Biography
With over ten years of experience navigating the twisted paths of the music industry, Jamie Myerson has built up a body of work that reflects an amazing amount of versatility and depth. As a remixer, he's been responsible for an array of chart-topping singles for the likes of Duncan Sheik, Dido and Jewel. As a producer, he's steered projects for Jan Johnston, Karen Lehner and AM. And as a recording artist, his numerous albums and singles have showcased an unprecedented ability to defy the conventions of genre and shatter stylistic boundaries. From breakthrough dance tracks to the delicate acoustics of the singer/songwriter movement, Jamie has refused to let his music become complacent.
Nowhere is this duality more apparent than on Jamie's current releases, travelling the landscape between love and loss, exploring dusty back roads where lush guitars merge with cutting-edge electronics.
Jamie's musical career has, in many ways, come full circle. As a teenager in the New Jersey suburbs, Jamie played drums in a succession of local bands, but found himself gravitating to electronics as a form of experimentation with his live playing. Influenced by the hardcore rhythms of the emerging drum & bass scene and the lushness of bands like Depeche Mode, Jamie soon found himself selling his drum set for a sampler and keyboards. The gamble soon paid off as Jamie signed a succession of tracks to the UK's influential Reinforced Records, becoming the first American drum & bass producer to record for a British label. His early output on Reinforced was soon joined by releases on Quayside, Belgium's Crammed Discs and NYC's Sm:)e Communications. His ability to steer clear of trends, coupled with an emotional pastiche of strings, breakbeats and keyboards, won him praise from thousands of fans and positive reviews in highly-regarded magazines like the UK's Melody Maker and Mixmag.
Jamie's next move was even more ambitious. Not content to be pigeonholed as a drum & bass producer, he channeled his energies into The Listen Project—his first full-length album. Released by Ovum/Columbia Records/Sony Music in 1998, the album was a bold departure from Jamie's earlier work. Encompassing elements of house, drum & bass, synthpop and his first attempt at traditional songwriting, The Listen Project was a bold showcase of Jamie's musical palate. Singles from the album soon found their way into the playlists of Paul Oakenfold and other top djs.
Following on the heels of The Listen Project, Jamie's work as a remixer and producer was gaining attention from a worldwide audience. With remixes for Sneaker Pimps, Lords of Acid, Miles Davis, Phillipe Saisse and many others on his resume, Jamie soon directed his energies toward producing and co-writing trance diva Jan Johnston's "Emerging" LP on Perfecto/Mushroom UK. This collaboration also yielded a track ("Unafraid") on the Oakenfold-compiled soundtrack for the movie "Swordfish". If that wasn't enough, Jamie also found time to quietly release the full-length album "Lift Me Up" under the pseudonym of Sky City. While the album looked back on Jamie's drum & bass roots, the incorporation of live instrumentation and intricate programming would help pave the way toward a very different era in the Jamie Myerson portfolio.
With demand for his talents increasing, Jamie decided in 2000 to relocate to Los Angeles, a decision that would have a profound impact on his music. While he still payed his bills with production and remix work, his own songs were quickly evolving from his dance music roots toward a more traditional singer/songwriter approach. While working with songwriter David Poe, Jamie was introduced to Gary Jules (of Donnie Darko/"Mad World" fame), who encouraged Jamie to get involved with Hollywood's up-and-coming Hotel Cafe venue. Armed with an acoustic guitar instead of a bank of synthesizers and drum machines, Jamie's talent for clever lyrics and smart arrangements soon generated a whole new group of fans.
It was also during this period when Jamie's remix work would climb to the next level. His remix of Duncan Sheik's "On A High" reached the coveted #1 rank on Billboard's dance charts, and the two singles he remixed for Karen Lehner ("Made to Order" and "Nothing Personal") both cracked the top five on the UK's Record Mirror dance chart. High-profile remixes for Jewel ("Intuition") and Dido ("Life For Rent") soon followed. In addition, Jamie was also tapped to provide programming skills and help demo tracks for Elton John, Anastasia and Johnny Reznick of the Goo Goo Dolls. And if that weren't enough, Jamie also found the time to release a second Sky City album entitled "Going….Gone". Inspired by the cross-country drive that brought him to Los Angeles, it was an eclectic blend of moody synths and guitars that showed off Jamie's ability to swing between the dancefloor and the stars.
Even with such accomplishments, Jamie still wasn't content to tread water and relive old glories. In a surprising move, he decided in 2003 to leave Los Angeles and return to New Jersey. While some questioned the reasoning behind such a decision, the picture came into sharp focus when Jamie unveiled his latest projects—Blackwood Recording, his clean-sheet studio; and 42 North, his new record label. Jamie has indeed come full-circle. While building on a decade of experience and influences, the music is not beholden to them; Jamie's ability to blend electronic and acoustic instruments with heartfelt songwriting indicate that his greatest achievements are yet to come.
—P.R. Pointe, JamieMyerson.com
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