Jojo Mayer

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Jojo Mayer (born 18 January 1963) is a famous drummer from Switzerland who brings together jazz, drum and bass, jungle, and other influences. He lives in New York City.

He is famous for his ability to play the rhythms of programmed jungle drum 'n' bass music on acoustic drums. He terms this "reverse engineering", a phrase borrowed from computing. He executes this approach using methods including the Moeller technique, specifically the pull-out accent, "push-pull" (also called "open-close") which takes the beat on the rebound. Using this technique he can play beats at astonishing speeds. A few of his main influences are Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette and Buddy Rich.

He plays with the guitarist David Fiuczynski in the avant-garde pop rock band Screaming Headless Torsos and in the fusion jazz band Intergalactic Maiden Ballet.

He is the founder of the Prohibited Beatz clique in the NYC underground live music scene.

Discography

With Intergalactic Maiden Ballet:

• 1992 - Square Dance
• 1994 - Gulf

With John Medeski:

• 1994 - Lunar Crush

With Screaming Headless Torsos:

• 1995 - Screaming Headless Torsos

Jojo Mayer & Nerve:

• 2007 - Prohibited Beats

Media

He was featured as the cover story of the January 2008 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. His DVD, Secret Weapons for the Modern Drummer, is a bestseller worldwide.

Gear

Mayer is a long-time Sonor endorser and also uses Sabian cymbals. He has also collaborated with Sabian to create his own line of "Fierce" cymbals, part of Sabian's top-tier Vault line. His Vault Fierce cymbals feature a raw, unlathed finish, and extensive hand hammering. Mayer uses various series of drums, often depending on what is available at the venue, with this general setup:

14" (or 13") Snare Drum 10" Tom Tom 14" Floor Tom 13" (or 12", or even 14")' Side Snare 20" Bass Drum 22" Bass Drum

These sizes and the actual number of drums may vary, depending on the musical context.

External links

• Jojo Mayer’s homepage
• Jojo Mayer's Nerve Info at Basitours
• Myspace Page