Now 28, he has spent more than a decade at dance music's cutting edge. A rough diamond in the Warp label's glittering crown, Jackson made serious waves when he released his debut album, 'Smash', in 2005 and toured the world with his first live show. Described by its composer as "a style orgy, a psychedelic celebration of conflict", 'Smash' soon became a word-of-mouth classic. Its follow-up is shaping up handsomely, too. Many know Jackson as the producer behind 'Utopia', the shimmering six-minute après-rave odyssey that was used to great effect in an O2 commercial in the UK.
Jackson is also in great demand as a DJ. His rugged, romantic approach to crowd-pleasing guarantees surprises. A techno tease and a new-wave futurist, anything goes in Jackson's sets – and frequently does. As a remixer, Jackson receives many requests from acts keen to hear his unique take on their sound. Most recently, Justice personally asked Jackson for a remix. He delivered the astonishing 'Do The JAHCB', a 12-minute megamix of Justice's debut album which set the blogs ablaze and rather flattered his Parisian playmates. A few years earlier, Jackson's breathtaking rework of M83's 'Run Into Flowers', later the stand-out tune on Michael Mayer's 'Fabric 13' DJ mix, introduced him to a whole new audience. Jackson has also remixed Femi Kuti, Air, Vanessa Paradis, Freeform Five and Jean Jacques Perrey & Luke Vibert's Moog Acid project.
His restlessly inventive style of Dada disco has been cited as an influence by the likes of Justice, Simian Mobile Disco and Sebastian. But Jackson's music is constantly evolving. By the time others have caught up with him, he's way ahead, designing the future somewhere else entirely.
Jackson began making music aged 15, intrigued by the musicians and equipment surrounding his mother, Paula Moore, a folk and blues singer. After his acid house debut on Pumpking records in 1996, Sound Of Barclay released the 'Sense Juice' and 'Gourmet' EPs under the name Jackson & His Computer Band. Even then, these thumping filtered house cuts sounded weirdly different to the prevailing "French Touch" style of Daft Punk and Cassius, leading to articles in NME, I-D, Jockey Slut and the like.
Warp picked up on these early records, released on French imprint Sound Of Barclay. Instantly recognising Jackson as a genuine innovator with his own distinctive sound and personality – rare qualities in modern electronics – they signed him.
Since then, Jackson has been declared "the great hope of dance music" by The Wire magazine and has dazzed ravers in Tokyo, Montreal, New York and across Europe with his extraordinary freestyle show. In his hands, the future sounds deliciously unpredictable, which is just the way it should be.
Praise for 'Smash':
"'Smash' explodes like a symphony for the devil" DJ
"Tremendous debut from French magpie electronicist" The Observer
"A beautiful, soulful, fucked up masterpiece" Vice
Rock On
Jackson and His Computer Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Couple shots, I couldn't stop, ayy
All I could think about was you
All I think about is you
Stumbling about to drop, ayy
More shots, couldn't stop, ayy
All I could think about was you
All I think about is you
Que tal mami where you been though? Yeah
I see you posse kinda cutthroat, yeah
But I ain't tryna start an uproar, yeah
But you're the one I saved my love for, yeah
But your family never bought it
Now your brother tryna stop me, yeah
What the hell did I get into, yeah
When all I want is to be with you, yeah
Got my problems on my mind like all night
Drinking just tryna get my head right
Couldn't see the sign like a red light
Before I pour it down I'll say
Bought a tequila on the rocks, ayy
Couple shots, I couldn't stop, ayy
All I could think about was you
All I think about is you
Stumbling about to drop, ayy
More shots, couldn't stop, ayy
All I could think about was you
All I think about is you
Taking shots just to numb the pain
'Cause it hurts when I hear your name
I don't even wanna close my eyes
'Cause you're the one I see when I dream at night
I wish I could let the feeling fade
'Cause it's killing me to live this way
I wish that we never said goodbye
I would die to see you one last time
Bought a tequila on the rocks, ayy
Couple shots, I couldn't stop, ayy
All I could think about was you
All I think about is you
Stumbling about to drop, ayy
More shots, couldn't stop, ayy
All I could think about was you
All I think about is you
The lyrics to Jackson and His Computer Band's song Rock On describe a protagonist who cannot stop thinking about a person who they have saved their love for despite facing opposition from their posse and family. The singer takes multiple shots of tequila on the rocks throughout the song, stumbling around intoxicated as they try to get their head right but fail due to their intense feelings for this person. The singer is haunted by this person's memory night and day and is unable to let their feelings fade. They wish for one last chance to see this person again before closing their eyes but are unable to as they continue to be consumed by thoughts of their love interest.
The song Rock On speaks to the universal theme of heartbreak and unrequited love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who is unable to shake off their intense feelings for someone despite trying to self-medicate with alcohol to numb the pain. The lines "All I could think about was you, All I think about is you" underscore the singer's all-consuming thoughts, feelings, and preoccupations. The lyrics speak to anyone who has ever loved and lost, even if they never turned to alcohol to cope with their pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Bought a tequila on the rocks, ayy
Started drinking tequila on rocks
Couple shots, I couldn't stop, ayy
Started drinking uncontrollably
All I could think about was you
Thought only of the person they love
All I think about is you
Continued to think only of the person they love
Stumbling about to drop, ayy
Started to stumble because of the effect of excess alcohol
More shots, couldn't stop, ayy
Had more shots and was unable to stop drinking
Que tal mami where you been though? Yeah
Asking where the person has been
I see you posse kinda cutthroat, yeah
The person's friends may become cutthroat
But I ain't tryna start an uproar, yeah
Not trying to start a fight
But you're the one I saved my love for, yeah
The person always believed that the person they love is their true love
But your family never bought it
The family did not agree with their relationship
Now your brother tryna stop me, yeah
The person's brother is trying to stop them from seeing each other
What the hell did I get into, yeah
Questioning why they got into this situation
When all I want is to be with you, yeah
All they want is to be with the person they love
Got my problems on my mind like all night
Thinking all night about their problems
Drinking just tryna get my head right
Drinking to clear their head
Couldn't see the sign like a red light
Could not see the warning signs like a red light
Before I pour it down I'll say
They will say something before they drink again
Taking shots just to numb the pain
Drinking to forget the pain of separation from their loved one
'Cause it hurts when I hear your name
Hearing the name of the loved one is painful
I don't even wanna close my eyes
Does not want to close their eyes because they will think of the person they love
'Cause you're the one I see when I dream at night
The person they love is the one they see in their dreams
I wish I could let the feeling fade
Wishes to remove the feelings of love for that person
'Cause it's killing me to live this way
Lovesick and wants to be with the person they love but cannot
I wish that we never said goodbye
Wishes they never separated
I would die to see you one last time
Desires to see the person they love one last time
Bought a tequila on the rocks, ayy
Started drinking tequila on rocks
Couple shots, I couldn't stop, ayy
Started drinking uncontrollably
All I could think about was you
Thought only of the person they love
All I think about is you
Continued to think only of the person they love
Stumbling about to drop, ayy
Started to stumble due to the effect of excess alcohol
More shots, couldn't stop, ayy
Had more shots and was unable to stop drinking
All I could think about was you
Thought only of the person they love
All I think about is you
Continued to think only of the person they love
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Gregory Hein, Jackson Wang, Kyle Owens, Maurice Powell, Sean Turk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TSearcy
I find more music on Adult Swim bumps than on the radio.
midinerd
yes justice cited him as an influence. they sound like jackson... wish more people at our art parties played him more...
gangstersayfock
I have heard this song in a theatre perfromance in Nijmegen in february 2014. I was fascinated by the song and asked the director of the theatre perfromance what kind of song it was. He told me about Jackson and his computer band and that
the song called Rock on. Two days later when I was in a second hand record store I saw this record for only 3 euro! I have bought it and listen a lot to Rock on! It was such a coincidence that I found that record. Everytime I hear Rock on I remember this story and that very good theater perfromance of KRUL in Nijmegen Holland. The song is also very good! With very cool electronics and nice vocals!
tetsuojuno
abstract as well as put together. this is an indy track at full throttle. Daft Punk eat your heart out and rock on!!!!
Slam!
best song ever, the fashion, the city, the '80s, the punk, the electro, the industrial, a bit of everthing.
Jonathan Sanchez
i could listen to this over and over and over and over
Ryan Pollock
Agreed, it reminds me of Justice also...I was really into them after their Coachella show in '08. This song has similar breaks and a sick beat drop at 2:45
TerraLucet
Warp always has the best things.
sophi roman
it is amazing... in fact all the album but you have to bee in the mood. but yeah top 10 in my list for sure
Magnolius T.
This is amazing!