components
Divine Ratio is comprised of musicians from Virgina Beach, New Jersey and New York. Their music is intense and emotional, foreign, yet strangely familiar, rhythmic and melodic. It is derived from influences and life experiences that are evident in the sound that these four musicians create.
Divine Ratio was formed as Release in 2000 by lead vocalist and guitarist/songwriter Bryan Knispel. Bryan is a well-respected local musician whose credits include working with bands Soul Circle and Relief, along with his current side project Acoustic Sense. Charles Gray, guitarist/songwriter and NY native, has co-founding credits with past bands Limbic, Fraction and Trichotomy (aka Rook). Tripp Johnson is a respected bassist and vocalist who additionally holds a BA in Drum Set Studies and Composition from the College of William and Mary. Rounding out this dynamic group is drummer James Roman a native of NJ, who has through the years played with countless musicians and bands doing session work, film tracks and touring.
Divine Ratio is a band dedicated to and propelled forward by the idea that real music is not an accident or a preconceived corporate blueprint, but rather a vehicle for creating a sound that is emotional, compelling, and able to release people's hearts and minds. φ
symbolism
The name "Divine Ratio" may sound pretentious, religious, or even cerebral to some, but the simple fact is that it's a number. Referred to commonly as Phi it is represented by the following symbol:
φ
Many regard this number as being a key to unlocking and understanding life, beauty, love, hate, power, death, existence and other mysterious subjects in the universe. The ratio, or proportion, determined by Phi (1.618...) was known to the Greeks as the "dividing a line in the extreme and mean ratio" and to Renaissance artists as the Divine Proportion. It is also referenced as the Golden Section, Golden Ratio and the Golden Mean.
Phi is simply the ratio of the line segments that result when a line is divided in one very special and unique way, as follows: Divide a line so that the ratio of the length of the entire line (A) to the length of larger line segment (B) is the same as the ratio of the length of the larger line segment (B) to the length of the smaller line segment (C). This happens only at the point where: A is 1.618...times B and B is 1.618...times C. Alternatively, C is 0.618...of B and B is 0.618...of A.
This concept is used specifically in art to please the eye. More importantly, it is in found within the essential make up of the entire universe. It is found in DNA, music, spirals (like our galaxy), the solar system, art and architecture, plants, music, trees, seeds, skin, human measurements and an infinite array of natural objects.
The members of Divine Ratio loved the fact that there was one thing that could tie just about everything thing in the universe together. They also love the subtle but powerful irony in this ideology...in which everything together is in essence a ratio, which of course denotes a division.
By name alone, many think Divine Ratio is a religious or "Christian" band. However, they are drawn more so toward the idea that science and deductive reasoning are more important than other ideals and old traditions. They have come to the conclusion that our universe is perpetually evolving and this evolution is something to behold and learn from.
These concepts are what Divine Ratio enjoys writing about and incorporating into their music. Divine Ratio attempts to bring back that certain allure in music, making it more than something one simply puts on to dance to or fill a void of silence.
