Perhaps the most elusive member of the star-studded Gainesville collective,
DJ Tanner has made an undeniable impact on the group. He
is without a doubt both the trigger and catalyst for the recent polarization
of the Jargon Fandom. In certain exclusive circles/cliques, people feel he
has defiled the now-sacred lo-fi canon of IJ's more ambitious fledgling days.
Some of the more vocal purists have even go so far as to claim that Tanner
is only using the irrepressible tidal wave of popularity that is Inuit Jargon
as a vessel for plugging his sticky, sticky beats.
Fortunately, these elitists form a nearly negligible minority of fans. The
majority of fans have embraced DJ Tanner for ushering the Jargon into the
new millennium. His reworking of several IJ classics such as "Pumpkin
Pie" and "Smoke Some Bluhhhnts" posed more musical questions
than it answered. "I like to give people the option––the
option to choose," says Tanner. "I think Shaun, Matt, and Andrew
have made some
pretty life-changing art. I know I am not alone in worshiping them as the
saviors of all that is rock. My goal isn't to improve what they've already
done. That's absurd. I'm just like, 'Yeah, Jargon can rock–but can they
pulse?' I think that's where I come in."
Most Tanner obsessive are enamored by his nebulous background. He has vehemently
protected his identity, often known to wear exotic shrouds of silk–causing
many fans to speculate a Moroccan ancestry. When asked about his heritage,
Tanner is known to become very defensive: "I am what I am. Don't ax me
that trash. Shiiit." While no definite answer to his background has been
confirmed, the best lead so far came from Canadian medical records. Reports
from a VA clinic in Alberta describe an inebriated and belligerent white male
entering the complex for ether rehabilitation. He refused to give his actual
name, demanding the staff to refer to him as "DJ Motherfucking Tanner."
DJ Motherfucking Tanner, indeed.