1.8.7

Jordana LeSesne

Jordana at Technorganic Records showcase party with MC Collaborator
Background information
Born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Genres Drum and bass
Occupation(s) Producer, musician, DJ
Years active 1995–present
Website www.jordanamusic.com

1.8.7 is a pseudonym for Jordana LeSesne, a musician and producer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] She became widely known in the mid-1990s as an American Drum and Bass producer. The Village Voice described her as being "[w]idely regarded as the top U.S. drum'n'bass producer."[2] Vibe magazine called her "one of the most respected Drum ‘n' Bass producers in the US."[3] In 2015 Jordana was named as one of "20 Women Who Shaped the History of Dance Music" by the authoritative dance music magazine Mixmag.[4] Previously, in 2014, For Harriet Magazine named Jordana as one of "12 Women in Black Music History You Should Know".[5] In 2014, Complex Magazine UK named one of her songs to a list of "36 Great American Drum & Bass Tracks".[6] She is transgender and has been living as a woman since 1998.[7]

She has released of over 50 tracks which includes four full-length albums, several EPs, and many remixes under the alias "1.8.7". The album When Worlds Collide, released in 1997, became known for its "dark pummeling assaults". She has also licensed tracks for numerous compilations as well as the Sci Fi Channel. Three of her albums charted in the Top 25 of both the CMJ (College Music Journal) and Mixmag U.S. (later Mixer Magazine, now defunct) for 1997 as well as 1998[8][8] and 1999. Her third album "The Cities Collection" debuted in the CMJ Top 5 climbed to the #2 position on CMJ Music Monthly's dance chart for June 2000.[9][10][11]

Her works have been reviewed by the likes of Billboard,[12] Spin, Rolling Stone, Urb, Mixer, Mixmag, Raygun, Vibe,[3] and Trip (Español),[13] as well as Knowledge – the U.K. Drum and Bass magazine. In 1999 she was listed in Raygun's "Who's Who of International DJs". She was one of the headlining DJs on Knowledge Magazine's 28 city "Kung Fu Knowledge" tour in 1999.[14] She also made Out Magazine's OUT100 for the year 2000.[15]

Impact on Music

Jordana's work has influenced other artists such as well known dubstep producer Bassnectar who heavily sampled 5 A.M. Rinse (feat. MC Sphinx), the last song on her first album When Worlds Collide for his song Here We Go off of his 2010 EP and single Timestretch.[16] Additionally, electronic rock act Celldweller sampled "Wake Up" off of her first album as well as "San Francisco" off of her third album "The Cities Collection" in their 2013 song "Uncrowned".[17]

In 1999 Drum & Bass/Hip Hop producer and label owner Hive approached Jordana to remix her song Defcon-1 also off of When Worlds Collide. Hive's remix appears on his 2001 album The Raw Uncut.[18] Jordana collaborated with Lady Sovereign on a song early in Sov's career after the two met through an internet chat room for StrikeFM.co.uk, an online radio station which Jordana had a show, and the now defunct UKGargageWorldwide.com forums. The two would later team up when Jordana under her Lady J alias, had Lady Sovereign MC for her radio show on Flex 103.6FM London.[19]

New Zealand based Dubstep and Drum & Bass producer Alexis K/Unsub has also cited Jordana as an influence and the two are collaborating on music and a possible tour.

History

Jordana first came to the attention of the music industry when she was asked to remix Blondie's "Atomic." Her "Beautiful Drum & Bass Remix" appeared along with Armand Van Helden and Diddy's remixes on the single.[3] A little over a year following that release Mac McFarlane, the promoter of the well established and legendary New York City Drum'n'Bass club night, Konkrete Jungle, contacted Jordana to create a Konkrete Jungle themed song for a CD compilation/mix-CD. Jordana created the song "Konkrete Jungle" for that purpose. Described by CMJ as containing "menacing hardstep attacks"[20] it was released on the Ultra Records compilation, "Konkrete Jungle - Maximum Drum & Bass," mixed by BBC Radio 1 Drum'n'Bass show regular host Jumping Jack Frost. Following extensive touring throughout North America and abroad as a live Drum & Bass artist, Liquid Sky Music, an indie label distributed by Caroline Distribution signed her to a three album contract in late 1996.

Hate Crime in Ohio

On the night of February 22, 2000, in Kent, Ohio. Jordana was attacked and brutally beaten in a transphobic hate crime by a group of men including Matthew Gostlin of Akron, Ohio.[21] Gostlin and other assailants jumped her in the parking lot outside of "The Robin Hood" nightclub where she had just performed on the Cities Collection tour. The attack took place while she was escorted from the event with the event promoter to the promoters car. The group of men attacked suddenly and Jordana lost consciousness almost immediately after being struck in the face, she suffered nerve damage to the lower part of her face from her lower lip down as a result. She was quoted as saying in the May issue of CMJ New Music Monthly that in the seconds just prior to the attack: "I saw his face. I remember the look on his face. It was this look of utter hate, like 'I'm going to kill you.'"[22] George Meesig of Cleveland, Ohio shoved one of the men away and helped Jordana.[23] In an interview with the Village Voice following the attack, Meesig stated that Gostlin "misgendered" her. Other reports from people on the message board for Breakbeat Science (a NYC based Drum'n'Bass record store) mentioned transphobic slurs being shouted during the attack.[23] Jordana subsequently cancelled the tour to recover.[21] Gostlin, while charged, was never arrested nor spent any time in court. Jordana's family was told by the Portage County (Ohio) prosecutor's office that attempts had been made to serve the warrant but Gostlin's whereabouts were unknown. As a result of no movement on the case by the authorities, Jordana felt that justice would not be served. They left the U.S. for England because of their concerns about personal safety and well-being.

Additional Work in Music Industry

In addition to production Jordana has also been a DJ, musician and singer. In 2001–2002 Jordana worked at Flex FM in London, England as Lady J with Lady Sovereign MCing for her during Jordana's radio show.[24] In 2002 she held a club residency spinning UK Garage, 2-Step Garage and House Music at legendary club night Trinity in London's Vauxhall neighborhood.

After returning to the US, Jordana has returned to her rock roots and fronts a melodic goth metal band in Seattle. Just prior to that she was asked to play bass in another band briefly where she met and became close friends with singer/songwriter Sheltia Burke.

Currently, Jordana is scoring the documentary, Free CeCe, produced and directed by Jacqueline Gares and actress/director Laverne Cox of the series Orange Is The New Black. The documentary details the struggles of CeCe McDonald, an African-American transwoman who was wrongfully incarcerated for murder for defending herself against a hate driven attack on her life outside of a bar in Minneapolis.[25]

Jordana is working on a new Drum and Bass E.P. for Bristol, UK based Complex Records. Her guitar and vocal work have featured on clips of songs off of her new E.P. posted to Soundcloud and on cover songs she has posted on AfroPunk.com.[26]

Literary Mentions

Jordana has been featured in several books. Her success rising from the depressed 80s economy of a "rust belt" city to MTV featured electronica artist garnered a mention in 2002 New York Times bestseller "The Rise of the Creative Class" by economist Richard Florida. She appears in two books examining the history and rise of the American rave/EDM scene: Michaelangelo Matos's The Underground is Massive[27] details an early online exchange between her and Moby dealing with the role of live performance in a rave context. She is also mentioned in Rave Culture: An Insider's Overview by Jimi Fritz and Virginia Smallfry.[28]

Personal life

An extensive interview with Jordana was also featured in "The New Transsexuals" a book by rock journalist and illustrator George Petros(Thrasher, Seconds, Propaganda, EXIT magazines) published in 2012.[29]

She currently resides in Seattle.

Vinyl

CD releases

Videos

Filmography

In 2002 Jordana licensed "One vocal, background use, forty-five seconds (0:45) in length" from her song "Break In" to Paramount Pictures for the Zoolander DVD release.

References

  1. ↑ "VH1 Biography". Vh1.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved 2010-09-08.
  2. ↑ Top Jungle Producer Attacked Tuesday, February 29, 2000 Village Voice Archived February 14, 2011, at WebCite
  3. 1 2 3 Vibe Media Group (February 1999). Vibe. Vibe Media Group. pp. 38–. ISSN 1070-4701.
  4. ↑ "- - Mixmag". Mixmag.net. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  5. ↑ "12 Women in Black Music History You Should Know". Forharriet.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  6. ↑ "1.8.7 - "We Are Not Alone" - 36 Great American Drum & Bass Tracks". Com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Roll With the Changes". citypaper.net. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  8. 1 2 CMJ Network, Inc. (December 1998). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 78–. ISSN 1074-6978.
  9. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (March 2000). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 48–. ISSN 1074-6978.
  10. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (13 March 2000). CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 27–. ISSN 0890-0795.
  11. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (June 2000). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 82–. ISSN 1074-6978.
  12. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (June 2000). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 95. ISSN 1074-6978.
  13. ↑ Trip Editora e Propaganda SA (February 2000). Trip. Trip Editora e Propaganda SA. pp. 85–. ISSN 1414-350X.
  14. ↑ "Kung Fu Knowledge Tour Cities". Bmotion. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  15. ↑ Out Magazine (74): 45. January 2000.
  16. ↑ iphoneunclockseattle. "Bassnectar's Here We Go sample of 1.8.7 feat. MC Sphinx's 5 A.M. Rinse". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  17. ↑ jordana. "Celldweller samples Wake Up and San Francisco". WhoSampled. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Hive – The Raw Uncut EP". Discogs. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  19. ↑ ": : Welcome to the FLEX FM NETWORK - Home of FLEX 103.6 FM - LONDON : :". Https:. Archived from the original on June 1, 2002. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  20. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (October 1998). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. pp. 62–. ISSN 1074-6978.
  21. 1 2 Maximum Rocknroll. Maximum Rock 'n' Roll. 2000.
  22. ↑ CMJ Network, Inc. (May 2000). CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. p. 13. ISSN 1074-6978.
  23. 1 2 "Music". Villagevoice.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  24. ↑ Sovereign, Lady (May 18, 2002). "Lock in to FLex FM 2nite". ukmusic.com/. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  25. ↑ "FREE CeCe! Post-Production Campaign". Https:. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  26. ↑ "AFROPUNK". Afropunk.com. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  27. ↑ Matos, Michaelangelo (April 28, 2015). The Underground Is Massive: How Electronic Dance Music Conquered America. Dey Street Books. p. 154. ISBN 978-0062271785.
  28. ↑ Jimi Fritz (1999). Rave Culture: An Insider's Overview. SmallFry Press. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-9685721-0-8.
  29. ↑ Petros, George (2012). Lehman, Deanna, ed. The New Transsexuals: The Next Step In Human Evolution. Creation Books. pp. 247–274. ISBN 978-0-9855018-1-5. Retrieved 2015-12-22.

External links

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