Musicians - Chris Pennie

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	Musicians - Chris Pennie

Chris Pennie is the drummer and co-founder of the band the Dillinger Escape Plan.

Background

Chris started playing drums at the age of 13, and at age 16 decided he wanted to pursue music seriously. He spent two years at Berklee College of Music and received a degree in Music Synthesis, focusing on electronic music compositon and manipulation.

Influences

As far as drummers, Pennie has cited Lars Ulrich and Stewart Copeland as his main early influences. In regard to his current playing, Sean Reinert is one of his biggest inspirations. He's also emphasized on several occasions that listening to and playing a diverse assortment of music has been an integral part in developing his style, noting such eclectic influences as 70's jazz-rock fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, technical metal bands Meshuggah, Cynic, and electronic-influenced groups such as Nine Inch Nails and DJ Shadow.

Bands

As stated before, Pennie is best known for his work with the Dillinger Escape Plan, but he also spent time with the pop-punk group Boxer. Formed in 1995 with another Berklee graduate, Jeremy McDowell, they became first band to be signed to the now famous Vagrant Records. They released one album, "The Hurt Process" in 1998, and broke up in late 1999. Pennie also recorded drums for his former tourmates in experimental metalcore group All Else Failed on their 2004 album "This Never Happened".

As for his role in the Dillinger Escape Plan, he and guitarist Ben Weinman, along with now departed singer and bassist Dimitri Minakakis and Adam Doll respectively, formed the band in March of 1997. He and Ben Weinman write the majority of Dillinger's material and Pennie has called Weinman his "musical soulmate."

His style is best described as the juxtaposition of rapid machine-like sequences of rudiments and jazz-inflected expressiveness. Pennie also takes care of a lot of the electronic influence in the band’s material in the studio as well as onstage, triggering effects and loops with footswitch pedals.

Discography

w/ Dillinger Escape Plan

1997 The Dillinger Escape Plan
1998 Under The Running Board
1998 Split w/ Nora
1999 Split w/ Drowningman
1999 Calculating Infinity
2000 The Dillinger Escape Plan (Reissue)
2002 Irony Is A Dead Scene
2002 Black On Black: A Tribute To Black Flag (cover of "Damaged, Pt.s I & II")
2003 Live Infinity
2004 Bring You To Your Knees: A Tribute To Guns 'N Roses (cover of "My Michelle")
2004 Miss Machine

Others

1998 Boxer The Hurt Process
2004 All Else Failed This Never Happened

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