Lowfish

Operating out of Toronto, Gregory DeRocher produces vibrant lo-fi experimental electro under the Lowfish alias. The majority of his output appears on Suction, the label he co-founded with partner Jason "Solvent" Amm. His approach fuses the lean minimalism of early new wave and industrial outfits such as Human League and Skinny Puppy with the incisive melodies of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 1 period. Before Suction launched in 1997, DeRocher issued his earliest material on cassette as Pest(e). After two split EPs—one shared with Amm and another with Montreal's David Kristian—Lowfish delivered Fear Not the Snow and Other Lo-Fiiing Objects on Suction in early 1999. The energetic set of concise, abrasive, off-the-cuff electronica, linking unpolished drum-machine pulses to bold electronics that alternate between harsh and plaintive, earned widespread praise. DeRocher has also supplied remixes for David Kristian and Kid606, among others, while placing tracks on imprints such as Lo Recordings, Switch, City Center Offices, and Alien8.