Defbyvolume performs structured musical mayhem, The concept is to make bold statements, painting emotions with sound, sounds that rip your heart out or caress you and take you on a journey.
John Castellain is the mainstay guitarist, composer, producer but other musicians have helped nurture it into becoming an on going studio project.
DefbyVolume has existed for seven years,five years spent carefully crafting compositions into the first Album
'Test Of Time
John Castellain has been in many Australian Bands over the last 20 years,and toured with David Lee Roth with supporting band 'Afrodisa'in 1988.Steve Vai and Drummer Greg Bissonette(Joe Satriani & David Lee Roth)were playing with David Lee Roth.John Castellain has worked as a session musician(Many Instruments),producer, arranger, composer and has worked in many Studios around Australia including David Briggs'Production Workshop'('Little RiverBand')studio as well with other well known Australian Artists.DefbyVolume employed some of them to contribute to compositions that have all been recorded in Johns 'in-house Studio',including Peter Quince(Redhouse),Tony Palmer(Cow),Paul McIntosh (Glitter Gang).DefbyVolume's aim now is to get the music heard!
Defbyvolume has done radio interviews, where live alternative arrangements have been performed.
John and other Defbyvolume muso's are well known around Australia and have worked with many national and international musicians,apart from DefbyVolume.
Thats easy, everything We,ve ever heard!, here goes then, Hendrix,Napalm Death,Zappa,Pantera,Rush,Steve Morse,Judas Priest,Captain Beyond,Candira,Joe Satriani,Beethoven, Mozart, etc,etc.
A lot of computer based effects and and sounds used in unconventional ways mixed with a healthy dose of overdriven JMP Marshalls.
DefbyVolume is constantly re-inventing itself,that is why the music varies so much.We've had mixed reviews because its hard to put the music in one Genre!..So What!..Who wants to churn out the same mass produced 'safe' music anyway?, we are not trying to produce copies of other musicians, thats not to say ideas belong to one person only!(like some believe),look at the advances, both positive and negative that come about through 'Knowledge', no one owns Knowledge, but we can all share it.Like for example the Computer has revolutionised the way people make music, and has made making music in reach of everybody.Applying knowledge,and taking 'ideas; and reinventing them is what its all about!