Tony Kuzub
Anthony Peter George Kuzub or simply Tony Kuzub, as he is better known, is a Canadian recording engineer and producer based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is the founder of the now defunct High Voltage Recording, and is currently co-owner and head engineer of Tanda Recording.
Biography
Kuzub was born April 4, 1983 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he attended Cardinal Leger Elementary School, and later moved to Evan Hardy Collegiate for high school . Something of a child prodigy, Kuzub showed precocious skills with computing and media equipment, often building computers from scratch, creating videos, and even establishing a viable recording studio in his mother’s basement . At the age of ten he founded his first company, Copycat Recording, which duplicated audio CD’s to cassettes for the benefit of those who did not own CD players. It was in high school that his talents truly blossomed, as he founded High Voltage recording, and began to connect with budding musicians from the Saskatoon area. He also stood out as class president during his senior year.
Career
After graduating from high school in 2001, Kuzub moved his studio to the heart of downtown Saskatoon and began to engineer professionally. He also worked briefly during this period for the Division of Media and Technology at the University of Saskatchewan, editing and arranging video for the local educational cable channel SCN . After leaving this job, he came to concentrate exclusively on recording and producing for studio High Voltage Recording, working with such notable Canadian artists as The Wheatmonkeys, Joel Plaskett, North of Shorty, Spade the Shovelhead and Jordan Cook, and later on even more high-profile acts such as The Mars Volta . His impressive resume landed him a job as an engineer at the MuchMusic Video Awards (or MMVAs) in 2004, where he worked with such artists as The Beastie Boys, Evanescence, Hoobastank, Arcade Fire and Hilary Duff. Kuzub reprised this role in each of the years which followed through to 2007 .
After cutting ties with his employee Sandy Burnett in late 2007, Kuzub closed High Voltage Recording. Soon after, Kuzub spent several months in Sydney, Australia, where he worked at Fox Studios as an audio editor before returning to Canada. Having forged a partnership with session/studio drummer Arlen Hall, Kuzub co-founded Tandaphonic Incorporated and its subsidiary Tanda Recording, a new recording company with a capacious studio, also based in Saskatoon . Here Kuzub works not only as a recording engineer and mixer, but has become even more active in the creative process as a producer.
Controversy
Kuzub made local headlines in 2006 when he identified a potential conflict of interest in the adjudication process to select a song for Saskatoon’s centennial that same year. Speaking for a number of disenchanted members of the Saskatoon recording industry, Kuzub identified that one of the judges, Ross Nykiforuk, had overseen the selection of a former bandmate by the name of Corey Hildebrand as the winner of contest and the $1,000 recording contract that came with it.
Ward-Beck Preservation Society
Kuzub is the founder of the Ward-Beck Systems Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to maintaining Canadian make Ward-Beck recording equipment. The mission statement of the society, as described by the website, is to “keep vintage Ward-Beck equipment running and working by supplying a database of documentation, knowledge, and support.” In order to accomplish this task, Kuzub has created an online library of technical manuals, and photo gallery for Ward-Beck equipment, as well as a forum for the exchange of Ward-Beck related information .
Discography
YearArtistAlbum / “Song Name”Role2008Arms Up”Caroline”P, M, E2008Jordan CookSeven Deadly SinsE, Cp, M, Ed2008Magic BandMagic BandE2008Sundown Strip
P, M, E2007Drowning OpheliaTBAP, M, E2007Jeremy LaneSkeletonmaskP, M, E2007Johnny GrittJohnny GrittM, E2007Matty PowelNess Creek SessionsEd2008Arms Up”Streets Cities”, “Oh well”P, M, E2007Otenang
M2007Rising 4″Before I Awaken”M, E2007Smokekiller”Out there” “Back to the Heart”M, E2007Spade the Shovel HeadGet a HelmetP, M, E2007Streetlight Scenery
P, M, E2007Sundown Strip
P, M, E2007The HuxxtabullsThe HuxxtabullsM, E2006Everlong
Mixing2006Les Fabian”Here She Comes”M, E2006Letter Bomb
M, E2006Mykal GambullVolume 1M, E, A2006Noel Wilcox”Generation Why”P, M, E2006North Of ShortyTrouble in ParadiseP, M, E2006Poser Disposer
A2006The ROA
M, A2006The Wheatmonkeys”Television” and “Brightside”M, E2006Whiskey Halo
M2005Darry Dinnell”Sorry Ms. Brandon”P, M, E2005FYFyE, A2005Holy Cross High SchoolSound and FuryM, E2005
Hush Twins
A, E2005Joel PlaskettLive at Amigo’sE, M2004Holy Cross High SchoolSound and FuryE2004Liberated Noise
A2004Orchestra DiamanteOrchestra DiamanteE, M, A2003Clete Rekve”Sleepin’ on the Engine”M, E2001AmbushRural BreweryP, M, E2001Tint
M, E
LEGEND:
P=Producer
M=Mixed or Remixed
Ed=Editor
E=Engineer
D=development
Cp=Co-Producer
A=Assistant