Jeffrey Abel (born 29 April 1986), better known by his stage name Excision, is a Canadian DJ and
electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
producer. He is the founder of Rottun Recordings and Subsidia Records. Active since 2006, his first release, "Warning", was in 2007. He released an annual "
Shambhala
Shambhala (, ),Śambhala m. (also written Sambhala): Name of a town (situated between the Rathaprā and Ganges, and identified by some with Sambhal in Moradabad; the town or district of Śambhala is fabled to be the place where Kalki, the last ...
" mix album in the third quarter of each year until 2016. He started his own music festival (Lost Lands) the following year and releases annual mixes. He is known for his tours with immense sound systems and huge visual productions.
Abel founded the record label Destroid Music. Upon its debut, Destroid released a full-length digital album titled ''The Invasion''. The majority of tracks on the album were produced by Excision, with collaborations with other artists such as Downlink, Space Laces, Far Too Loud,
Bassnectar
Lorin Gabriel Ashton (born February 16, 1978), better known under his stage name Bassnectar, is an American Disc jockey, DJ and electronic music producer. With a career spanning several decades, Bassnectar has gained recognition for his innova ...
and Ajapai.
Destroid
Destroid were a dubstep supergroup and live dubstep band consisting of Excision (production and midi-guitars), Downlink (production and midi-guitars), and Pendulum drummer KJ Sawka, with collaboration from Space Laces and Ajapai. The band rele ...
is a
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
supergroup and
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation for macOS and Windows developed by the German company Ableton.
In contrast to many other software sequencers, Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for compos ...
band consisting of Excision, Downlink and
KJ Sawka
Kevin Joseph "KJ" Sawka is an American musician, record producer, and DJ. He plays drums in the bands Pendulum and Destroid.
Career
KJ Sawka started his musical career at the age of twelve. At age eighteen, he developed an interest in elect ...
. Destroid is well known for their futuristic robot suits, heavy apocalyptic sounds, and visual productions and
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...
instrument use.
Career
Abel released his first mix in 2006 titled "Darkside Dubstep", and his second mix "Ruttun Dubstep" in 2007, both consisting of various
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
songs. Abel released his first Shambhala Mix in 2008, also compilation of dubstep songs. In 2009, Abel released his first EP titled "Boom" on his own label "Rottun Recordings."
In 2010, Abel released the single with DJ/Producer Downlink titled "Heavy Artillery" with rapper Messinian, which also followed up to another song which was "Reploid" featuring Downlink.
In May 2011, Abel released a Downlink collaboration EP titled "Existence". In November of the same year, Abel released his debut studio album ''X Rated'' on
deadmau5
Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as deadmau5 (pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and disc jockey, DJ. His musical style mostly includes progressive house and electro house music, ...
's record label
mau5trap
Mau5trap (stylized as mau5trap; pronounced "mousetrap") is a Canadian independent record label founded in 2007 by electronic music producer Deadmau5. The label was formerly a vanity label, hosting releases through labels such as Ultra Music, V ...
. The album's release was supported by the North American "X Tour" with
Liquid Stranger
Martin Johan Stääf (born 13 November 1978), also known as Liquid Stranger, is a Swedish-born electronic musician, described by Generation Bass as "the epitome of Transnational Dubstep covering everything from Latin American music, Latin, Music ...
and Lucky Date, in early 2012, and around that time, the debut remix version of the album, "X Rated" titled, "X Rated: The Remixes" was released on September in 2012. He also formed the dubstep super group, Destroid, consisting of members Downlink and
KJ Sawka
Kevin Joseph "KJ" Sawka is an American musician, record producer, and DJ. He plays drums in the bands Pendulum and Destroid.
Career
KJ Sawka started his musical career at the age of twelve. At age eighteen, he developed an interest in elect ...
. The group released their debut album, "The Invasion" which was released in May 2013. They also released their first single, "Destroid 11. Get Stupid" featuring Space Laces.
In January 2013, Excision unveiled the "Executioner" stage. It was a 28 ft wide, 15 ft tall, stage structure with video projection mapping and 40 lasers. He took this production on a 4 month tour of North America, with support from Vaski and Paper Diamond.
On 15 November 2013, Excision unveiled a 100,000-watt sound system at the
1st Bank Center in
Broomfield Colorado for the Boomfest event. The event included a back-to-back set from
Funtcase and Cookie Monsta along with
Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030 is an American hip hop trio composed of producer Dan the Automator (as the Cantankerous Captain Aptos), rapper Del the Funky Homosapien (as Deltron Zero/Deltron Osiris), and DJ Kid Koala (as Skiznod the Boy Wonder). They also c ...
, Brillz, ill.Gates and Colorado locals, Robotic Pirate Monkey.
Starting in January 2014, Excision began a new tour covering North America with support from
Dirtyphonics
Dirtyphonics is a French electronic music band from Paris, consisting of members Charly Barranger and Julien "PitchIn" Corrales. Known for blending Drum and bass, Dubstep, and other bass music genres with heavy metal and cinematic influences, t ...
and ill.Gates. This new tour featured his "Executioner" video and light production. This time, he brought a 150,000-watt sound system from PK Sound.
In 2015, Excision released his second studio album ''Codename X'' on his own label Rottun Recordings.
2016 saw the debut of a new tour and production system, "The Paradox". The new production system made its way across North America selling out venues with the support of
Bear Grillz
Robert James, better known as Bear Grillz is an American electronic dance music DJ and record producer based in Denver, Colorado. He appeared on ''The Jerry Springer Show'' to reveal his identity, which was previously hidden in a bear costume. U ...
and
Figure
Figure may refer to:
General
*A shape, drawing, depiction, or geometric configuration
*Figure (wood), wood appearance
*Figure (music), distinguished from musical motif
* Noise figure, in telecommunication
* Dance figure, an elementary dance patt ...
on most dates.
On 25 October 2016, Excision released his third studio album, ''Virus'', on Rottun Records. Virus contained 16 songs and collaborations with artists including Dion Timmer, Space Laces, Protohype, and others.
On 14 August 2018, Excision released his fourth studio album, ''Apex''. The album took two years to make and it contains 14 songs and collaborations with artists including Dion Timmer,
Sullivan King
Keaton Prescott, known artistically as Sullivan King (born July 15, 1994), is an American DJ of dubstep music and heavy metal musician. He has drawn attention from the music press for his unusual blending of EDM and electric guitar-centered hea ...
, Space Laces,
Illenium
Nicholas Daniel "Nick" Miller (born December 26, 1990), professionally known as Illenium (stylized in all caps), is an American musician, DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He has released five studio albums, his most recent being ''Illenium'', ...
and others. Excision stated that the album is a celebration of all he's accomplished in his career.
In June 2019, he announced an upcoming EP with Dutch producer Dion Timmer. This collab EP, named ''Breaking Through'', was released on the 22nd of June.
In September, he announced another EP with American dubstep producer
Wooli
Adam Puleo, better known by his alias Wooli, is an American briddim, riddim and dubstep DJ and producer. He is known for the songs "Island" and " Another Me", with the prior being a collaboration with American dubstep producers Seven Lions an ...
. It was named ''Evolution EP'' and released on 13 September with
Seven Lions
Jeff Montalvo (born March 31, 1987), known professionally as Seven Lions, is an American DJ, record producer, instrumentalist and remixer from Santa Barbara, California. Active musically since 2010, his music combines styles as diverse as trance ...
's single ''Another Me.''
In November, after more than three years of The Paradox, Abel announced his new audio/visual concept show titled "The Evolution" along with a double-header show he called "The Thunderdome." The new production debuted on January 31 and lasted until February 1, 2020 in
Tacoma Dome, Washington. The production was inevitably cut short due to the
Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...
.
In 2020, Abel released his second collaboration with
Illenium
Nicholas Daniel "Nick" Miller (born December 26, 1990), professionally known as Illenium (stylized in all caps), is an American musician, DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He has released five studio albums, his most recent being ''Illenium'', ...
, titled "
Feel Something". The song featured the American metalcore band
I Prevail
I Prevail is an American rock band formed in Southfield, Michigan, in 2013. They released their debut EP '' Heart vs. Mind'' (2014) and rose to popularity from releasing a metal cover of Taylor Swift's " Blank Space" as a single, which eventua ...
. He also followed up by another single with Downlink, his first collaboration with him after 3 years, titled "Resistance".
In September 2020, Excision announced his new record label, Subsidia Records, and launched three compilations consisting of 118 bass songs, ranging from Experimental Bass, Melodic Bass and Heavy Bass. He also released a one-and-a-half-hour long mix from his Lost Lands: Couch Lands livestream, titled "Excision Subsidia Mix 2020", along with three new singles, "Necromancer" with Dion Timmer, "Demise" with PhaseOne, and "Erase You" with
Wooli
Adam Puleo, better known by his alias Wooli, is an American briddim, riddim and dubstep DJ and producer. He is known for the songs "Island" and " Another Me", with the prior being a collaboration with American dubstep producers Seven Lions an ...
and
HALIENE
Kelly Melissa Sweet (born March 29, 1988), known professionally as Haliene (; stylized all caps), is an American singer of electropop and electronic dance music. She is known for her vocal collaborations with EDM artists Armin van Buuren, Seve ...
.
Festivals
In 2017, Excision announced the inaugural year of his own dinosaur-themed music festival, Lost Lands. Lost Lands took place at
Legend Valley
Legend Valley (formerly Buckeye Lake Music Center) is an outdoor concert venue located in Thornville, Ohio, approximately two miles from Buckeye Lake.
Events
See also
*List of contemporary amphitheatres
This is a list of amphitheatres in ...
, Ohio 29 September through 1 October 2017. The lineup consisted of many of the top bass music DJs including Excision,
Seven Lions
Jeff Montalvo (born March 31, 1987), known professionally as Seven Lions, is an American DJ, record producer, instrumentalist and remixer from Santa Barbara, California. Active musically since 2010, his music combines styles as diverse as trance ...
,
Rezz,
Zeds Dead
Zeds Dead is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto consisting of Dylan Mamid, also known as DC, and Zachary Rapp-Rovan, also known as Hooks. The duo rose to prominence releasing original music and remixes from 2009 to 2010 before becoming ...
,
12th Planet,
Destroid
Destroid were a dubstep supergroup and live dubstep band consisting of Excision (production and midi-guitars), Downlink (production and midi-guitars), and Pendulum drummer KJ Sawka, with collaboration from Space Laces and Ajapai. The band rele ...
,
Kill The Noise
Jacob Stanczak, known professionally as Kill the Noise, is an American DJ and record producer from Rochester, New York. His collaboration with Skrillex, Fatman Scoop and Michael Angelakos, "Recess (song), Recess", entered the UK Singles Chart at ...
, and many more.
On 15 March 2018, following the success of the inaugural Lost Lands, Excision announced a west coast version of the festival, Bass Canyon, to be held 24–26 August 2018 at
The Gorge Amphitheatre
The Gorge Amphitheatre, originally known as Champs de Brionne Music Theatre and commonly referred to as The Gorge, is an outdoor concert venue in Grant County, Washington, United States. It is situated near the Columbia River in Central Washingt ...
in George, Washington. Like Lost Lands, Bass Canyon began as a yearly camping festival featuring top bass music producers. In 2018, artists included Excision,
Zomboy
Joshua Mellody (born Joshua Paul Jenkin, 1 June 1989), professionally known as Zomboy, is an English dubstep music producer, songwriter, and DJ whose mascot is a zombie.
Biography
Before Joshua Mellody was active under the name Zomboy, he h ...
,
NGHTMRE,
Liquid Stranger
Martin Johan Stääf (born 13 November 1978), also known as Liquid Stranger, is a Swedish-born electronic musician, described by Generation Bass as "the epitome of Transnational Dubstep covering everything from Latin American music, Latin, Music ...
,
12th Planet, and many more.
Excision then announced, on August 1, 2021, Paradise Blue, an all-inclusive destination festival that first took place at the Paradisus resort in Cancún, Mexico on April 29 to May 1, 2022.
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''X Rated'' (2011)
* ''Codename X'' (2015)
* ''Virus'' (2016)
* ''Apex'' (2018)
* ''Onyx'' (2022)
Achievements
"Destroid 1 Raise Your Fist" peaked at number 50 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Dance/Electronic Songs
Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (formerly Dance/Electronic Songs) is a record chart has been published weekly by ''Billboard'' since January 2013. It is their first chart to be published that ranks the most popular dance and electronic songs according ...
chart on August 10, 2013
Awarded for Best Dubstep Track at the 2012 first annual DMA's (Dubstep Music Awards)
References
External links
Official Website*
Lost Lands Music Festival's websiteBass Canyon's websiteSubsidia Records's websiteParadise Blue's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Excision
Living people
Breakbeat musicians
Dubstep musicians
Mau5trap artists
Monstercat artists
Musicians from Kelowna
Canadian remixers
Progressive house musicians
1986 births
Canadian electronic dance music DJs