Svoy

Svoy
Background information
Birth name	Mikhail Tarasov
Also known as	Misha Tarasov; Svoy
Born	(1980-03-18) March 18, 1980
Origin	Vladivostok, Russian Federation
Genres	Electronica[1] EDM Alternative Pop Indie Rock Ambient Experimental
Occupation(s)	Music Producer Singer Songwriter Keyboardist Pianist Visual Artist
Instruments	Vocals Piano Electronic Keyboard Digital Audio Workstation
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Universal Music Group Songs of Universal Rendezvous Entertainment Mack Avenue Records P-Vine Records Thistime Records
Associated acts	Adam Levy Kenny Garrett Meshell Ndegeocello Ilya Lagutenko Mumiy Troll
Website	Official website
Notable instruments
Yamaha MOTIF series

Mikhail Tarasov (Russian: 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^[2] and a Billboard-charting multi-Independent Music Award winner^[3][4] in the genre of pop/electronica. He has five self-produced albums released via Mack Avenue Records/Sony Music Entertainment,^[5] P-Vine Records/Blues Interactions,^[6] Thistime Records^[7] and Songs of Universal/Universal Music Group, Inc.,^[8] respectively.

Svoy Logo
by Kevin Reagan

In 2009, his single "Beautiful Thing" reached #69 on the Billboard Japan Hot TOP 100 Airplay and #82 on Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles^[9] chart. Besides remaining in top 40 and 100 airplay charts of numerous major Japanese radio networks for over 8 weeks, the song peaked at #3 on Alpha Station FM Kyoto 89.4's TOP 40 Overseas Chart.^[10] Also in 2009, Svoy's album Automatons reached #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,^[11] and won in the latter category.^[3] He won the 10th IMA's Vox Populi in both categories.^[4] 10th Independent Music Awards judging panel included Seal, Fall Out Boy, Portishead, McCoy Tyner, Counting Crows, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Suzanne Vega, Jesse Harris, Tom Waits, Aimee Mann, Jonatha Brooke among other artists and music industry professionals.^[12]

Svoy & Yoko Ono at BMI, NYC

In 2004, Svoy won the BMI John Lennon Award for songwriters and received the award from Yoko Ono.^[13]

In 2002, he won BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship for film composers, that led to studying with multi Grammy and Emmy-winning composer Mike Post and Atli Orvarsson for one month at Post's studio in Los Angeles.^[14]

David LaChance, Mike Post, BMI's Linda Livingston & Svoy

In late 2012, Svoy collaborated on an electronic production/arrangement of a song with multi Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello and Grammy-nominated The Roots' bassist Mark Kelley for an upcoming album of jazz artist Claudia Acuna. In 2016, Svoy collaborated with Grammy-winning artist Kenny Garrett on an electronic jazz album and as of 2017 the record is awaiting release.

Over the course of his career, Svoy has collaborated with Grammy-winning artist Kenny Garrett, multi Grammy-nominated artist Meshell Ndegeocello, multi Grammy-winning artist Lenny White, Grammy-winning artist Manuel Seal, Claudia Acuna, Raul Midon, Adam Levy and Ilya Lagutenko, among other artists. Svoy is a voting member for The Recording Academy (responsible for the Grammy Awards), a Yamaha Digital Artist,^[15] a Berklee College of Music and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music scholarship recipient/graduate.

Svoy, Donald Brown, Kenny Garrett & Vernell Brown, Jr. at Sear Sound Recording, NYC

CBGB, NYC, 04.22.06

New York music critics Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover 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 described his music as "...Modern and moves".

In 2009, Svoy was granted a Green Card in the United States as an Alien of Extraordinary Ability and became a naturalized United States citizen in 2017. Svoy resides in New York City.

Discography

Solo Albums

EPs

Compilations

Singles

Collaborations

Awards & Nominations

References

External links

• Official MySpace
• Official Website
• Svoy on VH1
• Svoy on MTV
• Svoy on MTVU
• Svoy on AOL Music
• Svoy on Artist Direct
• Svoy Gajoob Magazine Interview
• Svoy Interview on IndependentMusicAwards.com