Toshi Kasai is a Japanese record producer, engineer, mixer and musician.[1] He is most well known for his strong vocal production work with hard rock and metal groups such as his long standing relationship with The Melvins and his work with Tool.[2][3][4]
Toshi Kasai | |
|---|---|
 Toshi Kasai at Sound of Sirens, 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Joyful Noise Recordings, et al. |
| Website | http://www.toshikasai.com |
In addition to his recorded production work, Toshi was a member of the band Big Business and Nate Mendel's band Lieutenant. He is also a member of Altamont, The Dale Crover Band. In 2019, he opened for Melvins and Redd Kross under his own name, playing Moog Synthesizer to oscilloscope and projections.[5]
Biography
editHilbish Design released a pedal of Toshi's design called the T-Fuzz,[6] the pedal, like the other pedal designs of the manufacturer, features artwork by Mackie Osborne.
He also has his own project called Plan D, this project is similar to a drum-triggered synthesizer set with Dale Crover and Troy Zeigler (one show) where he opened for Melvins Lite in 2011.[7] This set was cited as an inspiration behind the Plan D project.
On March 12, 2020 Joyful Noise Recordings announced the release of his project: Plan D. It was received with favorable coverage from outlets such as Rolling Stone[8] and others:[9][10]
"From his LA studio, Toshi created a complex drum-triggering system which is the catalyst for Plan D. He then spent the last several years luring drummers into his Sound of Sirens studio, letting them go nuts behind the kit. Meanwhile, Toshi has been behind the board, capturing the signal from each drum hit, and sending that signal to a variety of analog synthesizers. The result is some of the craziest sounding prog-like instrumental music you're likely to ever hear."
included on the project are drummers:
- Dale Crover (Melvins, Redd Kross, Nirvana, Hew Time)
- Coady Willis (Big Business, Melvins, The Murder City Devils, Hew Time)
- Clem Burke (Blondie, Eurythmics)
- Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden)
- Joe Plummer (Mister Heavenly, Cold War Kids, The Shins, Hew Time)
- Paul Christensen ( Qui, hepa.Titus)
- Troy Zeigler (Serj Tankian, Juliette Lewis, Buckethead)
- Ches Smith (Secret Chiefs 3, Marc Ribot, Mary Halvorson)
- Matt Chamberlain (Fiona Apple, Bob Dylan, Bill Frisell)
- Danny Frankel (Lou Reed, Kamikaze Ground Crew, Urban Verbs, Bo Diddley)
- Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr, David Lee Roth, Electric Light Orchestra)
- Pej Mon (Satyasena, Secret Chiefs 3, Girth)
- Mindee Jorgensen (Dale Crover Band, Dangerously Sleazy, ModPods)
- Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Mr Bungle, Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies)
- John Tempesta (The Cult, White Zombie, Testament)
- Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction, Porno For Pyros, Infectious Grooves)
- Kyle Stevenson (HELMET, Big Collapse)
- Angela Lese (Jax Hollow, Raelyn Nelson Band)
Selected production work
editToshi Kasai has worked with the following musicians and groups.[11][12]
- Melvins
- Jello Biafra
- Helmet
- Nate Mendel (of Foo Fighters)
- Matt Cameron of Soundgarden / Pearl Jam
- GODSWOUNDS
- BAD ACID TRIP
Production engineering and mixing work
edit| Year | Band | Album | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Capital Eye | Mood Swingz | Engineer |
| 2002 | Melvins | Hostile Ambient Takeover | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2004 | Jello Biafra | Never Breathe What You Can't See | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2004 | Dave Matthews Band | The Gorge | Engineer, Editing, Digital Editing |
| 2005 | Altamont | The Monkee's Uncle | Engineer, Audio Engineer, Fender Rhodes, Organ |
| 2005 | Dave Matthews Band | Weekend on the Rocks | Engineer, Digital Editing |
| 2005 | Jello Biafra | Seig Howdy! | Engineer |
| 2006 | Melvins | A Senile Animal | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2006 | Melvins | 2005: A Live History of Gluttony and Lust | Engineer, Audio Engineer |
| 2008 | Totimoshi | Milagrosa | Engineer, Audio Engineer, Mixing, Jaw Harp |
| 2008 | Tweak Bird | Reservations | Producer, Main Personnel, Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals (Background), Noise |
| 2009 | Brian Walsby | Manchild 4/Pick Your Battles [Book + CD] | Engineer |
| 2009 | Shrinebuilder | Shrinebuilder | Producer, Engineer, Synthesizer |
| 2009 | Zu | Carboniferous | Producer, Engineer |
| 2010 | Red Sparowes | The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2010 | Helmet | Seeing Eye Dog | Engineer, Mixing, Additional Production |
| 2010 | Melvins | The Bride Screamed Murder | Engineer |
| 2010 | Tweak Bird | Tweak Bird | Mixing, Digital Engineer |
| 2011 | Hurry Up Shotgun | Hurry Up Shotgun | Producer, Engineer |
| 2011 | Big Business | Quadruple Single | Producer, Engineer |
| 2011 | Melvins | Sugar Daddy Live | Engineer |
| 2012 | Anywhere | Anywhere | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Keyboards |
| 2012 | Indian Handcrafts | Civil Disobedience for Losers | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Screams, Vocal Coach |
| 2012 | Marriages | Kitsune | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2012 | Tweak Bird | Undercover Crops | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2013 | Federation X | We Do What We Must | Producer, Engineer |
| 2013 | Dumb Numbers | Dumb Numbers | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2013 | Victory and Associates | Better Luck Next Life | Producer, Engineer |
| 2013 | Melvins | Everybody Loves Sausages | Engineer |
| 2013 | Melvins | Tres Cabrones | Engineer, Toy Piano, Omnichord |
| 2014 | Melvins | Hold It In | Engineer |
| 2014 | Hurry Up Shotgun | Abracadabraham Lincoln | Producer, Engineer |
| 2014 | Qui | Life, Water, Living... | Producer, Engineer |
| 2014 | Hew Time | Hew Time | Producer, Engineer |
| 2014 | The Luxembourg Signal | The Luxembourg Signal | Engineer |
| 2014 | GODSWOUNDS | Death to the Babyboomers | Producer, Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals |
| 2014 | King Buzzo | This Machine Kills Artists | Engineer |
| 2015 | Indian Handcrafts | Creeps | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Vocals |
| 2015 | Lieutenant | If I Kill This Thing We're All Going to Eat for a Week | Producer, Engineer, Guitar, Mandolin, Mellotron, Melodion, Piano, Synthesizer, Tambourine, Toy Piano, Vocals (Background), Wurlitzer |
| 2015 | Leeches of Lore | Motel of Infinity | Producer, Engineer |
| 2015 | Melvins | The Bulls & The Bees/Electroretard | Engineer |
| 2015 | Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends | The Enemy of Everyone | Producer, Engineer, Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion |
| 2015 | DEAD | Captains of Industry | Producer, Engineer, Vocals, Guitar, Noise |
| 2015 | DEAD | Captains Of The Void/Captains of Reincarnation | Producer, Engineer, Vocals, Guitar, Noise[13] |
| 2015 | Sons of Huns | While Sleeping Stay Awake | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2016 | Melvins | Basses Loaded | Producer, Engineer |
| 2016 | Helmet | Dead to the World | Engineer |
| 2016 | Orphan Goggles | Meat Face Needs Eyes | Producer, Engineer, Keyboards |
| 2016 | Dumb Numbers | II | Engineer |
| 2016 | Mike & the Melvins | Three Men and a Baby | Engineer, Mixing |
| 2016 | Acid King | Middle of Nowhere, Centre of Everywhere | Engineer |
| 2016 | Nocturnal Habits | New Skin for Old Children | Engineer |
| 2016 | Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends | The Art of Murder | Producer, Engineer, Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion |
| 2017 | Melvins | A Walk with Love & Death | Producer, Engineer, Noise |
| 2017 | Low Flying Hawks | Genkaku | Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Vocals, Fx Vocals, Guitar |
| 2017 | DEAD | We Won't Let You Sleep | Producer, Engineer |
| 2017 | Fat Dukes of Fuck | A Compendium of Desperation, Morality and Dick Jokes | Producer, Engineer |
| 2017 | Primitive Race | Soul Pretender | Drum Engineering |
| 2017 | Dale Crover | The Fickle Finger of Fate | Producer, Mixing, Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Jaw Harp, Bowed Banjo, Composer |
| 2017 | Legend of the Seagullmen | Shipswreck | Composer |
| 2018 | Legend of the Seagullmen | Legend of the Seagullmen | Engineer, Mixing, Composer |
| 2018 | Melvins | Pinkus Abortion Technician | Engineer |
| 2018 | Legend of the Seagullmen | Ballad of the Deep Sea Diver | Composer |
| 2018 | Legend of the Seagullmen | The Fogger | Composer |
| 2018 | Prism Bitch | Prism Bitch ep | Producer, Engineer |
| 2018 | All Souls | All Souls | Producer, Engineer |
| 2018 | Qui | Snuh | Producer, Engineer |
| 2019 | Primitive Race | Cranial Matter | Engineer, Drum Engineering, Drum Recordings, Additional Production, Arranger, Instrumentation, Remixing |
| 2019 | Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends | Protons and Electrons | Producer, Engineer, Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion |
| 2019 | Hurry Up Shotgun | This Crystal Vessel | Producer, Engineer |
| 2019 | Alright Spider | Desolation | Producer, Engineer, Synth, Theremin |
Band member
edit- Big Business: Guitar, Keyboards, Backing vocals
- Altamont: Guitar, Piano, Organ
- Lieutenant (with Nate Mendel): Guitar, Keyboard
- The Dale Crover Band: Keys, Banjo, Ukulele, Vocals
- Plan D
References
edit- ^ "Toshi Kasai: "I want to make them a success."". tapeop.com. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ "Show Us Your Junk! Ep. 11 - Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business, Foo Fighters, Tool)". earthquakerdevices.com.
- ^ "Protonic Reversal Ep123: Toshi Kasai (Engineer and Producer: Melvins, Tool, Helmet)". radioneutron.com.
- ^ "The Vinyl Guide ep212: Toshi Kasai (the Art of Music Production)". Thevinylguide.com.
- ^ "Toshi Kasai joins Melvins/Redd Kross tour". punknews.org/.
- ^ "T-Fuzz pedal". hilbishdesign.com.
- ^ "Ep156: Toshi Kasai (Producer, Plan D, Big Business)". radioneutron.com.
- ^ "Hear Pearl Jam, Melvins, Blondie Drummers Team Up on Experimental Track Plan D project masterminded by long-time Melvins collaborator Toshi Kasai debuts this year with four limited-edition 12-inches". rollingstone.com/.
- ^ "Plan D to release four new EPs "SW", "NE", "SE" and "NW" throughout 2020". grande-rock.com/.
- ^ "Today we'd like to introduce to you, one of the weirder projects we've been working on: Toshi Kasai - Plan D". joyfulnoiserecordings.com/.
- ^ "Toshi Kasai - Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio - AllMusic".
- ^ "Toshi Kasai".
- ^ "Toshi Kasai". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
- ^ "Tosh Kasai (sic): Allmusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ "Toshi Kasai: Allmusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.