Born: December 5, 1963 Primary Instrument: Multi-instrumentalist
In 1977 Steven Gauci walked into a small basement studio in London, Ontario to record a handful of cover songs as a member of Evelyn Anarchy and the Virginity Destroyers, and 35 years later has just completed his 5th solo CD. After the break up of Evelyn Anarchy and the Virginity Destroyers Steven teamed with bandmate Bernie Watson in late 1977 to start a new band. What ensued was a commercial songwriting partnership that lasted until Watson' s death in 1988. As well the pair recorded 3 instrumental albums under the guise of X-Ray Ed and the Blow Dart Kings.
The next few years Steven played with and co-wrote with several other musicians. He worked as producer, sound engineer, and mentored a wide range of music projects. With no formal education in music, and being told early on he could not be a working musician since he could never learn to read sheet music, he worked almost non-stop. It was during this period that he co-founded Prodigal Son Recordings. In 1991 Steven left Ontario for British Columbia, with his new wife, and his collection of equipment and instruments in tow. After arriving in BC Steven still wrote and recorded in his home studio, but worked less with other musicians. Not until being diagnosed with cancer in 1997 did he feel the desire to create a full CD. While undergoing cancer treatment he started finishing and bringing together the elements that would result in his first solo CD, A Dog's Life.
Creating a single CD of original compositions is an inspiring accomplishment by most standards. Steven is, if nothing else, prolific. Since his first solo release Steven has created four subsequent solo CDs, in order, Black and White, Ten Years and Counting, Finch!, and The Beat...it makes me worship Satan!, both Black and White, and Ten Years and Counting are double length CDs. As well he is a member of The Jazz Phantoms who released Raspberry Jam in 2011. His ability to create songs that completely range from haunting symphonic melodies, to the outright fusion of rock and jazz on his latest CD, The Beat...it makes me worship Satan!, he is constantly changing and evolving musically. Planning for the future is something most people never do, but Steven has two new CDs he is working on currently, as well as writing and recording a new CD with The Jazz Phantoms, all to be released by 2015.
Last Updated: November 9, 2012
Beyond a musician, Steven Gauci is a renaissance man in Canadian music. A successful songwriter, recording artist, producer, engineer, record label founder, and accomplishing all of this completely in obscurity, by his own design. He is truly one of Canada's best kept cultural secrets.
- RPM Magazine October 2000 -
A Dog's Life (1997)
Black & White (1999)
Ten Years & Counting (2009)
Finch! (2011)
A Dog's Life - remastered (2012)
The Beat...it makes me worship Satan! (Dec. 1, 2012)
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