About
T. A. Gambarotto (a.k.a. Rocky G, a.k.a. Nöopticon) is a composer, multimedia artist, writer, and technologist living in Toronto.
Classically trained in piano and music theory as a youth, but with a knack for computers, he studied art history before landing in the explosive northern California technologic and music scenes of the mid-nineties. First practising as a bassist and bedroom producer, he made the indie rock scene with guitarist Brian Karl and the obscure outfit Simula 67. Then, while working at the seminal Alexa Internet, colleagues swept him into San Francisco’s burgeoning club and rave scene, where he quickly found himself gravitating towards the hardest of hardcore styles coming out of the UK.
Teaming up with the late and beloved DJ Cloudskipper, his twin brother DJ Tronic, and DJ Valerie Sparks, he cofounded Supernova Recordings in San Francisco, which released the American hardcore classic Check This Out.
When the American rave scene temporary imploded due to the events of September 2001, he relocated to Vancouver and produced his first full length album Definition, a kaleidoscopic tour of rave styles. Relocating again to Toronto, he released the futuristic, micro-composed Orchestrion.
A long period of more radical experimentation ensued. He became associated with the experimental electronic and noise scene of Toronto’s late oughts, and found new collaborators in this instrument and Caterwaul, while immersing himself in the world of Max/MSP programming. The multi-album, hand-coded improvised techno suites Variations and Code Complete followed over the next decade, as well as electronic ensemble works, A/V performance pieces, music theatre scripts and scores, game design, and gallery works derived from his experiments.
He has recently unveiled the Nöopticon project, which explores the intersection of cutting-edge digital technologies and networks with live performance.
contact:
rocky at foolskool dot com