Cooptrol is the main project of Hernan Gonzalez, who makes electronic music since 1995. In 2000 he created Cooptrol to play live and release his music. Hernan was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1976. He lives in Montevideo, Uruguay since age 3.

Hernan started drumming for a local death metal band, Maldicion, in 1992. The band eventually turned on to industrial music. This change got Hernan to experiment with computer-made electronic music. In 1995 he started a solo project which later on would become Cooptrol.

He played in many events of the Innova collective (such as the Festival de Música Electónica Innova 2000, or the Teadance parties). In 2001 he formed the Error Electrocollective along with Nacho Benedetti and Pablo Bonilla (now Omar) and Daniel Anselmi. During those years, Cooptrol plays live in almost all main stages of Montevideo, including places like Milenio, Pachamama, Vaughan, Plaza Mateo, the City Planetarium, and in various editions of the famous Fiesta Final. He also makes some remixes for bands like Elefante, Metro, and Amnios.

In 2003, after the split-up of the Error Electrocollective, Cooptrol produces his first LP, called “Detractor”. In the beginning of 2004 he makes an independent release of Detractor, founding for that purpose the label Monteaudio. The record is well accepted both in Uruguay and in other countries, and takes Cooptrol to some international electronic music festivals, such as the Fuga Jurásica in Buenos Aires (Argentina), and the Encuentro Electrónico III in Bogota (Colombia). Detractor is also aknowledged by cEvin Key, the famous electronic musician veteran from Canada.

After his return from Colombia, Hernan starts a new stage for Cooptrol, radically changing his technical approach. In the beginning of 2005 he releases the Numbernaut EP through the Series label from Colombia. In May 2005 he plays at the Suramericaelectrónica net-festival, the first latin-american electronic music festival fully transmitted via internet, transmitting from the Facultad de Arquitectura auditory, along with fellow musicians Brian Mackern and Androoval. Later he releases the Cronos EP through the Microbio label from Venezuela. Both EPs make the introduction to the next LP, called “Ubicuidad”, released in late 2005 through the Amencoma label from Chile, a work that will be presented live in Santiago city in 2006, and that is also released by Monteaudio. In November 2005 Cooptrol plays in the 2nd edition of the 404 Festival, an international digital art festival held in Rosario, Argentina.

Hernán is also part of Family Doctors, an abstract hip-hop band that he formed in 2005 with Androoval and DJ Vince. Apart from Cooptrol, Hernán has got another project called Amdet, name under which he releases his minimal techno production, releasing his first EP “Floor” through both Nerd Audio label from Chicago and Monteaudio. Also, he has got into the sound-art area, programming applications in Max/MSP for visual artists Haroldo Gonzalez and Brian Mackern.

External links

Cooptrol

Monteaudio