Hi there, my name is Jason Borton and I primarily play with Treasonist
(https://treasonistgrind.bandcamp.com/album/treasonist), a death/grind band from Portland, Oregon. I also play or have played with Jungle Rot, Arkaik, Hand Of Fire, Thanatopsis, Velaraas, Where Lovers Rot, Throne Of Awful Splendor, Beyond The Red Horizon and many others.
2.Who made you want to play drums and why?
Well, there were a few things that factored into my decision to play, but namely it was my mother showing me the album Van Halen II . I was eleven at the time, and I had never heard anything like that before; the musicianship was obviously second to none. When I heard Alex go sick with it on “Outta Love” and “Somebody Get Me A Doctor,” I was hooked. I mean, come on dude, don’t tell me that guy isn’t the greatest.
3.When did you get your first kit? Tell us about it…
The first kit was a Gretsch Catalina Maple 5-piece, red wine finish. You know, just a beginner-level thing. I told my parents I wanted to play, and they bought me that kit in 2000. I was listening to classic rock and hair metal, and all these guys like Vinnie Appice and Nicko McBrain had monster kits. I wanted one so bad, so I saved up money from mowing lawns and bought a huge Tama Rockstar kit in misty chrome finish, I ordered it in December of 2001 and it’s still the kit I use today. Yeah, it’s not an incredibly high end kit, but it tunes up very well and still looks amazing. Lesson of the day: take care of your gear!
4.Where your parents supportive of you and your loud / expensive new habit?
My parents were and are incredibly supportive. There was never a single thing that they ever did in an attempt to dissuade me from playing, only encouragement and help from the beginning to the present day. My mother particularly is one-of-a-kind in this regard. When I was 13 years
old she bought me a second kick drum so I could be more like Stefan Kaufmann from Accept. Is your mom that cool, or just mine?
5.What drum performance on an album is perfection to you?
Wintersun’s self-titled debut from 2004 probably takes the cake in that regard as one of the most well-rounded metal albums ever released in the drumming department. There is joy, vitality and inventiveness beyond words in Kai’s playing and that record is just a lot of fun!
6.Tell us about your current kit and set up in DETAIL. As previously mentioned, I play a 2001 Tama Rockstar, Misty Chrome finish. Nowadays, it’s a 6-piece with two kicks, I just don’t have the patience to use all the rack toms anymore! Current setup is:
(2) 22” x 18” Kicks 10” x 9” Rack 12” x 10” Rack 16” x 16” Floor 14” x 6.5” John Tempesta Signature Snare
In terms of cymbals, I’ve always had a fondness for Paiste, really love the shimmering clarity they bring to the table versus something super heavy, dark and one-dimensional. Currently playing the Paiste Signature Series:
13” Power Hats 16” Thin China 14” Fast Crash 16” Fast Crash 10” Thin Splash 16” Full Crash 17” Full Crash 18” China 22” Stewart Copeland Signature Blue Bell Ride
I’ve been an Axis Pedals player since 2009, I play the longboard series, black finish. I use Roland acoustic triggers run through a Yamaha TDK-20 and the kick trigger sound is insane. Gibraltar Hardware and rack system, and ProMark 5B nylon tip sticks. Most importantly, I use SKB cases. Don’t overlook that, it’s as important as your instrument!
7.If you could have a dream kit tell us about it in DETAIL
I’d love to have a Pearl Masters Series kit, there is no better option on the entire planet for a drummer than that. Customizable in every regard, that really says it all right there. Down to the
finish, the hardware, the bearing edge angle, they have every facet covered and it would be a dream owning one. Would it be huge and self-aggrandizing? Of course!
8.Name your top 5 drummers excluding Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy
Alex Van Halen,
George Kollias,
Mikkey Dee,
Kai Hahto
and Vyl.
9. Do you prefer Live or Studio?
That depends on the situation, but with a great engineer, I’d say the studio. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform at a high level of quality and accuracy, and in a live setting there is a lot that is out of your control in terms of the sound at the club and so on, which is frustrating. With a killer engineer who really understands how to record extreme metal drums, it’s just so easy and pleasant to do. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing engineers, Juan Urteaga and Stephan Hawkes come to mind as two who are just unreal. Getting tones and microphone positions dialed in based solely on your comfort, punching in with no delays, really listening with a critical ear for minor missteps that can quickly be re-tracked...it makes all the difference.
10.Do drummers really get all the chicks and if so how do we convince the guitarist?
Of course we do, and they are always better looking. However, if there is one thing I’ve learned after twenty years of drumming and seventeen of working with guitar players, it’s that you can’t convince a guitarist of anything. So let’s allow them to live in ignorance!
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