Gerling were an Australian electronica, alternative rock trio formed in 1993. From early 1997 the members were Darren Cross on guitar and lead vocals, Presser (real name Paul Towner) on drums and Burke Reid on guitar and vocals. Their second album, When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun (September 2001), reached the ARIA Albums Chart top50. It provided a top50 single, "Dust Me Selecta" (August 2001). The group disbanded in 2007.
History
Gerling were formed as a guitar pop trio in 1993 in western Sydney with the line-up of Darren Cross (aka Darren E. Spielberg-Cross) on guitar and lead vocals, Presser (real name Paul Towner) on drums and Brad Herdson on guitar and vocals. With only two guitars and drums, the group initially played cover versions of W.A.S.P. material. Then they focussed on creating experimental guitar pop, with their debut single, "Sedatives for Dead Radars", issued in 1995 on Steven Stavrakis' Fellaheen label.
It was followed by a seven-track extended play, A Day of Research, in 1996. It reached No.13 on the ARIA Alternative Albums Chart. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, felt it was a "mix of early Pavement-style lo-fi guitar pop and idiosyncratic backing, it garnered widespread interest among the indie cognoscenti."
Their next single, "Enter, Space Capsule" (April 1999), provided four versions of the song, including one at Gerlog by band members and one mixed by Josh Abrahams. Another single, "Ghost Patrol", followed in September, which featured guest lead vocals by Naoko Matsumoto of Sydney-based group Funky Terrorist. Cameron Webb of Oz Music Project described as "Hovering somewhere between the frantic mesh of screaming and guitars of 'Death to the Apple Gerls' and electro blips and beats of 'Enter, Space Capsule', 'The Deer in You' provides an enticing glimpse at their new recordings. The single doesn't suggest any great departure musically, just a reminder of what Gerling do best – pop music." At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001 they were nominated for Best Video for Paul Butler and Scott Walton's directorial work on "The Deer in You". It peaked in the ARIA and New Zealand Albums Chart Top50s. Oz Music Project's Nick Coppack felt it was a "stunning follow-up", which "blends the band's love for electronic sounds and dance music with fuzzy guitars and aggressive vocals, which stem from the band's early punk roots."
The band became increasingly electronic they had success in the dance scene and mainstream charts with the earlier single, "Dust Me Selecta" (August 2001), which reached the ARIA Singles Chart Top50. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2002 they received three more nominations: Best Dance Release and Best Video (directed by Jolyon Watkins) for "Dust My Selecta", and Producer of the Year for When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun (by Gerling and Magoo). They had recorded it at Gerlog with Magoo producing. The album marked a return to form as guitars returned to the mix, whilst still retaining an electronic edge. The lead single, "Who's Ya Daddy?" (March 2003), reached the Top100.
Their fourth studio album, 4, was released on 20 March 2006, which reached the Top100. The original recording was carried out in the function room of the Annandale Hotel, Sydney, before being re-recorded and mastered in Los Angeles.
Post-hiatus
After disbandment, Cross spent four years (from 2007 to 2010) as the E.L.F., writing and performing dance music. From 2012 he turned to folk and alt-country traditional song writing structures and styling, releasing and touring as a solo artist. He received a positive review from No Depression for his album, No Damage. He also performed and recorded in a folk Noir duo, Jep and Dep (2012–2019), with Jessica Cassar. Jep and Dep's debut album, Word Got Out received 4 out of 5 stars from The Sydney Morning Heralds Bernard Zuel and Rolling Stone Australia As of 2024, Cross has released five instrumental guitar albums under the moniker D.C Cross, Ecstatic Racquet (2019), Terabithian (2020), Hot-wire the Lay-low (2022), Wizrad (2023) and Glookies Guit (2024) . Tone Deafs Tyler Jenke observed: "Terabithian is a high watermark of instrumental music".
In 2012 Cross also launched music and film production company, Bernstein Studios (Sydney) and has co-written songs with Jagwar Ma.
Towner produces visual art under the moniker, Dead Galaxy, and Reid has a career in music production.
Discography
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:14em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Album details
! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| AUS<br />
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<br />
|-
! scope="row"| Children of Telepathic Experiences
|
- Released: 1998
- Label: Reliant (NC17-0003)
- Formats: CD
| — || —
|-
! scope="row"| When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun
|
- Released: September 2001
- Label: Festival Mushroom (33441-2)
- Formats: CD, CD-ROM
| 41 || 50
|-
! scope="row"| Bad Blood
|
- Released: August 2003
- Label: Festival Mushroom (33675-2)
- Formats: CD, CD-ROM
| 57 || —
|-
! scope="row"| 4
|
- Released: March 2006
- Label: Warner Music Australia (5101-12774-2 F)
- Formats: CD, digital
| 78 || —
|}
Extended plays
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ List of EPs, with selected details
! scope="col" style="width:14em;"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Album details
|-
! scope="row"| Sedatives for Dead Radars
|
- Released: 1995
- Label: Fellaheen (JacK 034–7)
- Formats: LP
|-
! scope="row"| A Day of Research
|
- Released: 1996
- Label: Fellaheen (JacK 042–2)
- Formats: CD
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| Album
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:30px;"| AUS<br />
! style="width:30px;"| Triple J Hottest 100<br />
! style="width:30px;"| UK<br />
|-
| rowspan="2"|1998
| style="text-align:left;"|"Bachelor Pad"
| — || — || —
| rowspan="6"|Children of Telepathic Experiences
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|"Death to the Apple Gerls"
| — || — || —
|-
| rowspan="2"|1999
| style="text-align:left;"|"Enter, Space Capsule"
| 57 || 45 || 150
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|"Ghost Patrol"
| — || — || —
|-
| rowspan="3"|2000
| style="text-align:left;"|"Children of Telepathic Experiences"<br /><small>(UK only)</small>
| || — || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|"Suburban Jungle Sleeping Bag"<br /><small>(UK only)</small>
| || — || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|"The Deer in You"
| — || — || 179
| rowspan="3"|When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun
|-
| rowspan="2"|2001
| style="text-align:left;"|"Dust Me Selecta"
| 47 || 24 || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|"Hot Computer"
| 95 || — || —
|-
| rowspan="2"|2003
| style="text-align:left;"|"Who's Ya Daddy?"
| 77 || 78 || —
| rowspan="2"|Bad Blood!!!
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|"Get Activated"
| — || — || —
|-
| 2006
| style="text-align:left;"|"Turning the Screws"
| — || — || —
| 4
|}
Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Gerling were nominated for ten awards.
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1999
| rowspan="2"| Children of Telepathic Experiences
| Best Adult Alternative Album
|
|-
| Breakthrough Artist - Album
|
|-
| "Enter, Space Capsule"
| Breakthrough Artist - Single
|
|-
| 2001
| Paul Butler and Scott Walton for Gerling "The Deer in You"
| Best Video
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2002
| "Dust Me Selecta"
| Best Dance Release
|
|-
| Jolyon Watkins for Gerling "Dust Me Selecta"
| Best Video
|
|-
| Gerling and Magoo for Gerling When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun
| Producer of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2003
| "Who's Ya Daddy?"
| Best Dance Release
|
|-
| Paul Butler, Scott Walton & 50 / 50 Films for Gerling – "Who's Ya Daddy?"
| Best Video
|
|-
| Gerling and Magoo for Gerling Bad Blood!!!
| Producer of the Year
|
|-