Jon Siren
Encyclopedia
Jon Siren, co-founder and drummer of the band Mankind Is Obsolete, has been a drummer or keyboardist in many other industrial bands including Psyclon Nine, Dismantled, and System Syn.
Jon moved out to Los Angeles to attend the Musicians Institute
. Columbus area collaborators Kristy Venrick of The Azoic
and Steve Creighton of The Wake
helped him establish California musical contacts. By 2001, Jon Siren had joined Christopher Anton
's synthpop band, Pseudocipher, and Evelyne Bennu's art-industrial band Flesh for Eve
in Los Angeles and recognized that they had similar tastes in music after seeing each other wearing the same Sisters of Mercy
t-shirts. The two played in a jazz band together and in 2002 Cox also joined Pseudocipher.
By the fall of 2002, Cox and Siren had formed Mankind is Obsolete. With Cox on keyboards and Siren on drums, they began recording what would become their first EP, Metamorph. Some of the recording was done at the school's facilities, some in Siren's apartment using ProTools, and some in Cox's apartment bedroom. By February 2003, a live band had been assembled adding Jamie Roy on bass, Mark Nurre on guitars and Nathan Trowbridge on keyboards and running the light show.
During this time period, beginning around 2002, Siren had also been part of Steven Seibold's Hate Dept.
, primarily as a keyboardist, and was involved in Hate Dept.'s 2003 album Ditch. Seibold performed additional recording and mixing duties on Metamorph, which was released in August 2003.
By 2005, Siren had become a fan of Gary Zon's Dismantled
and by the fall of 2006, he began occasionally filling in as the band's live drummer. This included a trip to 2007's Wave-Gotik-Treffen accompanied by fellow MKIO member Brian DiDomenico on keyboards
After Mankind Is Obsolete's Trapped Inside tour, Siren and fellow MKIO member Scott Landes joined Kidneythieves
as part of their live band in mid to late 2008. That September Siren recorded drum tracks for Angel Bartolotta
's Team Cybergeist project, which eventually appeared on 2009's How to Destroy Something Beautiful.
In the spring of 2009 Siren became the drummer of Psyclon Nine
for the recording of We the Fallen
and its associated tour. but following that tour, in 2010 P9 indefinitely disbanded. However, Clint Carney of Imperative Reaction
, who toured with Psyclon Nine in 2009, brought Siren into his other band System Syn
by 2010.
In 2009, Siren's involvement with Dismantled became a more regular event, appearing in extended tours, sometimes on the same bill as Psyclon Nine. By 2010, Zon was promising that in their upcoming album "Jon Siren, the Dismantled drummer is also going to be heard more on this album than before."
In 2011, Siren and MKIO co-founder, Cox appeared as part of the live band for Adam Moore's indie industrial band, Inure.
Early musical projects
Growing up in Ohio, Jon played in punk bands such as Medium and Inept in his teens in the mid-to-late '90s.Jon moved out to Los Angeles to attend the Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
. Columbus area collaborators Kristy Venrick of The Azoic
The Azoic
The Azoic is an electronic dance band that was formed by Steve Laskarides, Shawn Lower, and Kristy Venrick in February 1996.-History:In October 1996, they received a record contract from Worm Records and released their first CD, The Divine Sufferin, in April 1997. Shawn left the band in early 1998...
and Steve Creighton of The Wake
The Wake (US band)
The Wake is an American gothic rock band from Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1986 by Troy Payne and Richard Witherspoon , their initial line-up was completed by the addition of James Tramel , Daniel C and Robert Brothers .Their first release was a self-titled cassette EP, released via the local...
helped him establish California musical contacts. By 2001, Jon Siren had joined Christopher Anton
Christopher Anton
Christopher Anton , is an American singer and songwriter. Anton is known for being the vocalist of the Synthpop band Information Society, as well as the synth rock band Pseudocipher. Recently, in 2010 Christopher Anton has gained popularity as a solo artist in the dance genre with the release of...
's synthpop band, Pseudocipher, and Evelyne Bennu's art-industrial band Flesh for Eve
Formation of Mankind Is Obsolete
Siren met Natasha Cox at the Musicians InstituteMusicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
in Los Angeles and recognized that they had similar tastes in music after seeing each other wearing the same Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy are an English rock band that formed in 1980. After achieving early underground fame in UK, the band had their commercial breakthrough in mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company...
t-shirts. The two played in a jazz band together and in 2002 Cox also joined Pseudocipher.
By the fall of 2002, Cox and Siren had formed Mankind is Obsolete. With Cox on keyboards and Siren on drums, they began recording what would become their first EP, Metamorph. Some of the recording was done at the school's facilities, some in Siren's apartment using ProTools, and some in Cox's apartment bedroom. By February 2003, a live band had been assembled adding Jamie Roy on bass, Mark Nurre on guitars and Nathan Trowbridge on keyboards and running the light show.
During this time period, beginning around 2002, Siren had also been part of Steven Seibold's Hate Dept.
Hate Dept.
Hate Dept. is a synthesizer-laden post punk band, created in 1991 by Seibold. The group releases albums and performs music in the same vein as Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy and The Prodigy. Seibold is a multi-instrumentalist who manages to write, record and release Hate Dept. albums without the aid...
, primarily as a keyboardist, and was involved in Hate Dept.'s 2003 album Ditch. Seibold performed additional recording and mixing duties on Metamorph, which was released in August 2003.
Dismantled, Psyclon Nine, Kidneythieves and other musical projects
Siren's direct involvement with Hate Dept. wound down in 2004 as MKIO took off. For a while he continued to be involved in Chris Anton's projects including both Pseudocipher as well as 101, a Depeche Mode cover band.By 2005, Siren had become a fan of Gary Zon's Dismantled
Dismantled
Dismantled is an electronic music artist from the United States.-History:Dismantled is the product of an experiment that began in late 2000 by Gary Zon, who was attempting to create something similar to Front Line Assembly's sound...
and by the fall of 2006, he began occasionally filling in as the band's live drummer. This included a trip to 2007's Wave-Gotik-Treffen accompanied by fellow MKIO member Brian DiDomenico on keyboards
After Mankind Is Obsolete's Trapped Inside tour, Siren and fellow MKIO member Scott Landes joined Kidneythieves
Kidneythieves
Kidneythieves is an American alternative and industrial rock band led by Free Dominguez and Bruce Somers . Also present in the band are Chris Schleyer , Christian Dorris , and Sean Sellers .- History :...
as part of their live band in mid to late 2008. That September Siren recorded drum tracks for Angel Bartolotta
Angel Bartolotta
Andrew "Angel" Bartolotta is an American drummer. He is best known as the current drummer for American alternative metal band Dope and former drummer of industrial metal band Genitorturers.- Band history :*Dope...
's Team Cybergeist project, which eventually appeared on 2009's How to Destroy Something Beautiful.
In the spring of 2009 Siren became the drummer of Psyclon Nine
Psyclon Nine
Psyclon Nine is a musical group formed in 2000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. While their early efforts are generally categorized as aggrotech, their more recent material has incorporated a disparate set of musical and aesthetic influences, notably industrial metal. The group took a hiatus at the...
for the recording of We the Fallen
We the Fallen
We the Fallen is the fourth studio album by American industrial metal band Psyclon Nine. The album was released on September 8, 2009 through Metropolis Records. This is the first album released by Psyclon Nine with new members Vlixx and Jon Siren....
and its associated tour. but following that tour, in 2010 P9 indefinitely disbanded. However, Clint Carney of Imperative Reaction
Imperative Reaction
Imperative Reaction is an electro-industrial band founded in 1996 by Ted Phelps and David Andrecht from the remains of the band D.N.A.-History:...
, who toured with Psyclon Nine in 2009, brought Siren into his other band System Syn
System Syn
-Members:*Clint Carney performs all studio music, vocals and lyrics. Aside from System Syn, he is the front man for the band Fake and plays keyboard and backing vocals for Imperative Reaction and God Module...
by 2010.
In 2009, Siren's involvement with Dismantled became a more regular event, appearing in extended tours, sometimes on the same bill as Psyclon Nine. By 2010, Zon was promising that in their upcoming album "Jon Siren, the Dismantled drummer is also going to be heard more on this album than before."
In 2011, Siren and MKIO co-founder, Cox appeared as part of the live band for Adam Moore's indie industrial band, Inure.
Albums
- Fragments of Empathy (Pseudocipher) (2003)
- DITCH (Hate Dept.), (2003)
- Metamorph (EP) (Mankind is Obsolete) (2003)
- Rise (Mankind is Obsolete)(2005)
- Trapped Inside (Mankind is Obsolete)(2007)
- How To Destroy Something Beautiful 'Crash and Burn' (Team Cybergeist) (2008)
- We the FallenWe the FallenWe the Fallen is the fourth studio album by American industrial metal band Psyclon Nine. The album was released on September 8, 2009 through Metropolis Records. This is the first album released by Psyclon Nine with new members Vlixx and Jon Siren....
(Psyclon Nine) (2009) - The War Inside Me (Dismantled) (2011)
Compilation appearances
- Livid Looking Glass Compilation No. 1 (20052005 in music-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
, Livid Looking Glass) - Mankind is Obsolete "She" - Fxxk The Mainstream Vol. 1 Box Set (20072007 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
, Alfa MatrixAlfa MatrixAlfa Matrix is a Belgian record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including aggrotech, dark elektro, synthpop and electronica....
) - Mankind is Obsolete "Still Right Here" - Let There Be Life (20082008 in music2008 was a huge year in music history with the emergence of pop superstars Lady Gaga and Katy Perry into the mainstream. Also, this is the year that is widely agreed upon by critics as the start of the fall of hip hop from the mainstream and the rise of Synthpop into the mainstream due to acts such...
, Live Laugh Love) - Mankind is Obsolete "In This Ocean"