Yonatan Gat
EXPERIMENTAL | ROCK
Yonatan Gat (New York, NY) is a guitarist, producer and composer, initially known as the leader of garage rock group Monotonix. His solo pieces have been mentioned by the likes of The New York Times, Pitchfork, Vice, The New Yorker People Magazine. His music transcends and surpasses genres, falling somewhere between rock’n’roll, avant-garde and performing arts.
After announcing the launch of his label Stone Tapes (under the Joyful Noise Recordings umbrella) and its triumphant release of Medicine Singers’ debut LP, which was highlighted in a New York Times article as helping to usher in a new wave of Native experimental music, Gat announces his third solo album, and first for his new imprint, out November 4th, 2022, with Mothland releasing the opus in Canada.
The album is a reimagining of Antonín Dvořák’s famed American Quartet (a.k.a. String Quartet No. 12), one of the most popular in the classical repertoire, written while Dvořák was, like Gat, an immigrant living in New York City. The similarities between the two interpretations are as striking as their differences. One example is that, just as Dvořák intended, the recording features a quartet of musicians performing the piece live. But instead of a string section, these musicians are Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier on drums, composer Curt Sydnor on organ, Mikey Coltun from Mdou Moctar’s band on bass, and Gat on electric guitar.
But as one might expect from the fiery Monotonix guitarist, this reimagination offers a completely sui generis interpretation of the music, imbued with the slash-and-burn energy of punk rock, combined with the unrestricted creative spirit of experimental musicians like Alice Coltrane (who also interpreted Dvořák’s music). While there is a freewheeling spontaneity to the recording, Gat’s first album since 2018’s David Berman-produced Universalists, reconceptualizing the piece took years, requiring a long, disciplined process, particularly from Gat, who does not read music. While Saunier, Coltun and Sydnor do read music, their playing took many liberties, adding elements of repetition, expansion, and improvisation to Dvořák’s score.
American Quartet will be issued via Gat’s label Stone Tapes (Joyful Noise Recordings) and via Mothland in Canada, continuing the radical clash of sounds and ideas we’ve come to expect from the artist since he first emerged onto the alternative music scene.
CONTACT:
QC: MARILYNE@MOTHLAND.COM
CAN: JULIANA@MOTHLAND.COM
Albums
Shows
Video
Press
“The rare experimental artist with a colorful flair for showmanship. Gat’s solo work is exploratory, explosive, and, increasingly, collaborative.”
“Already a citizen of the world, Gat wields his guitar like a universal translator.”
“His playing bloomed with the patience to develop any shred of riff or groove into collective improvisation”
“A dazzling display… Respectful of tradition but unafraid to throw everything in a blender and gulp.”
“One of the most incredible performances you’ll ever see, unforgettable chaos.”
“Visionary... A bold new idea on what to do with rock that suggest Teo Macero, DJ Screw, Yeezus-era Kanye, but not much else in rock music.”