In the 13 years since he first started experimenting with sampled loops, Method One has become one of the elder statesmen of the American drum & bass scene. As a dj, he has honed his craft through hundreds of gigs stretching back to the early nineties. As a promoter, he helped to throw some of the first raves and jungle events in the East Coast’s Mid-Atlantic region. And, as a musician, he is responsible for numerous releases on labels such as Nexus (Good Looking), Dune Recordings, True Intent and Elite Recordings, as well as producing remixes for the the likes of Deee-Lite. The Method One story begins in 1990, when 16-year-old Jason Leder came across the Ud. State 90 album by Manchester techno pioneers 808 State. Excited by the freshness of the music and intrigued by reports of the new “rave scene” coming out of the UK, Jason made tentative steps toward creating his own music. Taking a hint from 808 State, Jason based the Method One persona on a piece of gear — his prized Korg M1 synthesizer. A pair of secondhand beltdrive turntables soon followed in 1992. Things started to take off with the explosion of the East Coast rave scene in the early 1990s. While attending the University of Richmond, Jason honed his craft on college radio and by performing Live PA’s and dj sets throughout the Richmond, Virginia area. With partner Derek Tiffany of Trancefused Productions, Jason was instrumental in throwing the first-ever rave in Richmond — “Qrave” — in 1993. More parties by Trancefused, Insomnia, and Pure Love soon followed, turning Richmond into one of the East Coast’s best scenes. As one of the few djs dedicated to the emerging jungle/drum & bass genre, Jason slowly gained a reputation for exciting sets, even among the predominately house-based Richmond scene. The big break came in 1994, when a cassette demo of Method One songs found its way to Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite. A Method One drum & bass remix of the single “Call Me” was the result of this chance encounter, and was released in late 1994. Soon after, Method One was crowned winner of the “Battle of the DJs” at Baltimore superclub Fever. An explosion of DJ gigs and Live PA sets followed, with bookings from heavy hitters such as Ultraworld, Bassrush, Buzz, 2 Tuff, Tom Mello and more. 1995 also marked another milestone, as Jason began a long creative collaboration with fellow drum & bass pioneer DJ Kaos under the pseudonym “Atlantiq”. After Jason moved back to his native Philadelphia in 1996, the partnership soon hit pay dirt with a track on the “United States of Drum & Bass” Compilation. This was followed later with tracks signed to the UK’s Nexus Recordings (a sub-label of LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking Orginization), making Atlantiq one of the first US acts to be signed to a prominent UK label. While in Philly, Jason was also making noise with a pair of high-profile residencies at Konkrete Jungle Philadelphia and Dieselboy’s Platinum night. Seeking a change from the familiar East Coast scene, Jason pulled up his roots and relocated to San Francisco, California in early 1999. Immediately immersing himself in the fertile Bay Area scene, Jason scored a residency in the Bassment room at Spundae’s Nikita, which had been voted the #1 club night in America. In addition to numerous clubnights in the San Francisco area, Jason was often found on the lineups of megaraves like Quest, Coolworld, Metropolis, and Miami’s Ultra Festival. New Atlantiq songs were signed to a variety of labels, from Canada’s Dune Recordings to Bay Area labels like Elite Recordings and True Intent. In 2001, Jason revisited the role of party promoter with a series of well-recieved Analog nights at San Francisco’s 550 Barneveld nightclub. Jason currently devotes much of his time to his graphic design business, SecondMethod Design, while continuing to make music and play out on a regular basis. A new Method One track - “Ease Yourself” - has been signed to Covert Operations, with more new music on the way. As a nod to the past, Jason can occasionally be found spinning oldschool UK hardcore in addition to modern drum & bass sounds. He holds down residencies at the new “Rinse Out” monthly, as well as the “Sorted” oldschool monthly.| |
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