cultofjester§

About

Ed Finkler has been making music since he was 16 and picked up his older brother's guitar and started bashing out power chords. 15 years since, he's been mashing up hip-hop, metal, electro, punk, and everything in between to make a musical stew called Cult of Jester (COJ). Finkler is dedicated to making music independent of commercial interests, releasing his work free of copy protection or "DRM" technologies.

Outside of his music, Finkler is a father, web application developer, and graphic designer. His personal website is funkatron.com.

Cult of Jester

COJ is Ed Finkler's primary music project. Finkler released the first COJ demo tape in 1995, and appeared on several CD compilations until the release of Funkatron in 1999. The follow-up Golgo 13 was released in 2001. Since then, Finkler has kept a low profile in music until 2007, when he relaunched the COJ web site and began releasing COJ and Dead Agent material as digital downloads.

Sample Tracks

• .44 Caliber
  From the album Golgo 13
• Crackerboy
  From the album Golgo 13
• Master V2
  From the compilation Escape the Furnace
• One More Time
  From the album Funkatron

More information

• → COJ entry at Automatapedia
• → COJ entry at Discogs.com

Dead Agent

The instrumental alter-ego of COJ, Dead Agent is a mashup of breakbeat, hip-hop, and electronics. Remixes of artists such as Deitiphobia and Regenerator highlighted the early Dead Agent work, while more recent tracks have been original compositions.

Sample tracks

• Deitiphobia - Retrofit (Dead Agent Remix) (5:10)
• Dead Agent - "Harbinger" (7:03)
• Dead Agent - "Lexicon" (4:27)

Live Mixes

• → Live Demo Mix 2004-04-01 (75MB 192kbps mp3) [info]
  
  Track List:
  

  1. Icon of Coil – “Floorkiller (2004)”
  2. Combichrist – “Enjoy the Abuse”
  3. Cubanate – “Oxyacetylene”
  4. C–Tec – “Brutal”
  5. Cult of Jester – “.44 Caliber (ironvsiron remix)”
  6. Deitiphobia – “Retrofit (Dead Agent remix)”
  7. Nitzer Ebb – “Getting Closer”
  8. Nitzer Ebb – “Join in the Chant”
  9. Frontline Assembly – “Mindphaser”
  10. Frontline Assembly – “Sado-Masochist”
  11. ohGr – “Lusid”
  12. Prodigy – “Girls”
  13. Voxis – “You Spin Me Right Round”

  I also used loops from these additional songs:

  1. Implant – “Drugs vs Violent”
  2. VNV Nation – “Circling Overland”
  3. VNV Nation – “Kingdom (restoration)”

Radio Podcasts

I do a radio show on a sorta-weekly schedule. I try to record every show and post it here.

• → Funkatron Radio Show 2007-03-03 [info]
  
  Playlist:
  

  1. Pigface – “Ten Ground And Down”
  2. Cubanate – “Barbarossa”
  3. Frontline Assembly – “Buried Alive”
  4. Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp”
  5. Chemlab – “Suicide Jag (remix)”
  6. Nitzer Ebb – “Control I’m Here”
  7. Slayer – “God Send Death”
  8. Arch Enemy – “Nemesis”
  9. Dragonforce – “Revolution Deathsquad”
  10. Children of Bodom – “Hatebreeder”
  11. Ministry – “No ‘W’”
  12. 16 Volt – “The Cut Collector”
• → Funkatron Radio Show 2006-11-30 [info]
  
  Playlist:
  

  1. Jakalope – “Feel It”
  2. Level – “Caught Sick”
  3. Lords of Acid – “The Real Thing”
  4. Front 242 – “Crushed”
  5. Primal Scream – “Kill All Hippies”
  6. Lo-Fidelity Allstars – “Battle Flag”
  7. Cult of Jester – “Crackerboy (B-Movie Bikers Queens From Beyond mix)”
  8. Curve – “Gift”
  9. The Creatures – “Exterminating Angel”
  10. Frontline Assembly – “Future Fail”
  11. Covenant – “I Am”
  12. The Azoic – “Obsession”
  13. VNV Nation – “Circling Overland”
• → Funkatron Radio Show 2006-11-09 [info]
  
  Playlist:
  

  1. The Cramps – “Bop Pills”
  2. The Dirtbombs – “Chains of Love”
  3. The Pixies – “Subbacultcha”
  4. Garbage – “Bad Boyfriend”
  5. Chemlab – “21st Century (Rough Sex Demo)”
  6. Voxis – “You Spin Me Right Round”
  7. Curve – “Chinese Burn”
  8. Rob Zombie – “Living Dead Girl”
  9. 30 Seconds to Mars – “Edge of the Earth”
  10. 16 Volt – “The Cut Collector”
  11. Therapy? – “Teethgrinder”
  12. Ministry – “No ‘W’”
  13. Juliette Lewis – “Hardly Wait”
  14. Dizzee Rascal – “Stop Dat”
  15. Beastie Boys – “Pass the Mic”
  16. Public Enemy – “She Watch Channel Zero?!”
• → Funkatron Radio Show 2006-10-26 [info]
  
  Playlist:
  

  1. Frontline Assembly – “Mortal”
  2. Celldweller – “Switchback”
  3. 16 Volt – “Two Wires Thin”
  4. Arch Enemy – “Nemesis”
  5. At The Gates – “Under a Serpent Sun”
  6. Kataklysm – “Serenity in Fire”
  7. Nightwish – “Wish I Had An Angel”
  8. Entombed – “God of Thunder”
  9. Spineshank – “Asthmatic”
  10. Static-X – “Get to the Gone”
  11. System of a Down – “Prison Song”
  12. The Jesus Lizard – “Boilermaker”
  13. Motorhead – “I’m So Bad”
  14. Electric Frankenstein – “Speed Girl”
  15. Therapy? – “Jam Jar Jail”
  16. Hole – “Jennifer’s Body”

Buy Stuff

Cult of Jester – Golgo 13

Buy CD$5+s/h Buy MP3s$5

Reviews

• If you're familiar with Cult Of Jester, forget what you know and get ready for powerhouse re-education. It's time for some schooling by a guitar-laced electro-industrial taskmaster that won't take "No" for an answer. COJ front man Ed Roth has re-enforced the positive aspects of the band's sound and further developed the vocals and guitars into a tight package. - The Edge On-Line
• With its impressive guitar hooks, much-improved vocals, thought-provoking lyrics and crystal clear production, Golgo 13 should ensure that Ed avoids the sophomore jinx and will probably propel him to even greater heights [HAH!] - James McGinnis
• Cult of Jester's Golgo 13 is a breakthrough for the band and its fans. A filled out, well-done record that deserves the attention it seems to be getting. - The Phantom Tollbooth

Samples

• → .44 Caliber (2:42)
• → Crackerboy (4:40)

Track List

1. .44 Caliber (2:42)
2. Crackerboy (4:40)
3. Golgo 13 (3:33)
4. Ich Bin Ein Auslander (4:58)
5. Dr. Rhythm (3:55)
6. Downslide (3:14)
7. Lightness of Being (5:02)
8. Harvester (5:02)
9. Resurrect (5:22)
10. Crackerboy - Wetlands Mix (4:36)
11. Crackerboy - B-Movie Biker Queens From Beyond Mix (5:33)
12. .44 Caliber - Ironusiron (4:12)
13. Golgo 13 - Regenerated Mix (5:05)
14. Downslide - Weakness Mix (6:41)
15. Crackerboy - Pistolero Del Fuego mix (4:37)

Cult of Jester – Funkatron

Buy CD$5+s/h

Reviews

• Cult Of Jester's debut blends heavy electro-industrial with elements of break beat for a unique and addictive listen. Throw on a remake of a goth classic and some bonus remixes, and you have something for anyone even remotely interested in industrial or electronic material. - The Edge On-Line
• Funkatron is a superb electro/industrial hip-hop opus that is one of Flaming Fish Music's best releases to date. - James McGinnis
• Track three "One More Time" grabs you right from the start. This song just flat out rocks. It's rather heavy with guitars and rough deep vocals. There are great electronics mixed in as well. It's a bit straight forward, but the energy is fantastic. - Wrapped in Wire
• This album has great music, fat beats, and well sung vocals ... He is obviously talented in the world of beat production. I found the album to be well layered with a solid mix, and a great effort all the way musically. It's music you could dance to, and if you can't dance, then just shake your head. Every song has a killer groove or loop in there somewhere, and when it hits, it hits hard. - The Phantom Tollbooth

Samples

• → Retro O.G. (3:33)
• → One More Time (2:11)
• → Master V3 (5:12)

Track List

1. Teenage Warhead (2:45)
2. Retro O.G. (3:33)
3. One More Time (2:11)
4. Funkatron (3:41)
5. P-Mondo (4:02)
6. Lucretia My Reflection (6:35)
7. Posies (2:55)
8. Ripple'n'Hookers (3:59)
9. Master V3 (5:12)
10. Gana Trip (5:43)
11. silence
12. silence
13. silence
14. silence
15. silence
16. Teenage Warhead (Mendoza Remix) (4:44)
17. Retro O.G. (ETF Original Mix) (3:27)
18. Retro O.G. (Pimp Remix) (4:24)
19. Ripple'n'Hookers (Steve Jobs Remix) (4:09)

→ blog