Gaiser

Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Gaiser spent most of his teenage weekends staying with his older brother in Detroit, hanging out with friends and going to gigs. He'd grown up listening to punk and played drums in a few different punk bands but around the age of 14, he attended a techno event for the first time. Richie Hawtin was at the controls and Jon was completely blown away by the energy of the music and fascinated by the originality of the sounds being used. It was so new and fresh to him as a musician that he needed to figure out how this music was made, so he quit the bands and began collecting drum machines, synths and fx units, finally moving to Detroit upon graduating from high school. For the next few years, if he wasn't at home patiently programming his machines and perfecting his studio skills, he could be found digging through crates of vinyl at a place called Record Time in Detroit. Plus 8 had an office in the back of the building, so it wasn't long before he became friends with Tim Price, Clark Warner and the rest of the crew and from this chance meeting he has developed into an integral part of the Minus family. It's not hard to see why. His natural energy and rhythm are clearly responsible for the irresistible drum patterns that drive his productions forward but it's also the subtleties - the delicate melodies and dramatic changes in atmosphere that give his sound such a distinctive edge. Music has always been in his blood, his early punk rock exploits counter-balanced by the more considered approach needed to learn piano and symphonic percussion and by drawing on these earlier experiences, he has avoided the genre's more self-referential clichés. On top of his prolific studio output, Gaiser has spent much of 2006 touring Europe, the US and Japan, and 2007 promises to be even busier as demand for his live set grows. What stands out about his performances is his ability to make an immediate connection with the audience, soaking up the vibe and playing according to their reactions. He's a musician who lives off his instincts, channeling his moods and emotions directly into his computer, translating new experiences and sensations into sound. There simply is no other way.