Damian Taylor

Damian Taylor is a six-time Grammy nominated record producer, engineer, mixer, writer and programmer best known for his work with artists including The Prodigy, Björk, Arcade Fire, The Killers, The Temper Trap, UNKLE, Braids, and Evanescence. Originally Canadian, he now resides in Los Angeles where he works from his Bonsai Studios. Taylor is managed by GPS management.[1][2][3]

Damian Taylor
Damian Taylor before performing onstage with Björk
Background information
Born1977 (age 43–44)
OriginHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupation(s)Record producer, audio engineer, musician
InstrumentsReactable
Years active1997 to present
Associated actsThe Prodigy
Björk
UNKLE
Evanescence
Websitewww.damiantaylor.com

Career

Taylor's family relocated to New Zealand in 1987. Taylor moved to London in 1997. He spent a decade based in the UK where he established his career as an engineer and programmer, working with producers and mixers such as Guy Sigsworth, Neil McLellan, Adrian Bushby, Pascal Gabriel, Al Clay, Jim Abiss, Steve Osborne, Cameron Craig, and Tom Elmhirst, and artists such as UNKLE, Adam Freeland, and The Prodigy. Taylor regularly worked at studios such as Strongroom, Olympic, Whitfield Street, Metropolis, The Townhouse, Chiswick Reach, Rockfield, and The Pierce Rooms.

After working and travelling full-time with the Icelandic singer Björk from 2005 and 2011 on two albums and an extended world tour, Taylor settled in Montreal, where he custom-built his own studio, Golden Ratio,[4] in the city's Mile-End neighbourhood. The studio was designed with acoustician John Brandt.[1]

Taylor's Grammy-nominated projects include Best Alternative Album for Björk's Vespertine (2001) and Volta (2007),[5] Best Dance Album for The Prodigy's Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004),[6] and Best Remix for Sarah Vaughan's "Fever" Adam Freeland Remix (2005).[7]

Taylor has worked with notable artists such as Austra, Diamond Rings, Kasabian, Frou Frou, Stateless, South, The Whip, Freeland, Young Love, Robyn, The B-52s, The Boredoms, The Killers, and Arcade Fire.[8]

Taylor's time as a co-producer in remix teams for UNKLE, Adam Freeland, and Guy Sigsworth (Heavy Rotation) as well as a producer of remixes under both his own name and the Stone Lions moniker have earned him a Grammy nod, remixing tracks of artists such as Arcade Fire, DJ Shadow, UNKLE, Björk, Placebo, Kylie Minogue, Depeche Mode, and Metallica.[8]

Taylor worked as a co-producer on the film soundtrack for Jonathan Glazer's first feature film, Sexy Beast (2000).[9]

Damian created a Max MSP patch called Woodpecker via the Cycling 74 website.[10] The patch was designed after conversations with Arcade Fire, and it creates fast 16th note midi sequences from keyboard input. It allows the performer to bring a very electronic feel into a live ensemble, free of set tempos and click tracks. There are options to allow performers to vary the feel of the sequence, play triplets, and explore various arpeggiation styles.[11]

Recent work includes additional recording on Arcade Fire's Reflektor,[12] vocal production on Austra's Olympia, production and mixing for The Killers on their US #1 Album Battle Born, and mixing and additional production on forthcoming albums by Owen Pallett and Foxtrott.[13] For Björk's multi-media project Biophilia, Taylor performed studio engineering, programming, mixing, and writing.[14] Additionally, he designed and programmed a series of musical performance systems which were used extensively by Björk during the writing of the album and created the audiovisual experience of Biophilia using iPad apps.[15]

Discography

Selected discography as a producer[8]
Release year Album Artist
2017 Synthesis Evanescence
2017 Watch Me Read You Odette
2017 Young Mopes Louise Burns
2016 Thick as Thieves The Temper Trap
2015 Reflektor Arcade Fire
2015 Deep in the Iris Braids
2015 A Taller Us Foxtrott
2015 Seriph Mas Ysa
2014 Joyland TR/ST
2014 Olympia Austra
2012 Battle Born The Killers
2011 Biophilia Björk
2011 Feel it Break Austra
2009 Invaders Must Die The Prodigy
2007 Volta Björk
2005 Teen Dance Ordinance A
2004 Sexy Beast Film Score
2003 Never, Never Land UNKLE
2003 Now and Them Freeland
2002 Hi-Fi Serious A
2001 Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats? UNKLE
2001 From Here On In South
2000 Rebore Vol 1 The Boredoms

References
  1. "Damian Taylor: Official Website Biography".
  2. "Damian Taylor: Official Management Page".
  3. "Damian Taylor Joins GPS Management".
  4. "Camden Sounds - 2011". Archived from the original on 2012-03-18.
  5. "Wired Magazine - "ReacTable Tactile Synth Catches Björk's Eye -- and Ear" - August 9, 2007". August 9, 2007. Archived from the original on September 8, 2011.
  6. "Resident Advisor -"Best Electronic/Dance Album Nominations announced for 47th Grammy's" - December 9, 2004".
  7. "Groove Radio - "Adam Freeland receives Grammy nomination for his remix of Sarah Vaughan's 'Fever' - December 21, 2005"". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25.
  8. "Damian Taylor: Discography". Archived from the original on 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  9. "IMDB - Damian Taylor - Filmography".
  10. "Create Digital Music - "Björk's Engineer-Music Director Damian Taylor Shares Thoughts on Music, Free Max/MSP Patch" - October 7, 2011".
  11. "Cycling 74 - "Damian Taylor Interview" - October 6, 2011".
  12. "Damian Taylor – Rap Genius - "Reflektor Credits by Arcade Fire"".
  13. "FOXTROTT - Bandcamp".
  14. "Sonic Scoop - "Behind the Release: Björk Biophilia - October 13, 2011".
  15. Schiesel, Seth (October 24, 2011). "The New York Times - "Playing the New Bjork Album, and Playing Along, With Apps" - October 24, 2011".
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