Biography
Follow on
After a lifetime of making music, Jon Gaiser is always leading from the front of his own world. With his signature sound, he has created a shift in the direction of underground electronic music, starting a movement of atmospheric bass-line driven techno that is entirely unique and unmistakable. It has come almost exclusively on Richie Hawtin’s Minus, and with that label he has been an influential part of the modern day techno landscape, both on stage and in the studio. From pioneering Minus projects like Contakt and CNTRL, to being a key resident of ENTER via his always inventive live sets and mind bending visual accompaniments, Gaiser has always harnessed the power of electronic music and nurtured its most evocative and cinematic possibilities.
Coming up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gaiser’s musical life ranged from the formal, where he studied percussion with the symphony, to the informal, where he played drums in punk rock bands. Later experiencing the golden years of Detroit, it was the infinite possibilities and futuristic darkness of techno that really captured him, and since his early teens he has been on an endless mission to create sounds that have never been heard before.
He has accomplished this on many occasions now, thanks to his exquisite sense of sound design. Pair that with his ability to evoke otherworldly feelings and knit drums together into the most compelling grooves, and you have something entirely immersive. Someone who is inspired by the odd and peculiar sound tools, from the latest digital technology to extremely rare analog pieces, what matters most to Gaiser is the end result. Across countless releases and nonstop touring around the world, he has proven that time and time again.
Further proof of his artistry comes on his four studio albums. From the abstract minimal of “Blank Fade” (2008) to the spaced out and industrial ambiance under the name VOID “No Sudden Movements” (2011) to the slick- and sci-fi percussions of “False Light“ (2014), Gaiser has very much explored techno’s outer edges in his own cerebral ways.
2017 will see the light of Gaiser’s next studio album. “III” is an album of evocative and fluid techno that paints colourful pictures in your mind, while your pants are dancing on their own. Each track lives in its own unique world, and together create a dynamic storyline from start to finish. From dark grooves to choppy house, warm atmospheres to curious sci-fi landscapes, it is another complete experience and one that proves Gaiser is unafraid of experimentation, of pushing boundaries and searching out new paths.
Listen
Watch
out on [ – ] m-nus, spring 2017
Press Release
GAISER – III
Label: Minus
Cat No: Single MINUS163 | Album MINUS164
Date of release: Single – March 24th, 2017 | Album – April 7th, 2017
Long time Minus artist Jon Gaiser is back with his fourth studio album on Richie Hawtin’s influential techno label. Simply entitled ‘III’, the full length album is due out in April 2017 after a precursory single release in the form of ’On The Way’. The track will be available on March 24, 2017 and will include an exclusive remix by Dubfire.
Throughout his career, Jon Gaiser has been synonymous with forward thinking techno and sensory stimulating live audio visual shows. Mixing up both analogue and digital recording techniques, his abstract music never fails to be both cerebral and cinematic as well as fresh and physical, never ceasing to place you right in the centre of his own special universe.
Since 2014’s ‘False Light’, Jon has continued to headline shows around the world, while constantly producing new material to test in his live sets. Always evolving whilst remaining true to his singular vision for techno, this trained percussionist and skilled drummer once again confounds expectation with his latest opus.
The first signals from the album will be sent with March single ‘On The Way.’ It is a funky track with wriggling synths executed in undeniable Gaiser fashion. Textured hi hats and loopy bass all work on sucking you into the colourful and trippy groove. Add into the package a typical big remix from SCI+TEC boss and techno megastar Dubfire and you have one of the most essential releases of 2017.
As for the album, things kick off with the introductory ‘Wirelife’. Rolling beats underpin a percolating synth line and sci-fi sound effects that immediately get you in the groove. ‘Stringtest’ and ‘Facefall’ seamlessly round out the first chapter with oodles of pure minimal funk and rubbery bass, curious song details and subtle effects. The next chapter touches on darker, hard hitting rhythms in ‘Doorway’, freaky dehumanised vocals with ‘Rubdown’ and choppy house styles on ‘Out Too’, but all exude humid atmospheres and an inviting sense of otherworldly charm. The last trio of tracks completes this fascinating story with the shuffling drums of ‘How’s That’, the colourful melodies of ‘For Balance’ and playful widescreen vibes of ‘On The Way’.
When all the tracks here are added together into one musical experience, it makes for a fluid, expertly programmed ride that takes you somewhere new and exciting, as is always the case with the one and only Gaiser.
TRACKLIST:
Wirelife
Stringtest
Facefall
Doorway
Rubdown
Out Too
How’s That
For Balance
On The Way