Jona Bechtolt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Warren Bechtolt |
| Also known as | Yacht |
| Born | (1980-12-02)December 2, 1980 (age 44) |
| Origin | Portland,Oregon,United States |
| Genres | Indie rock,disco,grunge,electropop,glitch |
| Years active | Since 2003 (as Yacht) |
| Labels | DFA,States Rights,Marriage |
| Website | www.teamyacht.com |
Jona Bechtolt (born December 2, 1980) is an electronic musician and multimedia artist based inPortland,Oregon,United States, best known for his bandYΔCHT. He is a former member of The Badger King,Dirty Projectors, andThe Blow. YΔCHT began in 2003 as a vehicle for his solo work, but in 2008 became a duo with the addition of singerClaire L. Evans.
Bechtolt was born inMadison,Wisconsin and was raised inAstoria,Oregon. Bechtolt began playing music as a teenager.[1] He never attended high school, instead opting to play drums and tour the U.S. with his brother Joel Bechtolt in theirpunk band, Allegro.[1] He started working withelectronics in the late 1990s.[1] He has been a vegetarian for most of his life and a vegan since 2000.
In January 2006, Yacht was commissioned for two performances for theNew York based art and technology platformRhizome, as part of their "Crap-tops vs Laptops" show. In February 2006, he performed at theMuseum of Modern Art'sP.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center[1] and produced an hour-long internet radio program withClear Cut Press; aNorthwest-based publisher of new literary work.
In 2007, Yacht releasedI Believe in You, Your Magic Is Real onMarriage Records. For the release party, Bechtolt performed a concert on an actual yacht[2] on theWillamette River in Portland.
His live performances include dancing to the music that he has created[3] as well as elaboratePowerPoint presentations. He documents his professional and sometimes personal life via video, text, and images on his blog.
In early 2009, Bechtolt stated during an interview that he uses unlicensed copies of audio software for music production. He claimed to possess unauthorized copies of software made byAudio Damage andPropellerhead Software, and to have previously used copied versions ofAbleton Live.[4] This caused a "nerd flame war" with the makers of Audio Damage.[5]
In 2003, Bechtolt was commissioned to create a full length audio/visual electronic pop opera by thePortland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA).[1] He performed with his group The Badger King with bandmate M. Ritchey (aWolf Colonel andDear Nora alumnus who went on to record alone as Manta, and then Mantar).
In 2006, Bechtolt collaborated withKhaela Maricich as half of the pop group the Blow to releasePaper Television. Bechtolt toured extensively with the Blow, providingbeats and backup vocals until quitting the band in 2007 in order to focus on his work in YACHT.
He is a co-founder of the Portland-based popular blogging web communityUrban Honking as well as the producer, editor, cameraman and a writer ofThe Ultimate Blogger.
