Gregory Jones, known professionally as G Jones (and formerly known as Grizzly J), is an American electronic music producer and DJ, born on December 16, 1991.[1] Born in Santa Cruz, California, Jones gained prominence in the electronic music scene for his intricate and technical production and sound design, fusing elements of bass, dubstep, glitch, trap, breakbeat, IDM, ambient and experimental genres[2].
G Jones | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Greg Jones |
| Born | December 16, 1991 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | Illusory Records |
| Spinoffs | Nite School Klik |
| Website | gjonesbass |
Career
editIn early life, Jones took interest in alternative rock, listening through his bedroom wall to songs by Nirvana and The Smashing Pumpkins on his brother's radio next door.[3] Originally Jones aspired to be a songwriter and playing in a band, but struggled to find others who shared his work ethic to practice regularly. In his early teens, Jones began recording tracks of himself playing guitar and drums, then using GarageBand to layer each piece together. After downloading Napster and typing in "techno" to the search bar,[4] Jones discovered songs from artists such as Daft Punk and The Chemical Brothers, leading to a transition from producing music with traditional instruments to incorporating more electronic elements. Over time, he developed a taste for more experimental music, drawing inspiration from pioneers like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Venetian Snares. The music of Mr. Oizo sparked Jones' interest in hip-hop beats, prompting him to experiment with various styles and genres, including house music and hip-hop, before gravitating towards the dubstep sound around 2008.[5] Around age 15 or 16, Jones began using Ableton Live 6 to produce after being introduced to the software by a high school teacher, often watching tutorials on YouTube to learn production techniques.[4] After several years of experimentation and practice, Jones published his first tracks under the name 'Grizzly-J', releasing the EP Let's Party in 2011.
In 2012, Jones changed his name from Grizzly-J to G Jones.[6] Later that year, G Jones released the Mirage EP on Saturate!Records, a record label based in Germany. in 2013, Jones released two EPs, Transmissions in January, and Eyes in August. The following year, G Jones released Ring the Alarm, working again with the Saturate!Records label. The nine-track EP included collaborations with fellow bass music artists Minnesota, Doshy, and Mad Zach.[7] In early 2015, DJ Shadow discovered some of Jones' music while crate-digging. The duo ended up working together and ultimately came up with the moniker "Nite School Klik". In April 2015, the pair released the single, "Posse", under Shadow's label, Liquid Amber. Initially keeping their individual identities kept a secret, Jones posited that the anonymity would allow for people to view the material "not just through the lens of 'what’s Shadow doing now?' and more like 'what’s this new weird stuff?'”.[8] Upon release, UKF called the track "dark, daring and ultimately trippy" and complimented the duo's vision and Shadow's approach to the new label. Shadow reflected on the effort, calling Jones' sound design capabilities in Ableton "astonishing".[9] Later that same year, the duo followed up with a second single, titled "Nice Nightmares",[10] as well as a 45-minute mixtape.[11]
In August 2015, That Odd EP In the Pit of My Hard Drive was self-released, helping to further lay roots and define the signature sound and imagery G Jones continued to build upon. In parallel, his multiple releases and collaborations with other artists in the years prior drew the attention of Bassnectar, fellow electronic music producer from the Bay Area. The two collaborated on "The Mystery Spot", a song which was released on his 2015 album Into the Sun.[12] In November, Jones collaborated with Bleep Bloop to release the Mind EP.
In 2016, G Jones collaborated for the first of many times with Eprom, releasing the track "Warrior" on his EP Samurai.[3][13] Later that year, his second Bassnectar collaboration "Mind Tricks", was released on the album Unlimited.[14]
In January 2017, G Jones released the highly anticipated Visions, an eight-track EP. The EP featured several songs that received attention, notably "Helix", "Fuck What You Heard", it's title track "Visions", as well as a VIP remix of his 2015 release "Lavender Town".[15] 2017 also provided further opportunity for Jones to collaborate with Eprom, remixing the title track from the Pineapple EP and co-releasing the five-track EP Acid Disk. The sound produced by Jones and Eprom on this EP drew heavy inspiration from the Roland TB-303 synthesizer, the sounds of which became popularized in the late 1980s and early 1990s by the acid techno and acid house genres. The same year, Jones also collaborated again with Bassnectar on the tracks "Underground" and "Chromatek", which were included in the Reflective and Reflective - Part 2 EPs, respectively.[16]
The commercial breakthrough of G Jones came in 2018 with the release of his album The Ineffable Truth. While familiar elements of Jones's production were present throughout the album, more conceptual and technical works were also put forth, with Earmilk noting "an impressive evolution on G Jones' sound."[17] The album received critical acclaim, with Billboard ranking the release at 5th place on its "Top 10 Best Dance/Electronic Albums of 2018" list,[18] describing the work as "fun and fantastical, massive and grimy".[19] The album also received support from fellow artist RL Grime, featuring the track "Forgotten Dreams" on "Halloween VII", the 2018 offering of his annual Halloween-themed mixtape.
2019 saw the release of Jones' next EP, Tangential Zones, a compilation of songs described as the "epilogue" to The Ineffable Truth, and originally demoed live through the course of the album tour.[20]
In 2022, G Jones released several bodies of work, including an EP, Illusory Tracks, and two additional Eprom collaborations, the EP Acid Disk 2,[21] and the mixtape G Jones & Eprom Present: Disk Doctors.[22]
In 2023, G Jones released his sophomore album, Paths.[23] While still experimenting with elements of glitch-y and acid genres as demonstrated on past works, Resident Advisor noted a more subdued approach in these explorations, instead constructing pieces that offered more approachability in their sound.[24]
Discography
editStudio Albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Paths |
|
| The Ineffable Truth |
|
| Visions |
|
EPs
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Mirage |
|
| Transmissions |
|
| Ring The Alarm |
|
| Mind (with Bleep Bloop) |
|
| That Odd EP In the Pit of My Hard Drive |
|
| Acid Disk EP (with EPROM) |
|
| Tangential Zones |
|
| Illusory Tracks |
|
| Acid Disk 2 (with EPROM) |
|
References
edit- ^ "Gregory Charles Jones, Born 12/16/1991 in California". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ Jardine, Kelly (October 12, 2023). "Unparalleled Paths: G Jones unveils his sophomore album and kicks off his North American tour". Dubstep FBI. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Kraker, Liz (2018-11-09). "Ableton Master G Jones Breaks down His Creative Approach on The Ineffable Truth [Interview]". EDM.com - The Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ a b Mixmag On Rotation 068: G Jones (Podcast). 15 November 2018. Retrieved 2024-11-20 – via MixMag.
- ^ "G Jones Interview [SATURATE!RECORDS]". Lostinsound.org. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Cult Figure Club (2023-01-24). How G Jones Pushed the Boundaries of the Electronic Music Underground | Cult Figures in Music. Retrieved 2024-11-20 – via YouTube.
- ^ Koa, Nicholas (2014-07-30). "Exploring the Digital Abyss: G Jones Goes Further, Farther with 'Ring The Alarm' EP". Dance Music NW. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ Medved, Matt (2015-05-21). "DJ Shadow & G Jones Unveil Secret Nite School Klik Project: Exclusive Interview & Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Jenkins, Dave (2015-05-27). "DJ Shadow & G Jones: Nite School Klik Explained…". UKF. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2015-05-22). "DJ Shadow Drops 'Nice Nightmares' as Nite School Klik". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Keogh, Kris (2015-06-04). "DJ Shadow & G Jones Teach Us a Lesson with Nite School Klik's Debut Mix". Vice. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Spanos, Brittany (2015-06-16). "Hear Five Tracks Off Bassnectar's New 'Into the Sun' LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Hawk, The Electric (2017-11-16). "G Jones, Bass Music Beast From The Underground | Artist Spotlight". Electric Hawk. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Bassnectar (2016-06-16). Bassnectar & G Jones - Mind Tricks ft. Lafa Taylor ★ [Unlimited]. Retrieved 2024-11-20 – via YouTube.
- ^ Meunier, Gabrielle (2017-01-27). "G Jones Unveils Highly Anticipated New EP [Album Review]". EDM Sauce. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Bein, Kat (2017-12-01). "Bassnectar's 'Reflective (Part 2)' EP Features G Jones, EPROM & More: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Smith, Ry (2019-02-20). "G Jones bears his soul with 'The Ineffable Truth' [Tour Review]". EARMILK. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Staff, Billboard (2018-12-12). "Billboard's 10 Best Dance/Electronic Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Bein, Kat (2018-10-29). "G Jones Breaks Down His Brain-Busting LP 'The Ineffable Truth': Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Hahn, Bryan (2 December 2019). "G Jones explores the boundaries of bass music on his Tangential Zones EP". The FADER. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Nelson, Brooke (2022-05-18). "G Jones and Eprom Contort Minds with Long-Awaited 'Acid Disk 2'". EDM Identity. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Hawn, Jaide (2022-09-29). "G Jones and Eprom Medicate Your Mind with 'Disk Doctors' Mixtape". EDM Identity. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
- ^ Yopko, Nick (2023-10-13). "G Jones Ventures Into the Unknown on Masterful Sophomore Album, "Paths"". EDM.com - The Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ BG, Reid. "G Jones - Paths · Album Review". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2024-03-19.