Michael A. Gash was born in Atlanta, GA in 1990. He began playing piano at age 5, and though no one in his immediate family shared a talent for music, he seemed to pick up the instrument very quickly. He took up trumpet in the 4th grade, and furthered his musical range in high school by taking up banjo.

In his final year at high school, Michael A. Gash took up the name Man Holding Lantern and began making electronic music. Though he still composes original orchestral pieces and small ensemble compositions, Michael Gash devotes much of his time to create dubstep, house, and dance music.

Due to his background in traditional music arrangement, the music of Man Holding Lantern is unlike much of the contemporary electronic music out there. The melodies are often intricate, and rely heavily on the smooth chord progressions underlying them. Tracks are built like a work of classical music, with intros that hint at themes that will be varied later in the track.