Groundislava

Hailing from Venice, California, electronic musician Jasper Petterson, aka Groundislava, first came to light with his self-titled debut release. Growing up as a keen video gamer, Petterson developed his gaming influence and incorporated it into his music by using chiptune and 8-bit sounds. During his childhood, he was no stranger to music, as his father Michael is a video producer and animator, made famous by creating the animated parts in the video in a-ha's 1985 single "Take on Me." For his debut, Groundislava's roots in '80s nostalgia, TV, and pop culture were incorporated with hip-hop beats. Alongside his own work, he teamed up alongside old-school friend Shlohmo and the producers Jonwayne, D33J, and RL Grime to form the Wedidit crew, as well as making a name for himself producing remixes for the artists Slugabed and Shlohmo. He released his second album, Feel Me, in 2011; it was a continuation of his ethereal hip-hop sound and featured guests Baths on "Suicide Mission" and Shlohmo on "Big Balance." On the release of Petterson's third album, Frozen Throne, there was a slight change in direction with a more '80s synth-pop feel, and featured R&B-style vocals from the duo Rare Times on several of the tracks. ~ James Pearce