GENERAL
I was born in 1976. I grew up splitting my time between in the Merrimack Valley, Charlestown, and East Boston. At 17, I graduated High School early, and chose to work odd jobs until it was time to head to college. When I was 18 I relocated to metro Boston and attended college at the Art Institute of Boston, where I earned my Bachelors In Fine Arts in 1998. I also won the "Excellence In Design" for 1998 accolade from the school. I later instructed at the same college for a brief time in their "Continuing Education" program. After working a variety of freelance design jobs at firms around Boston, I stepped out on my own as a freelance Artist/Designer. Since then, I have primarily created visual work for the Independent Music Community.
Today I spend most of my time writing/performing music with Converge and other projects, running Deathwish, and creating fine art.
LABEL
Deathwish (2001-Present)
In early 2001, I founded the Deathwish Brand/Label with my best friend Tre McCarthy. Started primarily as an aggressive record label, Deathwish has also branched out into other counterculture oriented businesses. In 2007, Deathwish acquired respected hardcore/punk label, Malfunction Records. Malfunction was founded by longtime friends Linas Garsys and Tru Pray. Together, Deathwish and Malfunction are now one label family.
More info on Deathwish can be found @ www.deathwishinc.com
MUSIC
Converge (1991-Present)
In late 1990/early 1991 I started the band Converge with other founding member Kurt Ballou. I was around 14 years old at the time. We started like many bands, covering our favorite hardcore, punk, and metal songs. After about a year of writing songs and recording 4 track demos, the band slowly started to progress. Converge started playing our first shows in the middle of 1991. We started writing and playing what we consider "relevant" music in late 1993. Since then our band has evolved and progressed throughout the years. To date, we have released music on labels Epitaph, Deathwish, Equal Vision, Hydra Head, Relapse, Ferret, and more.
In Fall 2001 Converge settled on a definitive lineup:
Jacob Bannon - Vocals, lyrics, visuals
Kurt Ballou - Guitar, electronics, backing vocals
Nate Newton - Bass, backing vocals
Ben Koller - Drums
More info on Converge can be found @ www.convergecult.com
Supermachiner (1994-2000)
Supermachiner originally began as a collection of 4 track recordings I recorded in 1994, just prior to me moving to Boston to attend college. The music was much different than Converge, having more in common with influences Swans, Bauhaus, and others. The project remained nameless and dormant for a number of years. With the help and inspiration of ay good friend Ryan Parker (Daltonic, Black Spot, The Jaded Salingers), we casually brought the project back to life in the winter of 1998. With his input, we developed our collective song ideas into the "Rise Of The Great Machine" album. I structured the lyrical content around my feelings on the rise of technology and the death of the individual, making the project thematic in its content. We named the project "Supermachiner", a play on the term "Supermachinder" the compound word for Japanese Giant Robot Toys from the 1970's.
We entered the studio with Kurt Ballou (Converge) in the winter of 1999. During the sessions, Kurt contributed a great deal to the album material. "Rise Of The Great Machine" was released by the Undecided label in 2000 (now out of print). After the album was released future projects were planned but never materialized. A collection of all existing Supermachiner recordings will be released on Deathwish at some point in 2008 as a multiple CD release titled "Rust". The original "Rise Of The Great Machine" will also be released on vinyl by the E-Vinyl label in France (limited to 500 copies) in 2008.
I was born in 1976. I grew up splitting my time between in the Merrimack Valley, Charlestown, and East Boston. At 17, I graduated High School early, and chose to work odd jobs until it was time to head to college. When I was 18 I relocated to metro Boston and attended college at the Art Institute of Boston, where I earned my Bachelors In Fine Arts in 1998. I also won the "Excellence In Design" for 1998 accolade from the school. I later instructed at the same college for a brief time in their "Continuing Education" program. After working a variety of freelance design jobs at firms around Boston, I stepped out on my own as a freelance Artist/Designer. Since then, I have primarily created visual work for the Independent Music Community.
Today I spend most of my time writing/performing music with Converge and other projects, running Deathwish, and creating fine art.
LABEL
Deathwish (2001-Present)
In early 2001, I founded the Deathwish Brand/Label with my best friend Tre McCarthy. Started primarily as an aggressive record label, Deathwish has also branched out into other counterculture oriented businesses. In 2007, Deathwish acquired respected hardcore/punk label, Malfunction Records. Malfunction was founded by longtime friends Linas Garsys and Tru Pray. Together, Deathwish and Malfunction are now one label family.
More info on Deathwish can be found @ www.deathwishinc.com
MUSIC
Converge (1991-Present)
In late 1990/early 1991 I started the band Converge with other founding member Kurt Ballou. I was around 14 years old at the time. We started like many bands, covering our favorite hardcore, punk, and metal songs. After about a year of writing songs and recording 4 track demos, the band slowly started to progress. Converge started playing our first shows in the middle of 1991. We started writing and playing what we consider "relevant" music in late 1993. Since then our band has evolved and progressed throughout the years. To date, we have released music on labels Epitaph, Deathwish, Equal Vision, Hydra Head, Relapse, Ferret, and more.
In Fall 2001 Converge settled on a definitive lineup:
Jacob Bannon - Vocals, lyrics, visuals
Kurt Ballou - Guitar, electronics, backing vocals
Nate Newton - Bass, backing vocals
Ben Koller - Drums
More info on Converge can be found @ www.convergecult.com
Supermachiner (1994-2000)
Supermachiner originally began as a collection of 4 track recordings I recorded in 1994, just prior to me moving to Boston to attend college. The music was much different than Converge, having more in common with influences Swans, Bauhaus, and others. The project remained nameless and dormant for a number of years. With the help and inspiration of ay good friend Ryan Parker (Daltonic, Black Spot, The Jaded Salingers), we casually brought the project back to life in the winter of 1998. With his input, we developed our collective song ideas into the "Rise Of The Great Machine" album. I structured the lyrical content around my feelings on the rise of technology and the death of the individual, making the project thematic in its content. We named the project "Supermachiner", a play on the term "Supermachinder" the compound word for Japanese Giant Robot Toys from the 1970's.
We entered the studio with Kurt Ballou (Converge) in the winter of 1999. During the sessions, Kurt contributed a great deal to the album material. "Rise Of The Great Machine" was released by the Undecided label in 2000 (now out of print). After the album was released future projects were planned but never materialized. A collection of all existing Supermachiner recordings will be released on Deathwish at some point in 2008 as a multiple CD release titled "Rust". The original "Rise Of The Great Machine" will also be released on vinyl by the E-Vinyl label in France (limited to 500 copies) in 2008.
Solo Recordings (2000-Present)
After the Supermachiner album was released, I continued to write music that didn't fit the sonic character of Converge. For years, I found names in my lyric writings that I felt described the body of work, than later I would recant them. Finally in 2007, I decided to begin releasing my songs under my own given name. After all, they are an extension of me and it couldn't get more honest than that. In March 2008, I released "The Blood Of Thine Enemies" 7"EP on Deathwish, a song that I wrote many years before. The song is a funeral dirge that I wrote in a rather dark time in my life. It was never intended it to be part of an album, only to be a stand alone piece.
More of my Solo recordings will surface later in 2008.
Irons (2007-Present)
Longtime friend Dwid Hellion (Integrity, Roses Never Fade) casually approached me about creating music together sometime in 2006. Soon later, Fine Artist and musician Stephen Kasner also expressed interest in working with us. In late 2007, we began writing music. Our goal is to create apocalyptic, non-linear music from a fine art based mindset. So far we are exceeding, with our recorded efforts growing daily. Irons hopes to begin releasing music before the end of 2008.
Guest Appearances, etc.
I have been fortunate to guest on a variety of recordings. A detailed list of albums I've been a part of is available in the "Sound" section of this website.
ART
When I was young, I stumbled upon some paintings my father had painted. The day I found those is likely when my imagination started to race on its own. When I was 11-12 became obsessed with the vibrant artwork of the skateboard, bmx, and metal music cultures. I've been hooked ever since. I started painting and drawing on my own in a serious manner since I was 13 or so. I did this until I enrolled in college in 1994. In school I abandoned the "Fine Art" exclusive approach, and enrolled in the Design Program.
I don't consider myself a traditional musician/artist/writer. I see those definitions as a bit limiting. "Life" artist makes the most sense to me, as I see all of my creative outlets to be linked together, coming from the same place internally.
You can find a select portfolio in the "Sight" section of this website.
WRITING
I began writing around the same time I became interested in visual art. My only public writing is in the form of lyrical content on the albums I've been a part of. I have a great deal of prose written that has never been published. Perhaps one day.
After the Supermachiner album was released, I continued to write music that didn't fit the sonic character of Converge. For years, I found names in my lyric writings that I felt described the body of work, than later I would recant them. Finally in 2007, I decided to begin releasing my songs under my own given name. After all, they are an extension of me and it couldn't get more honest than that. In March 2008, I released "The Blood Of Thine Enemies" 7"EP on Deathwish, a song that I wrote many years before. The song is a funeral dirge that I wrote in a rather dark time in my life. It was never intended it to be part of an album, only to be a stand alone piece.
More of my Solo recordings will surface later in 2008.
Irons (2007-Present)
Longtime friend Dwid Hellion (Integrity, Roses Never Fade) casually approached me about creating music together sometime in 2006. Soon later, Fine Artist and musician Stephen Kasner also expressed interest in working with us. In late 2007, we began writing music. Our goal is to create apocalyptic, non-linear music from a fine art based mindset. So far we are exceeding, with our recorded efforts growing daily. Irons hopes to begin releasing music before the end of 2008.
Guest Appearances, etc.
I have been fortunate to guest on a variety of recordings. A detailed list of albums I've been a part of is available in the "Sound" section of this website.
ART
When I was young, I stumbled upon some paintings my father had painted. The day I found those is likely when my imagination started to race on its own. When I was 11-12 became obsessed with the vibrant artwork of the skateboard, bmx, and metal music cultures. I've been hooked ever since. I started painting and drawing on my own in a serious manner since I was 13 or so. I did this until I enrolled in college in 1994. In school I abandoned the "Fine Art" exclusive approach, and enrolled in the Design Program.
I don't consider myself a traditional musician/artist/writer. I see those definitions as a bit limiting. "Life" artist makes the most sense to me, as I see all of my creative outlets to be linked together, coming from the same place internally.
You can find a select portfolio in the "Sight" section of this website.
WRITING
I began writing around the same time I became interested in visual art. My only public writing is in the form of lyrical content on the albums I've been a part of. I have a great deal of prose written that has never been published. Perhaps one day.