Ron Morelli

Ron Morelli stands out as an experimental techno producer whose primary claim to recognition rests on his operation of L.I.E.S. (Long Island Electrical Systems), among the most prolific and widely discussed underground electronic labels during the 2010s. Both his own output and the recordings issued through L.I.E.S. apply a nihilistic, punk-derived sensibility to techno and house. The label's compilation Music for Shut-Ins encapsulates his outlook: although he maintains a passion for DJ'ing and possesses deep familiarity with dance music's lineage, he avoids clubs except when performing in them. Numerous releases on the label achieved underground club success, yet Morelli's productions largely disregard dancefloor conventions, instead setting brittle drum machines against cold, bleak synthesizer drones that convey stress, paranoia, and isolation. He established L.I.E.S. in 2010, at which point he began issuing material by associates alongside his own endeavors, including the duo Two Dogs in a House formed with Jason Letkiewicz. Only in 2013—the same year he relocated from Brooklyn to Paris—did Morelli start releasing under his own name, prompted by Dominick Fernow (Prurient, Vatican Shadow) expressing interest via Hospital Productions. His first full-length, Spit, along with the accompanying EP Backpages, surfaced on that imprint that year. While those works remained somewhat aligned with the outsider house aesthetic of L.I.E.S. releases, the follow-ups Periscope Blues in 2014 and A Gathering Together in 2015 moved further toward dark ambient and industrial territories.