A Valentine's Day gift from Woog, Mertz, & SkySplitterInk.
Released 14 February 2013 
Written and Performed by Aleck Woogmaster & Mertz 
Recorded and Produced by SkySplitterInk Productions

Dreamy (Aleck Woogmaster ft. Mertz)

Contact: info@mertzmusic.com
Mertz is a 29-year-old lyricist and music producer living in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally a member of the Vermont Hip-Hop trio Present Rhymes, Mertz has been independently producing & recording music for over a decade.
 
A lyricist originally, Mertz & his longtime friend, DJ and business partner Rico purchased their first drum machine in 2001 and began teaching themselves how to create their own beats. They continued experimenting with songwriting & production through High School as the group Present Rhymes, along with fellow lyricist B. Rouille. 
 
Throughout college, though physically separated, the group continued to hone their skills. In 2008, Mertz upgraded his entire studio setup and soon enough, his college apartment become a makeshift studio that attracted some of the most talented artists in Burlington, Vermont’s growing Hip-Hop scene.
 
The bedroom sessions became so fruitful that they inspired Mertz to step out on his own for the first time in his musical career. His first effort, The Rise Above it EP was released in May of 2009, and received moderate critical praise from the local alternative media in Burlington. 7 Days music reviewer Dan Bolles said Mertz’s debut “bodes well for the future of Vermont’s latest entrants into the hip-hop fold”.
 
After the EP’s release, Mertz celebrated the end of his college career by setting his sights on his career in music. While performing in Vermont with Present Rhymes and opening up for Hip-Hop heavyweights like Akrobatik, Rapper Big Pooh, and Gift of Gab to name a few, Mertz worked as executive producer on Aleck Woog’s debut album, The Woogmatic LP. 
 
In 2010, Mertz packed his studio up and moved to Providence to join Rico and B Rouille, where the three worked on and eventually released their debut group album, Livin’ The Mission in May of 2011. Since then, Mertz has been hard at work producing new music and lyrics. However, after experiencing the constraints of working within a group, Mertz realized that it was finally time to seriously focus on building a career as a solo artist.
 
In 2013 he took major steps towards accomplishing that goal. As a lyricist, he was fortunate enough to work with some of the Northeast’s most talented producers, including Nastee, Zach Crawford of SpySplitterInk & SXMPLELIFE. On the production side, he become engulfed in the world of breakbeats & finger-drumming on his MPC. At the same time, he backed away from melodic samples & has been crafting his best original compositions yet.
 
After writing his first full-length solo LP and recording it at his home studio, Mertz decided that it was time to take his operation to the next level. He brought his new material to The Beatbox Studio in Pawtucket, RI in the summer of 2013 to record in a professional studio for the first time. He then traveled to NYC to link up with Nastee, one of the Northeast’s most accomplished engineers, to mix his new record. The result is a drastically more mature sound that Mertz is excited to share with the world.
 
In the fall of 2013, Mertz hit the road for the first time on a Northeast tour opening for fellow Vermont musicians the Lynguistic Civilians. As a performer, Mertz sets himself apart from overzealous rappers and lackadaisical DJ’s by incorporating production into his live performance. With his MPC 1000 & his computer, Mertz is able to build beats on stage, much to the intrigue and curiosity of the audience.
 
2014 is set to be a big year for the up-and-coming musician. His first full-length solo LP, The Good in The Bad, was released on March 4th & Mertz has been making his way from stage to stage delivering high-energy performances throughout the Northeast. He will be releasing singles and music videos throughout the year, and music fans can stay up to date with his releases and performance dates at MertzMusic.com.