Jesse F. Keeler
A bassist and producer who helped forge dance-punk's chaotic sound with Death from Above before shaping electronic music as MSTRKRFT.
Born 1976 (age 50)·Canadian musician·Birthday: November 11·Generation X
Biography
Jesse F. Keeler emerged from Toronto's underground as one half of the seismic force that is Death from Above. As the bassist and synthesist opposite drummer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger, Keeler didn't just hold down the low end—he weaponized it. Their 2004 album 'You're a Woman, I'm a Machine' was a blistering manifesto of dance-punk, built on Keeler's distorted, melodic bass lines that functioned as both rhythm and lead. When the duo initially disbanded, Keeler channeled his energy into MSTRKRFT with partner Al-P, producing sleek, aggressive electro and house that dominated mid-2000s dance floors and airwaves. As a producer and remixer, his touch extended to artists across the rock and electronic spectrum. The eventual reunion of Death from Above (later Death from Above 1979) proved the enduring power of his minimalist, maximally loud approach to music, cementing his status as a key architect of 21st-century alternative sound.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jesse was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jesse Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Jesse's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created the influential dance-punk album 'You're a Woman, I'm a Machine' with Death from Above.
- Formed the acclaimed electronic music production and DJ duo MSTRKRFT.
- Produced and remixed tracks for a diverse range of artists including Bloc Party, Katy Perry, and Wolfmother.
Did You Know?
He is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays drums, guitar, keyboards, and saxophone.
The name MSTRKRFT is a stylized spelling of 'Mastercraft,' a brand of boat he saw in a magazine.
Death from Above originally started as a duo because they couldn't find a guitarist who could keep up.
“We just wanted to make the loudest, most urgent sound two people possibly could.”
