545 Music

545 Music (formerly known as 545 Records) is a creative music collective based around the foundation of the multi-instrumentalist songwriting/production duo of brothers Dave and Greg Leeman. The foundational energy for their multi-genre groove-based sound was ignited in the gathering center of the basement in their childhood home, where endless open jam sessions, MC cyphers, DJ battles, b-boy practice sessions, and house parties attracted an eclectic mix like-minded creative individuals. The broken grandfather clock in the corner of the basement was stuck at 5:45, which grew to represent that creative space and ultimately the duo’s distinct sound born there to this day.

Greg (a.k.a. Merf) began as a bassist, but soon after lent his palpable sense of groove to the drums. His ear and appreciation for the low-end frequencies were developed and strengthened in the post-recording session neighborhood drives to listen to the mix in his van equipped with 15-inch subwoofers. His ear, sense of groove, and engineering skills quickly created a demand for his hip hop beats among area rappers. Notable CT rappers Joey Batts, Cre808, and Blacastan have used and recorded on Merf545 beats, which are a combination a samples, programmed drums, DJ scratches (often by Dave), and live instrumentation performances by the brothers.    

Dave began as a guitarist with a strong inspiration from the psychedelic groove of the late, great Jimi Hendrix. He studied music theory, production, and composition at the Hartford Conservatory and the University of Bridgeport. His distinct combination of skills on the guitar, knowledge of diverse styles, genres and techniques, and ability to communicate ideas make him comfortable playing a supporting role as sideman or stepping to the front and being a featured soloist. In the 545 basement jam sessions, he began to also play drums and learned to DJ for the 545 parties and b-boy practice sessions. Although he is an open format DJ, he brings the skills of a turntablist, and a hip hop minded approach to rocking a party.

The 545 Music sound has continued to grow and evolve to represent the creative skill and interests of the brothers. In addition to their work in hip hop production, they contributed soundtrack and score music for the independent films “King Midas” and “Forever.” They have performed original instrumental music under the band names “Funkbotz” and “Santiago & Dunbar”. They regularly collaborate and perform with multi-instrumentalist Dan Mikkelson, lead singer and guitarist for the punk band “Max Hysteria”. The duo is currently working on an E.P. of original instrumental compositions to be released exclusively on vinyl in the summer of 2025.