Mudvayne’s Ryan Martinie Plays in a Funk/Jazz Fusion Band Now

Even for those of us who aren’t really fans of Mudvayne, bassist Ryan Martinie has always had a certain appeal. His complex bass lines consistently proved the most interesting part of Mudvayne’s music, and his stage presence and public persona made him a fascinating character. If you’ve ever met him in person, those facets play out: he’s the nicest dude ever, but also very intense and a bit bizarre.

So what’s Mudvayne’s talent been up to while singer Chad Gray and, until 2014, guitarist Greg Tribbett have been busy sucking ass in Hellyeah (and, uh, the latter in Audiotopsy)? It’s been a long time since Mudvayne’s last record, and until recently Martinie’s been very quiet on the musical front outside of a guest appearance with Kurai.

Martinie has a new project called Soften the Glare, a funk/jazz fusion outfit with influences from all over the place, including a touch of metal and plenty of prog. And, no surprise: he still rips, and seems to be having the time of his life if the below live footage of a show last fall is any indication. According to Soften the Glare’s Facebook page, the other two musicians that round out the trio — guitarist Bon Lozaga and drummer Mitch Hull — are quite accomplished too, albeit in different spheres than we traffic in.

We can’t find any information about a Soften the Glare album release, but we’ll keep you posted if/when that happens.