Absofacto

The solo project of Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and producer Jonathan Visger, Absofacto first appeared at the tail-end of the 2000s, offering up a stylistically fluid sound that pulled from bedroom pop, art rock, and electronic music. Visger’s vision and impeccable production played out over numerous singles and the full-length Sinking Islands before he landed a viral hit in the late 2010s with the hooky single “Dissolve.” A deal with Atlantic gave him a wider platform, though it was the renewed viral success of “Dissolve” that ultimately helped Absofacto land a number one hit when the track climbed all the way to the top of Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart in 2020.
Through a handful of unique projects, the Michigan native became a fixture of the state’s indie rock scene and in 2008 began recording his solo work under the Absofacto moniker, self-releasing singles and EPs in Bandcamp and his own website. Fusing his smart, often surrealist songwriting with a strong emotional core, his music found a growing independent fan base. In 2011, his catalog of early singles was compiled into an elaborate full-length release titled Sinking Islands. Subsequent releases included 2013′s [Loners] EP as well as a series of stand-alone singles including “History Books” and “Dissolve,” the latter of which went viral, topping the Hype Machine charts in 2015 and garnering millions of streams. In early 2017, Absofacto was featured on the song “Trouble” by New York EDM duo the Knocks.
Having relocated to L.A., Visger signed with Atlantic Records, which issued Absofacto’s Thousand Peaces EP, later that year. Its lead track was “Dissolve,” which Atlantic gave a solid promotional push — even re-releasing the song as a single in 2018 — with few results. Over the next year, the song took on a life of its own on video-sharing platforms and by January of 2020, “Dissolve” had (improbably) risen to number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Visger had an array of new material ready and spent the remainder of the year issuing singles like “Pop/Stars” and “Childhood Dreams,” both of which featured Australian singer Jasmine Clarke. ~ Timothy Monger