Darryl Neudorf is a Canadian musician, record producer, audio engineer and teacher.
Biography
Early life
Darryl was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. His family moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada when he was five-years-old.
In 1979, at the age of fifteen, he became the drummer for a post-punk collective called Empty Set. The band consisted of his kid sister/vocalist Adele Neudorf, bassist John Brotherton and classmate/guitarist Kevin Kane.
54-40
At eighteen Neudorf moved to Vancouver and joined 54-40 as their drummer. He was with the band from 1982 to 1985.
Neudorf recorded two albums with 54/40 and toured extensively in North America with them up until his departure. The songs that Neudorf performed, co-composed and produced with 54/40 achieved gold and platinum status in Canada.
He is best known during this time for co-writing the hit song "I Go Blind" which was covered by U.S. rock group Hootie and the Blowfish. The song was also featured on the NBC sitcom "Friends" in 1995 and was also included on the "Friends" soundtrack album which led to increased exposure for 54-40 and the song becoming a Billboard Top 10 hit.
In 1985, after three years in the band, Neudorf left 54-40 to pursue a career in music production. which featured a Fairlight C.M.I. and a Waveterm PPG 2.
In 1986, Neudorf also filled in as a drummer on a tour with Moev, an electronic synth-pop band, composed of Tom Ferris, Cal Stephenson, Michaela Arrichiello and Nettwerk Productions co-founder Mark Jowett. Neudorf and Pillsworth lent Anselmi their recording equipment to record what was to become Copyright's second CD, Love Story. The building of a recording studio that was soundproofed and secure followed. The studio was named after the arched words "Miller Block", painted in gold on the front of the building's black and green tiled facade.
Throughout the 1990s, Neudorf managed and operated Miller Block with Pillsworth (aka Sugarpill), where he did much of his recording and production. This work resulted in scores of releases in a wide variety of genres including post-punk, indie-rock, alternative rock, synth-pop, avant-garde electronica, alt-country, Americana, ambient and dub. Among others, this list includes Neko Case, Herald Nix, Cub, Superconductor, The New Pornographers, Kevin Kane, Duotang (band), Bughouse 5, I Am Spoonbender, Twilight Circus Dub Sound System, Tippy Agogo, The Lottie Collins, Randy Bachman, Jello Biafra, Wimpy Roy, Faust, Propeller, Dead Voices on Air. The merging of equipment, space and trust surrounding Miller Block resulted in a creative studio environment that flourished for six years, until the Fall of 2000.
During the Summer of 1998, Darryl performed at Edgefest with Copyright (band), playing keyboards throughout the tour.
Neudorf embarked on an American tour with Dead Voices On Air and Not Breathing in 1999, playing drums.
In 2000, Darryl went on tour throughout Europe playing drums and keyboards with Dead Voices on Air (DVOA), supporting Michael Rother and Dieter Moebius.
Relocation
In 2001, Neudorf, Pillsworth and the boxed up studio moved to Toronto, Ontario. Shortly thereafter, they settled in the Oak Ridges neighbourhood of Richmond Hill, on the shores of Lake Wilcox, a kettle lake. Neudorf continued to produce and engineer successful recordings, among others, Americana singer Neko Case, The Sadies, Justin Rutledge, Jim Bryson, Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers, Benjamin Regan, The Mohawk Lodge, By Divine Right and Darlings Of Chelsea.
The Audio Recording Academy
During 2002 Darryl Neudorf was asked by Shannon Murray to become the head instructor at, and design the curriculum for, a new audio production school located in downtown Toronto called The Audio Recording Academy (TARA). Neudorf remained head instructor until 2008 when, during an indefinite leave, he passed the batton over to producer / engineer Damon de Szegheo, who took over teaching duties. north of Toronto. The residential recording studio was on a large forested property, in an outbuilding, on a farm.
The studio was called Operation Northwoods Recording Services, where musicians recorded with Neudorf at the helm, with him either producing, mixing, engineering, drumming and/or mastering. Among others, these musicians include Neko Case, Blue Rodeo, The Grapes of Wrath, Barzin, Two Hours Traffic, Absent Sound, Jim Cuddy, David Myles (musician), Ashleigh Semkiw, Laura Jean, Lily Frost, Lindi Ortega, Robyn Cage, Tyler Kealey, David Storey, Graham Maycock, Erin Bolton, PorkRoyalty, Traditionally Wound, Brementown Players, David Robert King, Scott Helman, Elliott Brood, Locas in Love and The Weather Station.
In 2010, Darryl engineered a soundtrack with Greg Keeler for the film Gunless.
Primalux
Neudorf relocated to his home town of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada in 2019, just before the arrival of Covid. He did some mixing during that time for Amy Annelle, Cayley Thomas, Oxlip, Little Jane and the Pistol Whips, and The Muster Point Project. However, most of his studio remained boxed up until October 2024, until Neudorf and Pillsworth discovered a property near Okanagan Lake, close to the Sibell Maude-Roxby Wetlands Boardwalk. Here, they founded Primalux Studio and Institute of Music and Technology, within a building that allowed Darryl to put together a Dolby 7.1.4 immersive mixing environment.
Awards
{|class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|-
|Title
|Award
|Credit
|Date
|-
|Sarah McLachlan - Touch
|CRIA Certified Canadian Gold
|Co-Composer, Pre-Production
|1991
|-
|Sarah McLachlan - Solace
|CRIA Certified Canadian Platinum
|Pre-Production
|1991
|-
|54/40 - Sweeter Things
|CRIA Certified Canadian Platinum
|Co-Composer, Co-Producer, Performer
|1995
|-
|I Go Blind
|ASCAP Award
|Co-Composer
|1998
|-
|The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
|Juno Award - Alternative Album of the Year
|Engineer
|2001
|-
|Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
|Grammy Nomination - Best Contemporary Folk Album
|Co-Producer / Engineer
|2009
|-
|I Go Blind
|SOCAN Classic Award
|Co-Composer
|2009
|-
|Blue Rodeo - The Things We Left Behind
|CRIA Certified Canadian Platinum
|Recording and Mixing Engineer
|2010
|-
|Neko Case and Blue Rodeo
|Juno Nomination
|Engineer of the Year
|2010
|-
|Neko Case and Blue Rodeo
|Juno nomination
|Engineer of the Year
|2010
|-
|Neko Case - The Worse Things Get The Harder I Fight The Harder I Fight The More I Love You
|Grammy Nomination - Best Alternative Album
|Co-Producer / Engineer
|2013
|-
|Jill Barber - Chances
|CRIA Certified Canadian Gold
|Mix Engineer
|2019
|-
|I Go Blind
|Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame
|Inductee
|2021
|-
|}
References
External links
- Official website