Kalju Tonuma is an Australian
music producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
,
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
, drummer and performer of Estonian descent. He is one half of the production team MEJU (pronounced "me-you") which he founded with Megan Bernard in 2014. He also manages record label Of One Kind and live-stream venue The B Side. Tonuma also performs as the drummer for Anactoria, Megan Bernard and The Indulgence.
He began his career in 1989 at Platinum Studios in South Yarra, Australia. He has been nominated for a number of
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA)
Music Awards
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
. These include '
Engineer of the Year' (1994) for ''
This Is The Sharp'' by
The Sharp, ‘Engineer of the Year’ (1999) for ''Kid Indestructible'' by
28 Days;
Felicity Hunter
Felicity Hunter is an Australian singer and songwriter. Her debut single "Hardcore Adore" (released when she was 16) was on high rotation nationally on Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Austral ...
's "Hardcore Adore"; and
The Mavis's
The Mavis's were an Australian rock band formed in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1987. Founding mainstays are Becky Thomas (a.k.a. Beki Thomas, Beki Colada) on vocals and keyboards, her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on drum ...
"
Puberty Song
"Puberty Song" is a song by Australian alternative rock group, The Mavis's. The song was released in December 1998 as the fourth and final single from their second studio album, '' Pink Pills'' (1998). The single peaked at number 92 on the ARIA ...
",
as well as ‘Engineer of the Year’ and ‘Producer of the Year’ (2001) for
Superheist
Superheist is an Australian metal band, which formed in 1993. They have released two EPs, thirteen singles, one compilation/live album and four studio albums, two of which, 2001's ''The Prize Recruit'' and 2002's ''Identical Remote Controlled R ...
’s ''
The Prize Recruit
''The Prize Recruit'' is the debut full-length album from Australian nu metal band Superheist. It was recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne by Superheist and producer Kalju Tonuma and released on 15 April 2001. It peaked at No. 12 on the ...
''. In 2007, he completed a Master of Music Degree (M.Mus.) at
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public research university located in the urban coastal city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is located on two campuses in the Brisbane area viz. Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove. The univ ...
(QUT).
Gold and Platinum Records
*1995 -
The Sharp - GOLD (album) - ''This Is The Sharp''
*1997 -
The Mavis's
The Mavis's were an Australian rock band formed in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1987. Founding mainstays are Becky Thomas (a.k.a. Beki Thomas, Beki Colada) on vocals and keyboards, her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on drum ...
- GOLD (single & album) - ''
Cry
Crying is the dropping of tears (or welling of tears in the eyes) in response to an emotional state, or pain. Emotions that can lead to crying include sadness, anger, and even happiness. The act of crying has been defined as "a complex secreto ...
/
Pink Pills
''Pink Pills'' is the second studio album by Australian pop band The Mavis's. It was released in April 1998 by record label Mushroom.
''Pink Pills'' was released in April 1998 by record label Mushroom. It reached number 12 on the Australian ...
''
*2000 -
28 Days - DOUBLE PLATINUM (album) - ''
Upstyledown
''Upstyledown'' is the second studio album by Australian punk band 28 Days produced by Kalju Tonuma. It was released in July 2000 and debuted at No. 1 on the Australian ARIA Charts and was certified platinum.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2001, ...
'' GOLD (single) - ''Rip It Up''
*2005 -
Bodyjar
Bodyjar are an Australian pop punk band which formed in 1990. They began performing under the name Bodyjar in 1994; their previous names included Damnation (1990–91) and Helium (1992–93). The latter group released an album, ''You Can't Hold ...
- GOLD (album) - ''
How It Works
''How It Works'' was the fourth studio album from Australian punk-rock group Bodyjar. The album peaked number 19 on the ARIA Charts. The track "Not the Same" was featured in the 2001 skateboarding video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. The album w ...
''
*2009 -
The Temper Trap
The Temper Trap are an Australian indie rock band formed in 2005 by Dougy Mandagi, Jonathon Aherne, and Toby Dundas. In 2008, the group relocated from Melbourne to London. The band released their debut album '' Conditions'' in June 2009 to favou ...
- PLATINUM (album) SILVER (UK album) - ''
Conditions''
*2009 -
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
- DOUBLE PLATINUM (album) - ''
White Noise
In signal processing, white noise is a random signal having equal intensity at different frequencies, giving it a constant power spectral density. The term is used, with this or similar meanings, in many scientific and technical disciplines, ...
''
*2010 -
Superheist
Superheist is an Australian metal band, which formed in 1993. They have released two EPs, thirteen singles, one compilation/live album and four studio albums, two of which, 2001's ''The Prize Recruit'' and 2002's ''Identical Remote Controlled R ...
- GOLD (album) - ''The Prize Recruit''
Awards and nominations
*1994 - Nominated for
Engineer Of The Year (ARIA Music Awards)
*1999 - Nominated for Engineer Of The Year (ARIA Music Awards)
*2001 - Nominated for Engineer Of The Year (ARIA Music Awards)
*2001 - Nominated for Producer Of The Year (ARIA Music Awards)
Mixing Credits
*''2'' -
Taipan Tiger Girls Taipan Tiger Girls is an experimental drone band based in Melbourne, Australia. The line-up consists of Ollie Olsen ( synthesiser), Mat Watson (drums) and Lisa MacKinney (guitar). The band formed in 2014 with Watson and Olsen, MacKinney joining lat ...
MEJU single releases
*''Well Done'' (April 2020)
*''Change'' (May 2020)
*''Turnaround'' (June 2020)
*''All Is Good'' (November 2020)
*''Used To Have A Job'' feat. Pesky Bones (
Peter Farnan
Peter Farnan is a composer, sound designer, musical director and guitarist from Melbourne, Australia. He is one of the founding members of the band Boom Crash Opera and the 1980s pop rock band Serious Young Insects. He currently produces music ...
) (November 2020)
MEJU productions
*Anactoria - ''Good Mind''
*Khristian Mizzi - ''Hold Onto Me''
*Datson + Hughes - ''Flowers and the Axe''
*Kate Jukes & The Blue Healers - ''Heart One''
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tonuma, Kalju
Australian audio engineers
Australian record producers
Living people
Musicians from Melbourne
Year of birth missing (living people)