Self Tort is the performing and recording pseudonym of Brian Ralston. Live, Self Tort is a one man band performing vocals and alternating between guitar and keyboard backing. In the studio, I plays guitar, keyboard and do all vocals. I am is assisted with production and programming by Stewart Havill of Sound Dog Recording Studios, Artarmon.

Although Self Tort came into existence in 2000, I have been playing music for 30 years, firstly with Sirrah where I played lead guitar, and later with Mid Life Crisis where I played keyboards and provided some lead and some backing vocals.

In 2000 I decided to go solo as a one man band with a view to promoting my own original material, intermixed with covers. A chance opportunity arose to do 2 sets of three songs at the Mortdale Hotel in Sydney, Australia. After those sets I was booked by the hotel as a resident performer and Self Tort was born. Self Tort continues that residency to this day.

The return to live performance inspired me to record my own material. In 2005 I commenced submitting recorded material to various internet OMD sites. My tracks have also been picked up by a number of internet radio stations including Bonnevilles ichannelmusic.com, and Nexus Radio. Tracks from my CD have also been played on Radio Skid Row, RSR FM 88.9 and 2EARFM 107.5.

I was greatly influenced by the music of the 60s and early 70s and by artists such as Cream, Pete Townsend, Ray Davies, Joe Cocker and Van Morrison. But after 30 years there are a myriad of influences that I have absorbed. My vocals have been likened to Joe Cocker, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen at various times. The music is not genre specific. I write as I feel and accordingly my music can find itself in rock, pop, country, blues, jazz and funk. I have also written and recorded a number of songs for children.

In addition, over the last 12 months I have been involved in a number of “internet collaborations” including two jazz instrumental tracks with brilliant Belgian saxophonist Alexis Van Eeckhout. Our collaboration Maianbar Sunrise reached No 1 in the all genres charts at mixposure.com charts, as did a collaboration between Self Tort, Japanese artist Shyonen, and Americans, lyricist Don Shafer and guitarist RedEyeC, and a collaboration with Mirus own Ratman, Apache 2006 (it was Ratman's composition, I just added lead guitar)

My debut CD, N.I.C was released in 2006 and contains 15 original songs. The CD is an amalgam of rock, pop and funk, infused with powerful guitar and swirling keyboards, with a vocalist whose voice reflects a long-term smoking habit. Other samples of Self Tort music can be found at www.soundclick.com/selftort.

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