Stephen Hummel has evolved into an artist that consistently defies expectations. By creating music that ignores genre labels and focuses on emotional weight, Hummel has managed to avoid the pitfalls of trendiness and style-over-substance. Whether producing epic instrumental statements as subtractiveLAD, or (more recently) forging a new path as a singer/songwriter under his own name, Hummel creates music that reaches deep into the listener's psyche. Embraced by independent radio and the blogosphere, Hummel's music has managed to reach a global audience of adventurous listeners, interested in the next chapter that will be added to an already extensive catalogue. With classical training as both an instrumentalist and vocalist, Hummel began his musical career in the world of improvisational performance, developing a reputation for never performing the same show twice. After a late-90s residency at the now defunct DV8, in downtown Vancouver, Hummel decided to largely abandon live performance while developing his skills as a producer/recording artist. In the early- 2000s, Hummel also began developing software synthesizers for the German audio company, CreamWare, under the mentorship of synth-legend/guru, John Bowen. The subtractiveLAD project was born out of late-night experiments in Hummel's ever growing studio of custom software creations and hardware investments. After releasing seven diverse and critically acclaimed subtractiveLAD albums for n5MD, Hummel has struck out on his own, pushing the subtractiveLAD sound into new territory, while exploring song-writing and singing, without a moniker. Adding to his creative arsenal, Hummel has reached back to his formal training in the visual arts and introduced photographic, graphic design and video elements to compliment his musical output. By being able to control all aspects of his creative output, Hummel has made his music an increasingly personal and intimate experience for his listeners. With a steady stream of work and an approach that looks to always push his own boundaries, Hummel will continue to keep listeners guessing what direction he will explore next. . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.