After a childhood studying classical piano, Jay Bodley made a turn toward electronic music in 1999. Beginning enthusiastically in experimental hip-hop, he became interested in drone-leaning electronic music around 2004 and became a part of the Moodgadget Records roster shortly thereafter. Recording as A Setting Sun, he has released two full-lengths (2008 & 2011), two EPs (2007 & 2010) and a remix collection (2010) with the label, the latter featuring the likes of Aidan Baker, Benoît Pioulard and Giuseppe Ielasi. 2010 saw the beginning of a fruitful ongoing collaboration with fellow sound artist Radere.
As Sun Hammer, he has broadened his sound to include strong influence from glitch, digital minimalism, noise, and bass music, while revisiting the elements of drone that have made previous releases successful as documents of sound art. He has released remixes for artists on Ghostly International, Hyperdub, Moteer, Lost Tribe Sound, and Moodgadget, contributed to the popular Futuresequence-curated SEQUENCE compilations, dabbled in digital art and design, and done sound design, post-production and musical score for films, documentaries and awareness pieces.
Sun Hammer DJ sets typically include a widely varied selection of artists and genres, drawing from hip-hop, bass music, classical and folk in addition to drone, glitch and noise. Live sets tend to be much more minimal and drawn out, incorporating elements from previous recordings arranged in new ways, presenting something familiar in a new context. These sets tend to be sparse, allowing each element more space to breath and to expose its subtleties.
2012 releases include Sun Hammer A Dream In Blood (Futuresequence), Sun Hammer + Radere Lotophagen (Futuresequence), Sun Hammer Incantations (Heat Death), and Sujo + Sun Hammer Fistula (Inam/Music Ruins Lives). A series of name-your-price Bandcamp releases is also underway at http://sunhammer.bandcamp.com
