=VentureBeat}} The Gunman Taco Truck soundtrack used unusual recording techniques to help create the sound of a dystopian mariachi band, such as mechanical filters{{Cite web |last=Savery |first=Richard |date=2015-09-29 |title=Dren McDonald on Gathering Sky and Gunman Taco Truck |url=https://www.audiogang.org/dren-mcdonald-on-gathering-sky-and-gunman-taco-truck/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Game Audio Network Guild}}{{Cite web |last=Levine |first=Mike |date=2017-06-13 |title=Of Mutants, Tacos, and Mariachi |url=http://www.emusician.com/artists/1333/of-mutants-tacos-and-mariachi/62990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724100932/http://www.emusician.com/artists/1333/of-mutants-tacos-and-mariachi/62990 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-07-24 |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=Electronic Musician}} while recording live musicians.{{Cite web |last=Orr |first=Ed |date=2017-11-14 |title=Our Gunman Taco Truck Review |url=https://www.gamespace.com/featured/our-gunman-taco-truck-review/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.gamespace.com}}{{Cite web |title=Gunman Taco Truck |url=https://toucharcade.com/games/gunman-taco-truck |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=TouchArcade}}

In 2019, McDonald scored the full-length documentary The Edge of Success, which was shown at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival.{{Citation |title=The Edge of Success |url=https://mubi.com/films/the-edge-of-success |access-date=2023-02-01}}{{Cite web |title=Fingerprints - Cleveland International Film Festival :: March 22 - April 1, 2023 |url=https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/2018/fingerprints |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=www.clevelandfilm.org}}

McDonald was an adjunct professor in the new Technology and Applied Composition program (TAC) at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.{{Cite web |title=GAME215: Audio Direction {{!}} Course Web Pages (Old Site) |url=https://courses.soe.ucsc.edu/courses/game215 |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=courses.soe.ucsc.edu}}{{Cite web |date=2018-03-06 |title=In San Francisco, Video Games Are Classical Music's New Frontier |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13826120/in-san-francisco-video-games-are-classical-musics-new-frontier |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=KQED |language=en-us}}

McDonald has contributed to the academic publications The Game Audio Strategy Guide: A Practical Course{{Cite book |last1=Zdanowicz |first1=Gina |title=The Game Audio Strategy Guide: A Practical Course |last2=Bambrick |first2=Spencer |publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann |year=2019 |isbn=9781138498341 |edition=1st |pages=Acknowledgements}} and The Beep Book: Documenting the History of Game Sound.{{Cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Karen |title=The Beep Book: Documenting the History of Game Sound |last2=Greening |first2=Chris |publisher=Ehtonal |year=2016 |asin=B01J1YDNQ8}}

McDonald composed the jingle for Instagram’s Superzoom feature. In 2019, McDonald spoke on the subject of AR audio at AES,{{Cite web |title=AES New York 2019 » Game Audio & XR Track Event Details |url=https://www.aes.org/events/147/gameaudio/?displayall |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=www.aes.org}} In 2020, McDonald spoke at the D.E.W. conference about AR and audio/music.{{Cite web |last=Modi |first=Naman |date=2020-01-28 |title=Dren McDonald |url=https://www.dewexpo.com/2020/speakers/dren-mcdonald/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Digital Entertainment World |language=en-US}}

In 2022, McDonald scored and audio directed the VR animation, Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five produced by Oculus/Meta. The animated VR project was created with Quill and premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June 2022.{{Cite web |title=Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five {{!}} 2022 Tribeca Festival |url=https://tribecafilm.com/festival/archive/mescaform-hill-the-missing-five-2022 |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Tribeca}}

McDonald also scored the VR animation Perennials, which was produced by Meta and premiered at the Venice Immersive section of the Venice Film Festival in September 2023.{{Cite web |last=Bałaga |first=Marta |date=2023-09-05 |title=Zoe Roellin Gets Personal in Meta-Produced 'Perennials': 'This Story Is All About This Abandoned House and the Emotions Tied to It' |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/festivals/zoe-roellin-meta-perennials-venice-1235712642/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

In February 2024, the Stranger Things VR game was released and the MR chapters of the game have music and sounds written, designed and produced by McDonald.{{Cite web |last=Hayden |first=Scott |date=2024-02-01 |title='Stranger Things VR' Coming Exclusively to Quest This Month |url=https://www.roadtovr.com/stranger-things-vr-release-fall-2023-psvr-2-quest-steam/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Road to VR |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=STVR Credits |url=https://tenderclaws.com/stvr-credits |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Tender Claws |language=en-US}}

In 2020, McDonald began a music collaboration project, polyheDren,{{Cite web |title=Music Collaborations For Fundraising |url=https://www.polyhedren.com/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=polyhedren music}} with a series of musical guests as a fundraiser for Bay Area Music Project.{{Cite web |title=stringarcadeproject |url=https://www.bayareamusicproject.org/music-supporting-music.html |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=BAY AREA MUSIC PROJECT}}{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=Kurt |date=2022-11-15 |title=POLYHEDREN: Psychic: CD |url=https://razorcake.org/polyhedren-psychic-cd/ |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=Razorcake}} polyheDren’s first full length record was released in April 2022.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-29 |title=PRESS PLAY: New Albums out April 29th! |url=https://xpn.org/2022/04/29/press-play-april-29-2022/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=WXPN |language=en}} The album was produced, mixed and written by McDonald, with each song featuring a different music collaboration.{{Cite web |title=polyheDren and the spoken word avant funk rock fusion of "Sixteen Gold Candles" feat. The Residents & Josh Freese (Official Video) - AMERICAN PANCAKE |url=https://www.americanpancake.com/2022/05/polyhedren-and-spoken-word-avant-funk.html |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=www.americanpancake.com}} Collaborators include Josh Freese (Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Sting, Devo) and The Residents.

After working together on polyheDren, in January 2023, McDonald joined Josh Freese at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for a 50th Anniversary concert for The Residents, along with several other guest performers including Les Claypool (Primus), David J (Bauhaus), Ego Plum, Pamela Z, and The San Francisco Girls Chorus. The concert was organized by SFCM's Edwin Outwater{{Cite web |last=Heigl |first=Alex |date=2023-01-17 |title=SFCM Hosts Beloved SF Avant-Garde Rockers The Residents for Winter Term |url=https://sfcm.edu/newsroom/the-residents-winter-term-performance |access-date=2023-02-01 |website=SFCM}} and the concert recording and concert video of this show was released by Cherry Red.{{Cite web |last=Ingham |first=Matt |date=2023-12-24 |title=THE RESIDENTS {{!}} Brand-new live album Secret Show on CD / DVD and 2LP coming soon… |url=https://www.cherryred.co.uk/the-residents-brand-new-live-album-secret-show-on-cd-dvd-and-2lp-coming-soon/ |access-date=2024-03-17 |website=Cherry Red Records |language=en-GB}}

In 2022, McDonald began releasing a suite of instrumental singles emulating the sound of a guitar orchestra, layering guitar parts to create this sound.{{Cite web |title=Appearing Records |url=https://appearingrecords.com/ |access-date=2023-06-22 |website=Appearing Records}}{{Cite web |last=Times-Standard |first=The |date=2023-05-04 |title=Oakland musician delves into 'guitar orchestra' |url=https://www.times-standard.com/2023/05/04/oakland-musician-delves-into-guitar-orchestra/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=Times-Standard |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Apr23 Full_Issue.pdf {{!}} Weekly Bulletin |url=https://www.weekly-bulletin.com/pdf/completeissue/Apr23_Full_Issue.pdf}} A full length album of these pieces, titled Pterous, was released in April 2023 through Appearing Records.

• 1997: San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay: Best Reason to Graft a 3rd Ear to Your Forehead – Vaccination Records{{Cite web |date=1997-07-30 |title=Entertainment & Nightlife |url=http://www.bestofthebay.com/1997/nightedit.html#graft |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000516172506/http://www.bestofthebay.com/1997/nightedit.html#graft |url-status=dead |archive-date=2000-05-16 |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Best of the Bay}}
• 2011: Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) Awards: Distinguished Service Award{{Cite web |title=2011 Awards |url=https://www.audiogang.org/awards-archive-old/2011-awards/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Game Audio Network Guild}}
• 2015: Game Audio Network Guild (GANG): Best Remix/Cover Song – "Grasswalk" (Plants vs. Zombies), The String Arcade{{Cite web |last=Savery |first=Richard |date=2015-03-10 |title=13th Annual GANG Awards Winners |url=https://www.audiogang.org/gang-awards-winners-2/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Game Audio Network Guild}}
• 2016: Game Audio Network Guild (GANG): Best Game Audio Article – Audio Journals: Gathering Sky (GamaSutra){{Cite web |title=2016 G.A.N.G. Awards Winners |url=https://www.audiogang.org/awards-archive-old/2016-g-a-n-g-awards/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Game Audio Network Guild}}
• 2016: Game Audio Network Guild (GANG): Best Sound Design in a Casual Game – Gathering Sky
• 2016: Game Audio Network Guild (GANG): Best Indie Game Audio – Gathering Sky

• Fortune (Vaccination Records, 1994, CD){{Cite web |title=Dren McDonald Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dren-mcdonald-mn0001297124 |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
• Eyesore: A Stab at The Residents (Vaccination Records, 1996, CD – compilation)
• Dressed in Milk (Vaccination Records, 1996, CD)

• Communicating for Influence (Vaccination Records, 2000, CD)
• Rawk Party (Vaccination Records, 2000, CD – compilation)
• The Great Dumbening (Vaccination Records, 2002, CD)

• Psychic (BAMP Records, 2022, CD/digital/LP/Atmos)

• Original Soundtrack – Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate's Hideout (Nerdtracks Recordings, 2015, CD/digital){{Citation |last=Ken Gagne |title=IndieSider #34: Dangerous Dave with Dren McDonald |date=2015-11-18 |url=http://archive.org/details/IndieSider_34_Dangerous_Dave |work=IndieSider |volume=#34 |access-date=2023-12-20}}
• Original Soundtrack – Gathering Sky (Nerdtracks Recordings, 2015, digital)
• Original Soundtrack – Gunman Taco Truck (Nerdtracks Recordings, 2017, CD/digital)
• J. (Appearing Records, 2022, digital){{Cite web |title=Dren McDonald Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dren-mcdonald-mn0001297124 |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
• D. Part 1 (Appearing Records, 2022, digital)
• H. (Appearing Records, 2023, digital)

• John Cage, Europeras 3 & 4 (Mode Records, 1995, CD){{Cite web |title=Dren McDonald Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dren-mcdonald-mn0001297124 |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
• Moe!kestra!, Knormalities V. 2 Exclamatories! (DephineKnormal/Amanita, 2000, 7"){{Cite web |title=Rock Lottery Black Box Benefit |url=https://www.bayimproviser.com/EventView.aspx?e=2474 |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Bay Improviser}}
• Robot Arm, Giant (Motherf**kingjackson Recordings, 2002, CD){{Cite web |title=Robot Arm – Giant |url=https://www.discogs.com/pt_BR/release/14830408-Robot-Arm-Giant |website=Discogs|date=2002 }}
• The Residents: Secret Show (Live In San Francisco), Double Vinyl Edition, 2024{{Cite web |title=The Residents: Secret Show (Live In San Francisco), Double Vinyl Edition |url=https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/the-residents-secret-show-live-in-san-francisco-double-vinyl-edition/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Cherry Red Records |language=en-US}}

• 2017 - Fingerprints, Composer
• 2019 - The Edge of Success, Documentary score
• 2023 - Soundtrack for Mescaform Hill: The Missing Five, Titled: A Mescaform Hill Music Story

{{Reflist}}

• [https://drenmcdonald.com/ Dren McDonald] official website
• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7898868/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Dren McDonald] at IMDb

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Dren}}

Category:1967 births

Category:American musicians

Category:American video game composers

Category:Alternative rock musicians

Category:Experimental musicians

Category:Music of the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:American songwriters

Category:American producers

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:21st-century American male musicians

Category:Living people