Ryan Aicklen, better known as GRiDWORK, is much like the music that he produces, both worldly and complex. His musical affectation is unsurprising considering that he moved constantly throughout the United States during his youth. It was during these travels where he cultivated a diverse musical background through exposure to America’s eclectic musical styles (Blues, Jazz, Funk, Soul, & Hip Hop especially). This multidisciplinary education rooted itself deeply within his young psyche, greatly influencing his fledgling skills as a drummer/guitarist and eventually evolving into his genre defying musical perspective.

As a proficient multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Ryan quickly discovered that it would take more than instruments to fully realize and express his inner vision. As such he obtained a collegiate degree from CSUN in music industry studies while pursuing his interests in electronic production and audio engineering on the side. He honed his skills as a producer while working as a remixer/tech/engineer for 2 time Grammy nominated artist Carmen Rizzo and KCRW DJ Anne Litt, in addition to an Ableton tutor for many aspiring musicians. During the EDM explosion of the late two thousands he became greatly influenced by emerging electronic genres and the burgeoning California bass music scene. It was in the dingy clubs where this scene flourished that he connected with bassist/producer Joe Wendt (now Headtron’s Jobot) to form the livetronica trio Continuum and forged a promising career as the musician GRiDWORK.