John Morgan (musician)

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John Morgan

Background information
Birth name John Paul Morgan
Also known as Johnny Morgan
Born 18 March 1970
Origin Richmond, Canada
Genre(s) Industrial, Progressive House, Experimental
Occupation(s) Songwriter, Producer
Instrument(s) Keyboards
Years active 1990 - Present
Label(s) Powerplant Music
Associated
acts
Unit:187
Strapping Young Lad
Powerplant Music
Website [http://www.powerplantmusic.ca


John Morgan (born March 18, 1970 in Richmond, Canada) is a Canadian musician currently residing in British Columbia.

He plays keyboards and electronic equipment, and produces music. His music draws on Electronica with influences from house music, progressive house, industrial, and ambient.


Contents

[edit] Biography

Electronic Music has been John's life since the mid 80's. Artists such as Howard Jones, Skinny Puppy, Peter Gabriel, and Depeche Mode were what inspired him to buy his first synthesizer in 1985, and start his journey exploring and pioneering electronic sounds. After a brief foray into hair metal, his love for synth pop quickly paved the way to industrial, and by 1990 John was programming and writing music for early beat driven industrial tracks with his band, Children of Atom. Vancouver's deep underground community of electronic music artists was thriving, and Children of Atom was in the middle of it, playing at times several live shows a month.

Children of Atom eventually gave way to Unit:187 John's new band, and with Tod Law released several albums on San Francisco's 21st Circuitry Records. Punk fused electro industrial backed up by a killer live show was Unit's specialty, and shows at the Trocedero in SF and the Starfish Room in Vancouver were not to be missed.

In 1996 a chance to tour the world playing keyboards with the band Strapping Young Lad led to a brief stint behind the keys with LA's Fear Factory in 1997. That was quite a year, and within months John played shows in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, England, Holland, Australia, and every city in the US, sharing the stage with bands such as Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Sepultura, and Marylin Manson.

1998 saw John accept an offer to become a music composer and sound designer for Electronic Arts, the biggest video game company in the world.

John's latest music on DJ vinyl can be found under the name Powerplant, a project with his good friend Kiki Stewardson that has seen releases on Teknology Recordings, Sunkissed Records, Toronto's Release records, CP Recordings, Holland's Deep Records, a licence to Bedrock Records, and a recent licence to the Uk's Renassiance CD series.

Powerplant has worked with and been remixed by artists such as Medway, Bill Hamel, Blackwatch, Simon Noble, Luke Chable, Halogen, Matthew Dekay, Madoka, Petter, and fellow Vancouverite Jay Tripwire.

Unit:187 is still going strong, working on their 4th studio album.

John recently completed sound design for Need for Speed Carbon by Electronic Arts, and is well known for his work in interactive music for the SSX Snowboard video game series.


[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Unit:187 - Unit:187 - 21st Circuitry Records
Unit:187 - Loaded - 21st Circuitry Records
Strapping Young Lad - No Sleep till Bedtime - Century Media
Unit:187 - Capitol Punishment - COP International
Angel - Powerplant - Teknology Records
With or Without You - Powerplant - Teknology Records
Overcast - Powerplant - Release Records
Blame - Powerplant - Release Records
Turn it Into Gold - Powerplant Feat. Trout - Deep Records Holland
Let You Go - Powerplant - Powerplant Music
Toobin - Medway and Morgan - Powerplant Music
Acid Brownies - John Morgan and Kevin Shiu - Powerplant Music
Mic Check EP - John Morgan and Kevin Shiu - Powerplant Music


[edit] Compilations

Cold Wave Breaks 2 - 21st Circuitry Records
Newer Wave - 21st Circuitry Records
Newer Wave 2 - 21st Circuitry Records
Tyranny of the Off Beat - Off Beat Records Germany
Dark Techno One Nine Nine - Quatuum Loop
21st Circuitry Shox 2 - 21st Circuitry Records
Unquiet Grave 2000 - Cleopatra Records
Ocean Machines - Biomech - Additional Keyboards
Balance 002 - Mixed By Kasey Taylor - EQ Grey Records
Balance 003 - Mixed By Bill Hamel - EQ Grey Records
Bedrock 4 - Mixed by Creamer and K - Bedrock Records
Therapy Sessions - Mixed By Dave Seaman and Phil K - Renaissance Records

[edit] Remixes

Closing In - Simon Noble - Teknology Records
On A Bridge - Halogen - CP Recordings

[edit] Video Games

Triple Play 2000 - Electronic Arts
SSX - EA Sports
Sled Storm - Electronic Arts
NHL 2001 - Electronic Arts
SSX Tricky - EA Sports
WCW Backstage Assault - Electronic Arts
Sled Storm 2 - Electronic Arts
FIFA Total Club Manager 2003 - Electronic Arts
SSX3 - EA Sports
FIFA Street 1 - EA Sports
FIFA Street 2 - EA Sports
Need For Speed Carbon EA Sports

[edit] Television

Navy NCIS - CBS - 'Missing'
Navy NCIS - CBS - 'Reveille'
Navy NCIS - CBS - 'Terminal Leave'
Sopranos - HBO - 'Irregular Around the Margins'
Young and Restless - 6826