Login
Login

Brent Kolatalo

{{use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Brent Kolatalo

| birth_date =

| image_upright =

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption =

| alias =

| image = Brent_Kolatalo.jpg

| origin = Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

| birth_place =

| genre = {{flat list|

}}

| occupation = {{flat list|

}}

| instrument =

| years_active = 2003–present

| label =

| associated_acts = {{flat list|

}}

| website = {{URL|Brentk.com}}

| module =

}}

Brent Kolatalo is an American mixer, record producer, engineer and songwriter based in New York City. Kolatalo has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake, Bruno Mars, X Ambassadors, Future, Chris Webby, Ella Henderson, Taylor Swift, Lorde, OneRepublic, Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey among others.{{Cite web|last=Heads|first=Ambrosia For|date=2019-12-30|title=Here Are Ambrosia For Heads' Top 25 Rap Albums Of The Decade|url=https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2019/12/best-25-hiphop-rap-albums-decade/|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Ambrosia For Heads|language=en-US}}

He has worked on several albums such as, To Pimp a Butterfly, Uptown Special, If You're Reading This it's too Late, Based On a T.R.U. Story, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne, Just Charlie, Late Registration and The College Dropout among others.

Life and career

Kolatalo was born in Barberton and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.{{Cite web|last=Dorn|first=Anna|title=Meet Ken Lewis: Hip-Hop's Max Martin|url=https://djbooth.net/features/2016-10-07-meet-ken-lewis-hip-hop-max-martin|access-date=2021-02-06|website=DJBooth|date=February 12, 2018 |language=en}} He began practicing guitar when he was a kid, one of his tutors was Jeff Martin.{{Cite web|last1=Sep 25|first1=Hollin Jones on|last2=comments|first2=2019 in Interviews 0|title=Interview: Brent Kolatalo|url=http://ask.audio/articles/interview-brent-kolatalo-grammywinning-producer-mix-engineer|access-date=2021-02-06|website=ask.audio|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Hilty|first=Lindsey|title=Lakota alumni win Grammy awards|url=https://www.journal-news.com/news/local/lakota-alumni-win-grammy-awards/pXmoxhyXU7QQGgIbCu1C9H/|access-date=2021-02-06|website=journal-news|language=English}}

He attended Lakota West High School in West Chester, Ohio and graduated in 2000. In 2002, he went to Berklee College of Music in Boston, during summers he was a trainee at Avatar studios.{{Cite web|title=Brent Kolatalo|url=https://www.barkercollective.com/brent-kolatalo|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Barker Collective|language=en}}{{Dead link|date=June 2021}} Kolatalo dropped out in 2004 after working on Kanye West debut studio album, The College Dropout which earning several nominations at the 47th Grammy Awards.{{Cite web|date=2020-11-23|title=Brent Kolatalo|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/brent-kolatalo/14442|access-date=2021-02-06|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en}}

In 2007, Kolatalo started The Skywalkers, a production team with his partner Ken Lewis which has been renamed, Katalyst in 2011.{{Cite web|date=2008-05-13|title=Ken Lewis: The One Man Band ...From Joe Budden to Kanye West|url=https://allhiphop.com/features/ken-lewis-the-one-man-band-from-joe-budden-to-kanye-west/|access-date=2021-02-06|website=AllHipHop.com|language=en-us}}{{Cite web|date=2019-08-14|title=Producer Crosstalk: Brent Kolatalo|url=https://www.musicconnection.com/producer-crosstalk-brent-kolatalo/|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Music Connection Magazine|language=en-US}}

Kolatalo's songwriting credits include "The Blacker the Berry", Kendrick Lamar's track, which appeared on his album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). He is the engineer on multi-platinum Mark Ronson's single featuring Bruno Mars, "Uptown Funk".{{Cite web|title=Ken Lewis|url=https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/artist/ken-lewis.html|access-date=2021-02-06|website=Plugin Alliance|language=en}} In 2016, Kolatalo recorded and played on the track "Come to Mama" from Lady Gaga's album, Joanne.{{Cite magazine|title=Meet the Creative Team Behind Lady Gaga's 'Joanne' Album|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7549883/lady-gaga-joanne-album-collaborators-list|access-date=2021-02-06|magazine=Billboard|language=en}} In 2019, he has worked on Taylor Swift's album, Lover.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-23|title=Taylor Swift - Lover Credits and Streams|url=https://freemusiccredits.com/taylor-swift-lover-credits-and-streams/|access-date=2021-02-06|website=FreeMusicCredits.com|language=en-US}}

Awards and recognition

He is a three-time Grammy nominee by name and has worked on over sixteen Grammy nominated albums.{{Cite web|last=September 2019|first=Ben Rogerson 06|title=Brent Kolatalo: 5 things I've learned about music production|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/brent-kolatalo-5-things-ive-learned-about-music-production|access-date=2021-02-06|website=MusicRadar|date=September 6, 2019 |language=en}} Having nominated for his work as audio and mixer engineer on works such as Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly (2015),{{Cite web|date=2016-02-17|title=US: BMG Proudly Congratulates Clients On Their Grammy Success|url=https://www.bmg.com/us/news/us-bmg-proudly-congratulates-clients-on-their-grammy-success.html|access-date=2021-02-06|website=BMG|language=en}} Eminem's Eminem (Recovery) (2010){{Cite web|title=Berklee Alumni Win 13 Grammy Awards {{!}} Berklee|url=https://college.berklee.edu/news/3130/berklee-alumni-win-13-grammy-awards|access-date=2021-02-06|website=college.berklee.edu}} and Kanye West’s The College Dropout (2004).{{Cite web|title=Alumni All-Stars in the Field of Music Production and Engineering {{!}} Berklee|url=https://college.berklee.edu/mpe/alumni-awards-grammy-oscar-emmy|access-date=2021-02-06|website=college.berklee.edu}}

= Grammy awards =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Artist

!Album or Song

!Category

!Result

2015

|Kendrick Lamar

|To Pimp a Butterfly - The Blacker the Berry

|Best Rap Album

|{{Nom}}

2010

|Eminem

|Recovery - Session One

|Best Rap Album

|{{Nom}}

2004

|Kanye West

|The College Dropout - All Falls Down, Heavy Hitters, Last Call, Family Business

|Best Rap Album

|{{Nom}}

Discography

{{Div col}}

{{Div col end}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://Brentk.com Official website]
  • {{Discogs artist}}
  • {{AllMusic|id=mn0001986291}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolatalo, Brent}}

Category:Living people

Category:Mastering engineers

Category:American audio engineers

Category:Berklee College of Music alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)