Computer Magic is the solo-project of American musician and producer Danielle Johnson, also referred to by her alias, Danz, based in Brooklyn, NY.
She is the singer, writer, composer, and often the producer for Computer Magic.
Her musical influences include Radiohead, Gary Numan, Broadcast and Stereolab. She has also listed Philip K. Dick and Barbarella as further influences.
Her music has been described as otherworldly cosmic-pop. She has maintained success in Japan and has gained a cult following in the United States. Attracting sci-fi enthusiasts, she often performs or takes press photos in space suits with backdrops redolent of NASA base camps.
Beginnings
Computer Magic - Fuzz (Official Video) - Computer Magic - "Fuzz" from the album Davos. iTunes: http://smarturl.it/cmdavosit Davos 12" Gatefold Vinyl: http://bit.ly/2gsNGHV Fuzz Single Vinyl: http://bit.ly/1Tz4Y47 Video directed...
Johnson was born and raised in the Catskills in both Woodridge, New York and Rock Hill, New York. She started her own music blog at the age of 15. At the age of 18, she moved to New York City to attend Hunter College and became a DJ at places such as the Tribeca Grand Hotel and The Annex.
She started producing music at her mother's house whilst on hiatus from New York in Tampa, FL. There, she taught herself how to make music. She has stated that she writes music entirely by ear.
The name Computer Magic is derived from a quote in This Is Spinal Tap from Viv Savage, "Quite exciting this computer magic!".
Music
Since 2011, Computer Magic has released nine self-produced EPs and four LPs, three exclusive to Japan.
A number of Computer Magic's songs are released for free at first, giving fans a chance to download them before they go up for digital sale on iTunes. About this, Danz has said that "The more people that have your music and enjoy it the better.".
In 2014, her self-produced song Running (Hiding Version) was featured on two separate television commercials for Aria Resort and Casino and Lexus. Computer Magic has also announced an upcoming album "DANZ", slated to be released on February 23rd, 2018.
Davos
Computer Magic released her first LP entitled Davos on October 16, 2015 with her own record label in the US, Channel 9 Records with Kobalt Label Services, and in Japan with Tugboat and P-Vine Records.
She recorded the songs with Claudius Mittendorfer over the course of 2 years in New York, New York. The title Davos is a homage to a now-'decrepit' ski resort where Johnson grew up in upstate New York, where her dad worked and still resides although the ski resort closed when Johnson was 3 years old.
The video for the first single from the album, Be Fair, features Danz in a space crash that was filmed in Trona Pinnacles. The video for the second single Fuzz features Danz in dramatic futuristic wardrobe, through which she splits her time between light and dark roles.
Japan
She has released four full-length records in Japan with Tugboat Records and P-Vine Records. The first record entitled Scientific Experience, debuted at #5 on the iTunes Japanese Electronic Music Chart. Her 2015 release "Mindstate" debuted at #1 on the iTunes Japanese Electronic Music Chart.
She has composed numerous songs for commercials in Japan for companies such as Panasonic and QP.
She has modeled clothes for Sofia Coppola's Japanese clothing company Milkfed and in 2017 was in the fall catalog for the skate clothing brand X-Girl, founded by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon in the 1990's. .
Cody & Danz
In June 2017 Danz announced a collaborative EP with musician Cody Crump titled Only The Hits The EP was released on July 14, 2017 through Channel 9 Records.
Channel 9 Records
In 2015 she started her own record label, Channel 9 Records, to release her own music on limited edition vinyls and cassettes.
Discography
Studio albums
- Davos (2015)
- Danz (2018)
EPs
- Hiding From Our Time - EP (2010)
- Hiding From More of Our Time - EP (2010)
- Electronic Fences - EP [Vinyl + Digital] (2011)
- Spectronic - EP (2011)
- Kitsuné:Orion - EP (2012)
- A Million Years / Another Science - EP [Vinyl + Digital] (2013)
- Extra Stuff - EP [Vinyl + Digital] (2014)
- Dreams of Better Days EP (2015)
- Obscure But Visible - EP [Vinyl + Digital + CD] (2016)
Compilations
- Super Rare (2017)
Japan-exclusive releases
- Scientific Experience (2012)
- Phonetics (2013)
- Mindstate (2015)
Music videos
- 2011: The End of Time
- 2012: Trinity
- 2013: A Million Years
- 2013: Moving Forward
- 2014: All I Ever Wanted
- 2015: Mindstate
- 2015: Be Fair
- 2015: Hudson
- 2016: Fuzz
- 2016: Dimensions
- 2017: Been Waiting
References
