Jerry Fuchs
Encyclopedia
Gerhardt "Jerry" Fuchs was an American indie rock
drummer, writer and graphic artist. Fuchs was a member of the bands Turing Machine
, The Juan MacLean
, !!!
and Maserati
and performed drums live with the groups MSTRKRFT
and LCD Soundsystem
.
, where he studied graphic design
and drummed in the local Athens
bands The Martians and Koncak. In 1996 he moved to New York to join Vineland, a four-piece led by Bitch Magnet guitar player Jon Fine. After touring and recording with Vineland for two years, he began to play with Justin Chearno and Scott DeSimon, two former members of the band Pitchblende
; this band would later become Turing Machine
.
Fuchs's disco
and Motorik
-influenced style led to his becoming associated with DFA Records
, joining the dance-punk
group !!!
, performing on their album Myth Takes
. He was a recording and touring member of The Juan MacLean
, and also played live and/or on the recordings of other outfits including Holy Ghost!
, LCD Soundsystem
, Moby
, Cloudland Canyon, and MSTRKRFT
. He then joined Maserati
, playing on their albums Inventions for the New Season
(2007) and Passages (2009). He completed a U.S. tour with Maserati opening for Mono
in September–October 2009.
Fuchs also did graphic design work for the magazine Chunklet and wrote articles as a freelance writer for Entertainment Weekly
.
, New York City, and when he attempted to jump out of the elevator car, he accidentally fell to his death down the elevator shaft. He was attending a benefit to raise education funds for underprivileged children in India.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
drummer, writer and graphic artist. Fuchs was a member of the bands Turing Machine
Turing Machine (band)
Turing Machine is an instrumental rock band formed in New York City in 1998 by Justin Chearno and Scott DeSimon, late of DC's noise-rockers Pitchblende and Gerhardt 'Jerry' Fuchs, who had moved to New York to play with Bitch Magnet guitarist Jon Fine's new band, Vineland...
, The Juan MacLean
The Juan MacLean
John MacLean, better known by the stage name The Juan MacLean, is an American electronic musician.-History:Maclean was guitarist for the post-hardcore band Six Finger Satellite, based in Providence, Rhode Island. The band was struck by several tragedies, and Maclean eventually moved into production...
, !!!
!!!
!!! is a dance-punk band that formed in Sacramento, California, in 1996. Members of !!! came from other local bands such as The Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Popesmashers...
and Maserati
Maserati (band)
Maserati is a band from Athens, Georgia, United States whose sound is best described as a combination of post-rock and psychedelic influences. Their music is instrumental, relying on the standard rock instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums...
and performed drums live with the groups MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
and LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
.
Career
Fuchs attended college at the University of GeorgiaUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, where he studied graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and drummed in the local Athens
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
bands The Martians and Koncak. In 1996 he moved to New York to join Vineland, a four-piece led by Bitch Magnet guitar player Jon Fine. After touring and recording with Vineland for two years, he began to play with Justin Chearno and Scott DeSimon, two former members of the band Pitchblende
Pitchblende (band)
Pitchblende was a four-piece art-punk band from Washington, DC, featuring Justin Chearno on guitar, Scott DeSimon on bass, Patrick Gough on drums, and Treiops Treyfid on guitar...
; this band would later become Turing Machine
Turing Machine (band)
Turing Machine is an instrumental rock band formed in New York City in 1998 by Justin Chearno and Scott DeSimon, late of DC's noise-rockers Pitchblende and Gerhardt 'Jerry' Fuchs, who had moved to New York to play with Bitch Magnet guitarist Jon Fine's new band, Vineland...
.
Fuchs's disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and Motorik
Motorik
Motorik is a term coined by music journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by "Krautrock" bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk...
-influenced style led to his becoming associated with DFA Records
DFA Records
DFA Records is an independent record label and production team, launched in September 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. The label has an exclusive distribution deal with major record label EMI....
, joining the dance-punk
Dance-punk
Dance-punk is a music genre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the post-punk and No Wave movements.-Predecessors:...
group !!!
!!!
!!! is a dance-punk band that formed in Sacramento, California, in 1996. Members of !!! came from other local bands such as The Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Popesmashers...
, performing on their album Myth Takes
Myth Takes
-Personnel:Band members*Mario Andreoni – guitars, bass guitar, some keyboard, some percussion*Daniel Gorman – horns, some synths, backing vocals*Nic Offer – vocals, keyboards, some guitars*Tyler Pope – guitars, bass guitar, synths, drum programming...
. He was a recording and touring member of The Juan MacLean
The Juan MacLean
John MacLean, better known by the stage name The Juan MacLean, is an American electronic musician.-History:Maclean was guitarist for the post-hardcore band Six Finger Satellite, based in Providence, Rhode Island. The band was struck by several tragedies, and Maclean eventually moved into production...
, and also played live and/or on the recordings of other outfits including Holy Ghost!
Holy Ghost!
Holy Ghost! are an American electropop duo from New York City consisting of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel.-History:Millhiser and Frankel both grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City and attended elementary school together. They were later part of a hip hop group called Automato...
, LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
, Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, Cloudland Canyon, and MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT
MSTRKRFT is a Canadian electronic music duo from Toronto, Ontario. The group was started in 2005 by Jesse F. Keeler of Death from Above 1979 and Al-P formerly of the Mississauga, Ontario electropop group Girlsareshort...
. He then joined Maserati
Maserati (band)
Maserati is a band from Athens, Georgia, United States whose sound is best described as a combination of post-rock and psychedelic influences. Their music is instrumental, relying on the standard rock instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums...
, playing on their albums Inventions for the New Season
Inventions for the New Season
Inventions for the New Season is an album by Maserati, released in 2007. The song "Show Me the Season" was featured in the trailer for Project Natal.-Track listing:# "Inventions" # "12/16" # "Kalimera" # "Synchronicity IV"...
(2007) and Passages (2009). He completed a U.S. tour with Maserati opening for Mono
Mono (Japanese band)
Mono are a Japanese post rock band, formed in 1999 in Tokyo, Kantō, Honshū. The band consists of Takaakira Goto , Yoda , Tamaki Kunishi , and Yasunori Takada .Mono have released five studio albums...
in September–October 2009.
Fuchs also did graphic design work for the magazine Chunklet and wrote articles as a freelance writer for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
.
Death
Early in the morning on November 8, 2009, Fuchs was caught in a broken elevator in Williamsburg, BrooklynWilliamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
, New York City, and when he attempted to jump out of the elevator car, he accidentally fell to his death down the elevator shaft. He was attending a benefit to raise education funds for underprivileged children in India.