David Andrew Sitek is an American musician and record producer, known for his work with his band TV on the Radio. He has also worked with bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars, Foals, Celebration, Little Dragon, Beady Eye, and Weezer, and produced free jazz-influenced remixes of songs by artists such as Beck and Nine Inch Nails, and has contributed a solo track to the Red Hot OrganizationDark Was the Night charity compilation. He is also a photographer and painter. In April 2008, Sitek was named number one in NME's Future 50 list of the most forward thinking people in music today. In 2009, Sitek contributed a cover of "With a Girl Like You" to the AIDS benefit album, Dark Was the Night, produced by the Red Hot Organization. A solo album from Sitek under the moniker Maximum Balloon was released on September 21, 2010, on Interscope with individual songs released as singles commencing June 15, 2010. The record includes contributions by many guests including David Byrne, Tunde Adebimpe, and Karen O.
Early life
Born in 1972, Sitek grew up in Columbia, Maryland, together with his brothers. His mother worked in public education with a degree in child psychology and, according to Sitek, "was pretty good about letting me and my brothers explore things. So much so that let me start a hardcore band and practice in our house when I was 14". Sitek developed an interest in music at an early age influenced by his "aunt Paula sneaked out of the houseJimi Hendrix in the 1960s, and was really into Talking Heads and Blondie". Dave Sitek once worked in a coffee shop with future TV on the Radio bandmate Kyp Malone and Grizzly Bear bassist Chris Taylor.
Sitek produced the albumAnywhere I Lay My Head for actress Scarlett Johansson, released in May 2008. Sitek also co-produced the debut album Antidotes by Foals and the debut EP of Chicago band Aleks and the Drummer titled May a Lightning Bolt Caress Youself released by the band in June 2008. He works with several Brooklyn , having recently remixed the song "Disco Lights" for Apollo Heights and produced albums for Dragons of Zynth and Telepathe.
The Orwells – Other Voices – Dave Sitek Version
TV on the Radio – OK Calculator
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Love Life – Here Is Night, Brothers, Here the Birds Burn
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell
TV on the Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
Though Sitek has collaborated with several Brooklyn-based indie bands, he looks upon the indie music movement with skepticism. In an interview with the Danish music magazine Soundvenue, he explained that he is dissatisfied with the opportunistic turn music has taken, referring to the self-promoting indie bands moving to Brooklyn only to claim that they are from "the creative mecca" in order to get the attention of music magazines. This may explain why Sitek has settled down on the West coast in Beverly Hills, California. He explained, "People can't hide themselves out here. Everyone looks after his own interests. It's a very egocentric city. But I don't care what 'indie people' think. Those bands complaining about other bands selling out, got their iPod filled up with illegal music." On his solo project Maximum Balloon, Sitek collaborates with many of his old friends, whom he claims are still interested in creating beautiful songs, not only songs that the music magazines want to write about, which, he thinks, keeps music interesting.
