Gaiser

Jon Gaiser came up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, studying percussion with the symphony on one side and playing drums in punk bands on the other. Detroit was close enough to matter, and techno is what stuck. Nearly everything he's put out since has gone through Richie Hawtin's Minus.

What he makes there is atmospheric and bass-led, techno built out of sound design rather than borrowed grooves. He toured with the label's Contakt and CNTRL projects and held a residency at ENTER, playing live with visuals instead of DJing. Four albums in, the method hasn't shifted much: peculiar sound sources, rare analogue gear sitting next to the newest digital tools, and no loyalty to either as long as the result works.