Wolfgang Gartner

SXSW showcase: Friday, March 19, Aces Lounge, 1am

Wolfgang Gartner’s gaining major momentum in the realm of house music. The 26-year-old Austin transplant, born Joey Youngman, fuses elements of classical music with aggressive techno production, not unlike France’s Justice. “It’s an idea I got after hearing Beethoven’s 5th Symphony,” relates Gartner, who rarely gigs locally but has released works on esteemed house labels Tango Recordings, Om Records, and Naked Music. “I’ve heard it a few times over the years, but no one has ever done it well. I thought if I used it for a breakdown it would be absolutely massive.” The resulting single, “Wolfgang’s Fifth Symphony,” released last year, marked Gartner’s most successful work to date and led to high-profile remix work for MSTRKRFT (“Heartbreaker”) and Tiesto (“I Will Be Here”). “I’m always in the studio,” relates Gartner, the only local artist, with the noted exception of Spoon, scheduled to appear this year at Coachella. “That’s all I do – sleep and eat and fly and record.”

This article appears in March 12 • 2010.

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