Jega Biography
Background & Early YearsJega is the recording name of Dylan J. Nathan, a Manchester born electronic musician and 3D designer. Nathan has released records on Planet Mu, Matador and Skam records. Nathan produces all the music and artwork for his releases.Nathan was a teenager during the formative Madchester music scene, experiencing the Hacienda nightclub and Factory records wave first hand. Nathan received his pilots license at 16. His first computer was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum.London 1991~1994Nathan studied architecture in London, graduating in 1994. He shared classes with Mike Paradinas (Mu-Ziq). Richard D. James (Aphex Twin) was also studying sound design at the same campus. Paradinas' subsequent signing to Rephlex and London's healthy Rave and fledgling Drum&Bass scenes were strong influences on Nathan's musical direction. Nathan's first experiments were recorded at Paradinas' studio whilst Paradinas was touring.Manchester & Skam records 1995~1997Following the loss of his mother, Nathan returned to Manchester and focused on music, releasing his first EP "SKA006" in 1996 on Autechre-affiliated, Manchester-based Skam records, original home of Boards of Canada.SKA006 is dark and reflective of the UK's IDM sound. Equipment used was low-fi and mostly borrowed. Jega's first release garnered praise from the UK press, specifically NME & Melody Maker. Jega toured Europe with Autechre in 1997, playing concerts with Funkstorung and Boards of Canada. He released his second EP "SKA009" in 1997. Nathan's sound was evolving, incorporating samples for the first time, and premiering a new style tagged Drill N'Bass by NME.Spectrum, Planet-Mu & Matador 1998~1999Jega's broadening sounds and styles attracted the attention of Paradinas.Jega's first album, Spectrum, was the first release on Paradinas' Planet Mu label. Paradinas is quoted on planetmu.com: "Manchester's Dylan Nathan is one of the reasons I started this label in the first place."Spectrum fused Nathan's love of breakbeat, IDM and melody into a diverse audio collage of samples and sequencing, a departure from Skam records' more electronic and purist sound.Spectrum was later licensed by US independent label Matador Records. This new relationship lead to Jega touring the US, connecting with emerging music scenes in New York and Miami. Highlights included concerts at WMC with Schematic records, Matador records 10th anniversary at Irving Plaza NY, The Anchorage and Frying Pan in NY, Reykjavik with Bjork, and a Japanese tour with Luke Vibert and Mike Paradinas.Geometry 2000~2001Nathan recorded his second album 'Geometry' on a beige G3 Apple Macintosh, which he additionally used to teach himself 3D animation. Geometry is a reflection of Jega's electronic roots and modernist architectural aesthetic. A shift away from Spectrum's samples and genre diversity, Geometry represents a move into digital timbres, synthesis and sculpted sonics. It also explored a more melancholic and symphonic side to Jega's sound. One of Nathan's biggest influences on Geometry was the pioneering computer generate music and visuals of Tron.Brooklyn & Variance leak 2002~2004In 2002 Nathan migrated to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, creating ties with the electronic music scene at events like Safety In Numbers and Share. Despite only creating four copies for close friends, an early draft of his third album 'Variance' was leaked to file-sharing networks in 2003.Focusing increasingly on computer graphics and design, Nathan worked with studios such as PsyOp, The Mill, PanOptic, and director Joseph Kosinski.Jega continued to release a sporadic output of compilation tracks whilst he labored on the new version of Variance, incorporating experiences and influences whilst living in Brooklyn. Jega continued to perform, including concerts with Machine Drum, Otto Von Schirach, Richard Devine and Phoenecia in Miami and Los Angeles, and concerts with Data'chi, Drop the Lime, Shadetek in New York. 2004 also saw a Planet Mu European tour, with Jega performing alongside label mates Venetian Snares, Mu-ziq, Luke Vibert, KID606 and more.Los Angeles 2005~2008Moving to Los Angeles in 2005, Nathan started an animation and visual effects company based in Venice. In 2005 an animation directed and animated by Nathan appeared in the OneDotZero festival at the ICA in London. Nathan was present for a Q&A. In 2006 Jega played Ammunition 2, Planet Mu's 100th release party alongside Boxcutter and Vex'd, and performed a concert with Plaid in Germany. He also released a preview track from Variance titled 'Aerodynamic', on the 'Sacred Symbols of Mu' compilation.Jega continued to play infrequent concerts around Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Tijuana with artist such as Deru, Mochipet, Edit, Daedalus and Tom Burbank.Variance Volume 1 & 2 2009In April 2009 Nathan leveraged some studio time at the legendary Westlake Studios in Hollywood, birth place of Thriller and other seminal albums.A preview set of Variance vol.1 was aired on Mary Anne Hobbs seminal BBC Radio 1 show.Since the leak of Variance years earlier, the album has grown beyond recognition into a two volume work. Variance is the culmination of Jega's musical exploration in synthesis, sampling, melody and polyrythmic beats. Volume one envelopes the more melodic and lighter side of his sound, Volume two, the darker, more intense side.Variance is slotted for release on July 20th 2009.Nathan is currently working on a video to accompany Variance.
You are visitor #14257 since 26/5/2009
|
