Headed up by creative directors Peter Davis and Dan Biro Ambient Arts is an independent design collective with a global reach specializing in design and variant design concepts both visual and audial. With connecting creative agencies based in Paris and New York its aim is to forge new perspectives in design, striving constantly for innovation and originality whilst challenging the norm of design precepts and protocols.
As a choral scholar Peter trained classically in the flute and piano, thence taking up drums/percussion and vibes. At art school studying Fine Art, MA Painting (and film) he founded the innovative ‘jazz crossover’ outfit ‘Sister Sun’, which toured and recorded throughout Europe. From being on the road he ventured into commercial soundtracks and TV commercials work which included, amongst many others, Perrier (Alphabet campaign with Terence Donovan - Gold Lion Cannes) Halifax, Faberge (for which he also devised, wrote and produced the Brut re-launch campaign) Sprite, Audi. Also to his credit are numerous TV idents and arrangements including Channel Four, Anglia, Meridian and Carlton and scoring for TV series and documentaries which again amongst others have also included the ‘The Third World War’ (C4) ‘The Lodge’ ‘Wavelength’ ‘Privates’ (ITV) and the BAFTA, RTS, award winning ‘Press Gang’ (ITV/Central TV). He has also contributed to LWT’s ‘South Bank Show’ on ‘Benjamin Britten’, ‘Miles Davis’ and ‘Weather Report’ and wrote and produced ‘The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong’ featuring Kingsley Amis and as director/playwright his first stage play “Through The Grapevine” (the life of Marvin Gaye) received its world premiere at The Shaw Theatre.
One of the UK’s leading soundtrack composers and multi- instrumentalists Peter founded The Red Orchidstra whose version of the Roy Budd theme from the seminal '71 Brit gangster movie '‘Get Carter’’ is regarded as a groove classic and was the most requested record –ever – on jazzfm. His solo work includes amongst a body of work ‘Symphony Of The Spirits’ and ‘Etudes Paolina’ and his beatvoxflute tour-de-force ‘Big Budd’ah’. His most recent outfit ‘Mysteries Of The Revolution’ (drawn from elements of The Red Orchidstra) released its eponymous debut album on HITW’s label ‘Blue Serene Focus’. As filmmakers Hole In The Wall Productions have featured regularly at international festivals including Cannes where in 2010 HITW’s short ‘Poolside’ was selected for the CFBC’s ‘La Nouvelle Haine’ category from which he is currently developing a feature, writing the screenplay and working on a new stage play.
His passion for visual design and architecture in all its forms is well served with Ambient Arts.
Of Hungarian/Croation descent, London based Dan spent his first years in Rome and grew up in France where he studied keyboards at the Conservatoire de Monaco (under the direction of Roger Grosjean) and the University Of Nice. This resulted in an early use of electronic instruments and an interest in multi-disciplinary performance, which is reflected in all his work. In the 1980’s and 90’s Dan formed pop-rock bands such as the electro outfit ‘IC’ and ‘L'Orange’ with French vocalist and songwriter Véronique Joly. He also toured worldwide as a keyboard player and in the mid 90’s founded the Sargasso label. Promotng contemporary experimental music in all its forms he organises regular live Sargasso:C events at London's arts centre Kings Place.
Together with long time artistic collaborator multi-instrumentalist Peter BB Davis he runs the Ambient Arts Agency whose sister company Hole In The Wall Productions has made a series of award-winning short films exhibiting at international festivals including Cannes, where in 2010 their short ‘Poolside’ was chosen by the CFBC’s ‘La Nouvelle Haine’ category. They also run the Blue Serene Focus label whose eponymous debut album release ‘Mysteries Of The Revolution’ was described as ‘ferocious and intoxicating music’ (All About Jazz). Throughout the years, he has collaborated with many filmmakers, especially with cult French documentary director Olivier Sarrazin, for whom he has written a number of scores. He has also been very much involved with contemporary dance, notably with choreographer Jane Turner with whom he has developed new real-time interactive dancers/musicians technologies based on Emergence Theory, where simple patterns generate complex results. As well as his on-going experimentation as an improviser, he has been working as a sound-designer for installations and inter-disciplinary events.
Dan is also currently president of the CAMAC Art Centre in Paris.