Paul Bell is a studio composer and turntablist. He completed an HND in music production in 2002 then went on to gain a bachelors degree and then a masters degree, majoring in studio composition and improvisation. He is currently undertaking a practice-led Ph.D in music at Newcastle University under the supervision of Will Edmondes and Bennett Hogg.
Paul studied DJ performance for three years under the tutelage of Raj Pannu which helped lay foundations for doctoral research into turntable improvisation. His research explores the role of the DJ as live performer with a specific investigation into the diverse improvisational practices that exist within contemporary DJ culture, confronting head-on the contradictory nature of using recordings to create live music.
A number of solo and collaborative projects inform his researches including his Live Cinema project where he brings together DJ and VJ practices, a DJ Motion Capture project offering unique insights into turntable performance, and the Tron Lennon project. Paul is also collaborating on an inter-disciplinary project at Culture Lab to help develop new, tangible tools for Live Cinema/VJ performance.
