Mikhail Tarasov (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Тара́сов), better known by his stage name Svoy (which can be loosely translated as "self-contained"), is an American producer/writer/artist for
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
in the genre of pop/
electronica. He has seven self-produced albums and other records released via
Mack Avenue Records
Mack Avenue Records is an independent record label in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
Background
Mack Avenue was founded in 1999 by Gretchen Carhartt Valade, a jazz fan and chair of the American apparel company Carhartt. The company is a sponsor ...
/
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...
formerly known as
Rendezvous Entertainment belonging to multi
Grammy-nominated
RIAA Gold-certified musician/media mogul
Dave Koz
David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in California.
Early life
Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologis ...
and legendary radio chief executive/record producer
Frank Cody,
P-Vine
P-Vine Records is an independent record label based in Tokyo, Japan.
History
It was started in 1976 by Blues Interactions, a firm founded in 1975 by Yasufumi Higurashi and Akira Kochi, as a record label focused on black music. The label name c ...
Records/Blues Interactions,
and Thistime Records.
Career
In 2004, Svoy won the
BMI John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
Award for songwriters and received the award from
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
.
In 2002, he won BMI
Pete Carpenter
Clarence E. "Pete" Carpenter (April 1, 1914 – October 18, 1987) was an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and veteran of television theme music sheet music. After a long career playing the trombone in bands and as a studio musician, Carpenter ...
Fellowship for
film composer
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
s, that led to studying with multi
Grammy and
Emmy-winning composer
Mike Post
Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his TV theme music for various shows, including ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Team''; ''NYPD Blue''; ''Renegad ...
and
Atli Orvarsson
Atli is an Old Norse masculine personal name, and may refer to:
People
* Atli the Slender, a 9th-century earl of Sogn, Norway
* Atli Viðar Björnsson (born 1980), Icelandic footballer
* Atli Dam (1932–2005), five-time prime minister of the Fa ...
for one month at Post's studio in Los Angeles.
It was the
Sony Music Publishing executive, Eric Beall, who oversaw Svoy’s career at the beginning. In 2005, when Svoy came to Beall’s office at the
Sony Tower in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to play a self-recorded demo, Beall told him to send it not only to publishing companies as a songwriter/producer, but also to labels as an artist: “This is a finished record quality”, Beall stated. Svoy followed the advice and within a year got the recording and the publishing contract, all negotiated by New York attorney George Gilbert, also recommended by Beall. Frank Cody and Dave Koz felt the same way when heard the album – they made a decision to release it on
Rendezvous/Universal “as is”. To this day, all of Svoy’s records are entirely self-produced.
In 2009, his single "Beautiful Thing" reached No. 69 on the
Billboard Japan Hot TOP 100 Airplay and No. 82 on
Billboard Japan Hot 100
The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
Singles
chart. Besides remaining in top 40 and 100 airplay charts of numerous major Japanese radio networks for over 8 weeks, the song peaked at No. 3 on Alpha Station FM Kyoto 89.4's TOP 40 Overseas Chart.
Also in 2009, Svoy's album
''Automatons'' reached No. 100 on the Billboard Japan Top Independent Albums and Singles chart.
In 2011, ''Automatons'' and its title track were nominated for Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Dance/Electronica Song at The 10th Independent Music Awards,
and won in the latter category.
He won the 10th IMA's
in both categories.
10th Independent Music Awards judging panel included
Seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
,
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurle ...
,
Portishead,
McCoy Tyner
Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...
,
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist M ...
,
Aerosmith,
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
,
Suzanne Vega,
Jesse Harris
Jesse Harris (born October 24, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist. He has worked with Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Nikki Yanofsky, and Lizz Wright.
Early life and education
Harris and his twin si ...
,
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
,
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...
,
Jonatha Brooke
Jonatha Brooke (born January 23, 1964) is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist from Massachusetts, United States. Her music merges elements of folk, rock and pop, often with poignant lyrics and complex harmonies. She has been a ...
among other artists and music industry professionals.
In late 2012, Svoy collaborated on an electronic production/arrangement of a song with
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
Meshell Ndegeocello
Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...
and Grammy-nominated The Roots' bassist
Mark Kelley
Mark Kelley is a Canadians, Canadian television journalist, associated with CBC News. Formerly a correspondent and substitute anchor for ''CBC News: The National, The National'' and a host of ''CBC News: Morning'', he hosted ''Connect with Mark ...
for an upcoming album of jazz artist
Claudia Acuna. In 2013, Svoy co-wrote a string arrangement with
Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...
for his Grammy-nominated 2013 album ''
Pushing the World Away'' and made a vocalist appearance on Garrett's 2012 multi Grammy-nominated album ''
Seeds from the Underground''. In 2016, Svoy collaborated with Garrett on an electronic jazz album and the record is awaiting release. Song "I'm Breaking", written by
Eurovision Music Awards-winning songwriter
Demir Demirkan and Svoy, was released as part of Demirkan's 2019 album ''Elysium on Ashes''.
In 2015, aside from continuing to release regular studio albums, Svoy began work on ongoing experimental vocal electronic
Symphony series and by 2019 has released five such pieces containing ten movements each.
Over the course of his career, Svoy has collaborated with
Grammy-winning artist
Kenny Garrett
Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...
, Grammy-winning artist
Meshell Ndegeocello
Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...
, multi Grammy-winning artist
Lenny White, Grammy-winning artist
Manuel Seal
Manuel L. Seal, Jr. (born September 26, 1960) is an American multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, vocal coach, and arranger. His credits include artists as Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Usher, TLC, Aretha Frankli ...
,
Demir Demirkan,
Claudia Acuna,
Raul Midon,
Adam Levy
Adam Levy is a jazz guitarist who was a member of Norah Jones's band.
Career
Levy was born in Encino, California. Two of his uncles and one cousin played guitar, and his mother briefly took lessons. His grandfather, George Wyle, worked for ' ...
,
Sergio Galoyan
Sergey Galoyan (russian: Сергей Галоян, born 25 December 1981) is an ASCAP/ PRS Award–winning songwriter/producer and DJ, born in Moscow. He is more commonly known as Sergio Galoyan and is of Armenian descent.
One of the creators ...
and
Ilya Lagutenko
Ilya Igorevich Lagutenko (russian: Илья́ И́горевич Лагуте́нко; born 16 October 1968) is the founder and lead singer of the rock band Mumiy Troll.
Career
He was born in Moscow, Soviet Union. Soon after his birth his fa ...
, among other artists. Svoy is a voting member for
The Recording Academy
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...
(responsible for the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s), a
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below).
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
Digital Artist,
a
Berklee College of Music and
Gnessin Russian Academy of Music scholarship recipient/graduate.
New York music critics Jack Rabid of
The Big Takeover
''The Big Takeover'' is a bi-annual music magazine published out of New York City since May 1980 by critic Jack Rabid.
History Establishment
Jack Rabid and Dave Stein began publishing ''The Big Takeover'' in May 1980 as a fanzine dedicated to N ...
Magazine and Jesse Seilhan of TheCelebrityCafe.com describe Svoy as a ''"...Robot-driven repetitive-trance big-dance-rhythm cold synth-pop modern-chart soul futuristic electro-disco techno meister"'' and an artist who ''"...Is not afraid to explore"'' with
Tower Records Japan dubbing him ''"...Electropop prince"'' and Timmy Kusnierek of YourEDM calling him ''"...One of the most accomplished experimental electronic artists"'', as well as his music ''"...An incredibly forward-thinking production that's beyond description"''. In addition,
Meshell Ndegeocello
Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...
described his music as ''"...Modern and moves"''.
In 2009, Svoy was granted a
Green Card
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
in the United States as an Alien of Extraordinary Ability and became a naturalized
United States citizen
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
in 2017. Svoy resides in New York City and Los Angeles.
Influences
As a pianist/composer, Svoy is influenced by
Lyle Mays
Lyle David Mays (November 27, 1953 – February 10, 2020) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and member of the Pat Metheny Group. Metheny and Mays composed and arranged nearly all of the group's music, for which Mays won eleven Grammy Awa ...
and
Chick Corea among others, while some of his influences as a songwriter/producer are
Peter Gabriel,
Meshell Ndegeocello
Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...
,
Depeche Mode,
Sting,
Maxwell,
Boards of Canada and
Prefuse 73
Guillermo Scott Herren is an American producer who has been based in Atlanta, Barcelona and New York City. Herren releases music under the aliases Prefuse 73, Delarosa & Asora, Ahmad Szabo, and Piano Overlord, and is also part of the groups S ...
.
Personal life
Svoy is openly pansexual and identifies as an agnostic. He went to Berklee at the same time with
Eric Andre
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
,
St. Vincent,
Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Award, and a Soul Train Music Award.
A native of Portland, Oregon, Spalding ...
,
Christian Scott
Christian Scott (born March 31, 1983), known professionally as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah), is an American jazz trumpeter, multi instrumentalist, composer, and producer.
He has been nominated for six Gramm ...
,
Mark Kelly,
Hiromi among others and during the first semester was roommates with
Ruslan Sirota.
Discography
Solo albums
Symphony albums
EPs
Compilations
Singles
Collaborations
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official MySpaceOfficial websiteSvoy on VH1Svoy on MTVSvoy on MTVUSvoy on AOL MusicSvoy on Artist DirectSvoy Gajoob Magazine InterviewSvoy Interview on IndependentMusicAwards.com
Russian electronic musicians
Russian pop musicians
Russian pop singers
Musicians from Vladivostok
Living people
1980 births
21st-century Russian singers