In a spirited YouTube video from 2014, Brandon Chase Wittenauer, age 32, introduces himself as a “producer, recording engineer, sound engineer, videographer — now, apparently. All that sh*t, no limits.” His music, too, breached many genres: on Soundcloud, Wittenauer and his co-producer CJ Chapman defined their band Symbiotix.Fungi as encompassing synthpop, dance, rock, and metal sounds.
Known by his friends as Chase and by fans of his music as Nex Iuguolo, Wittenauer leaves behind family, friends and colleagues from the electronic music world who speak powerfully of their love and appreciation for him — and of his unwavering influence on their lives.
The Symbiotix.Fungi song “People Like Us” is a favorite among friends. “His voice and lyrics on this track will resonate with us all forever,” says another member of Wittenauer’s circle, Molly McRhodes.
“Nex was my hero,” says his friend Jesse James in a statement to KQED Arts. “In a transient world where it is harder and harder to be there physically for art, that was his life. I feel many knew him as a beacon of light.”
Another friend, Bobby Loveless, says that Wittenauer always offered positive feedback and constructive criticism. “But you knew he was genuinely and sincerely offering his help and not making an attempt to cut you down, which is pretty rare these days in the world of art, music,” Loveless says. “He was pretty devoid of any kind of ego. He was a person actively seeking enlightenment and always trying to be a better person.”
