Don Hassler & Jason Butcher

Don Hassler was born in 1960, Ohio. At age 4, he discovered, Rimsky-Korsakov, at age 8 he began studying the Saxophone, discovered the synthesizer, and became aware of his lifelong bond to music.

Heavily influenced by both NASA and the Counter-Culture movement of the 1960’s, the draw of electronic music grew unbearably, but due to it’s expense, unrequited (to the point of severe delinquency) until age 20, when he was finally able to purchase an EMS Synthi A.

Following an unsuccessful pursuit of a college degree, he eventually settled upon private studies with Carter Thomas, former student of Morton Subotnick. Both teacher and student were attracted by their mutual admiration for Subotnick.

The outcomes of Don’s studies under Carter were primarily the liberation of his musical values from the constraints of conventional theory and the urge to attempt earn money from music, along with the gift of Carter’s class project Serge synthesizer he built while he was a student at Calarts, and 25 year quest to seek out a Buchla Electronic Music Instrument.

Armed with Carter’s Serge and his Synthi, Don began to participate in the nascent underground music scene of Atlanta. Maintaining a firm connection with Georgia Tech’s WREK FM radio station, including live and recorded performances, Don expanded his activities to the heavily AMM and MEV influenced free improv trio Accident’s of Culture consisting of Jeff Gilbreath, John Avant along with Don. A few performances and appearances on two compilation records (Nine Underground, LP, 1987, Perimeter Records, and Mighty Risen Plea, LP, Sacred Frame, 1990) resulted.

Going further, Don began a 21-year association with the now gone Atlanta College of Art, assisting painting instructor William Nolan develop an experimental sound class geared for non-musician visual arts students. Through his involvement the college, Don expanded his work to include interactive, site specific sound sculptures both solo and collaboration with sculptor Scott Gilliam( 1984, The Atlanta Arts Festival, 1987, Nexus Biannual, 1988 The Arts Exchange, 1989, Socrates Sculpture Garden, NYC, 1992, The Atlanta Arts Festival.)

Throughout this time Don continued to work with musicians including local Atlanta electronic music pioneers Dick Robinson, Howard Wershil, Richard Devine, Graham Moore, Tom Smith (To Live and Shave in LA) and, including participating in a Fluxus performance led by Dick Higgins in 1987. He also worked electronics designer Timothy Adams, assisting in the design of Tim’s Chaos/Difference box for Pauline Oliveros and Dick Robinson, plus assuming Tim’s duties after his premature passing in 2005 as the US service support for the Swedish electronic music instrument company Elektron.

In 1987, Don began to serve as a US representative for the long running British synthesizer company EMS, and much later on very briefly with the California electronic music collective EAR-Group.

In 1990, after getting married to his wife Sandra, Don began regular employment managing the electronic art labs for the Atlanta College of Art while completing an electronics diploma at a local tech school. In that period he adapted the use of the personal computer for his work, first on the Commodore Amiga, then settling on the Apple Macintosh. The college allowed Don to serve as an adjunct instructor for their experimental sound class from 1992 until the schools closing in 2005.

Landing quickly at the Art Institute of Atlanta as a lab technician following the closure of ACA, Don was able to direct his severance towards his continued quest for a Buchla, obtaining a compact newly created 200e, resulting in his ever growing DSM-IV series.

Don’s work today centers in abstract interpretations, both in performance and recording of his surroundings and perceptions still using materials drawn combined areas of computer and analog audio, combined with occasional diy electronics.

Jason Butcher is a renowned hermit, artist, teacher, composer and of course family man, JB is first and foremost an adventurer. He scoured the world for ten years in order to assemble a synthesizer capable of provoking spontaneous insanguination through the eyes. He traveled back in time in order to have his own baby. His heart pumps single malt scotch, his hair spontaneously changes color and his tears are premium unleaded.