Biography
Born Jonathan Avram Wolf in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1979, Yoni Wolf developed into a versatile artist spanning alternative hip-hop and indie rock while serving as co-founder of the well-known Los Angeles independent label Anticon. Growing up in a Messianic Jewish home, he first became captivated by music during his opening year of high school when he obtained a vintage 4-track recorder from his father’s synagogue. He refined his skills through steady work on drums, rapping, and poetry, arriving at college already equipped with both recordings and practical know-how. While pursuing art studies at the University of Cincinnati, Wolf connected with Adam Drucker, who would later co-found Anticon under the name Doseone; together they launched the improvisational live unit Apogee, a collaboration that continued for years across multiple identities. Their initial album, issued in 1998 under the Greenthink banner, carried the title It’s Not Easy Being…. The 1999 follow-up Blindfold expanded the project into a trio with the addition of producer Odd Nosdam and introduced the new name Clouddead. That same year Wolf also began issuing solo material as Why?. After completing his second Why? album, 2003’s Oaklandazulasylum, he converted the project into a band by recruiting brother Josiah on drums, guitarist Matt Meldon, and multi-instrumentalist Doug McDiarmid. The resulting lineup debuted with Elephant Eyelash in 2005, then returned with Alopecia in 2008 and Eskimo Snow the following year. The 2012 album Mumps, Etc. arrived after the preceding EP Sod in the Seed. An active collaborator and producer, Wolf has released work with Reaching Quiet and Hymie’s Basement and has joined forces with Fog and Serengeti; the latter partnership produced the early-2016 LP Testarossa under the Yoni & Geti name.