Author & Punisher
Author & Punisher is a one-man band from San Diego, formed in January 2004 by mechanical engineer and artist Tristan Shone. Most of the instrumentation and controllers Shone uses, called "Drone Machines" and "Dub Machines", are custom-designed and fabricated by Shone from raw materials and open-source electronic circuitry. Shone was inspired to build his own instruments to achieve the sound he wanted that conventional instruments could not accomplish and the difficulty in finding band members. The name is a reference to a religious t-shirt that Shone, who went to a Catholic high school, used to wear in college. Shone has said it was a way to poke fun at a bible verse that refers to Jesus as "author and finisher." Shone has released nine albums as Author & Punisher, with Melk en Honing (2015) and Pressure Mine (2017) released through Phil Anselmo's record label Housecore Records. Beastland (2018) was released on Relapse Records, which is Shone's current label. It was followed by Krüller (2022) and his latest album, Nocturnal Birding (2025), which was released on October 3, 2025.
— Wikipedia
Why This Artist
Author & Punisher's listeners explore deep into the catalog, not just the hits — top 12% for catalog depth. Only 3K platform followers, but 67K listeners — growth is organic. A industrial act in the sonic world of Filter and Health.
Sounds Like
Filter · Health · Russian Circles · TV on the Radio · The Dillinger Escape Plan