Dave Sitek

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Dave Sitek

| image = Dave Sitek WNYU2004 3832.jpg

| caption = Sitek in 2004

| image_size = 220

| birth_name = David Andrew Sitek

| alias = Maximum Balloon

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|9|06|mf=yes}}

| genre = Indie rock

| occupation = {{hlist|Record producer|multi-instrumentalist}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|keyboards|bass|drums}}

| years_active = 2001–present

| label = {{hlist|Touch and Go|4AD|DGC|Interscope|Federal Prism|Harvest}}

| current_member_of = TV on the Radio

| past_member_of = Jane's Addiction

| website =

}}

David Andrew Sitek (born September 6, 1972) 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, Wavves, 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 Organization Dark Was the Night charity compilation.{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12717-dark-was-the-night/ | title=Various Artists: Dark Was the Night | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=February 26, 2009 | access-date=March 15, 2009}} 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.{{cite magazine|title=The Future 50: The bands, artists and innovators driving music forward.|date=April 26, 2008|magazine=NME}}

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.{{cite web|title=an interview w/ Dave Sitek of Maximum Balloon (the TVOTR guitarist/producer's new project w/ many guest vocalists) |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2010/06/an_interview_w_34.html|publisher=Brooklyn Vegan|access-date=June 17, 2010|first=Billy |last=Jones|date=June 14, 2010}}

Early life

Born in 1972, Sitek grew up in Columbia, Maryland, together with his brothers.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2006-12-31-0701020276-story.html|work=The Baltimore Sun|first=Mary Carole|last=McCauley|title=A Good Year – See Some Of The Marylanders Who Made Their Mark On The Arts Scene In 2006|date=December 31, 2006|access-date=June 21, 2014|page=3|archive-date=April 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426201606/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-12-31/news/0701020276_1_pinkett-smith/3|url-status=live}} 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 [she] let me start a hardcore band and practice in our house when I was 14".{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/8464-5-10-15-20-tv-on-the-radios-dave-sitek/|first=Ryan |last=Dombal|title=TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek: The TVOTR/Maximum Balloon Man on Bad Brains, Aphex Twin, and more|publisher=Pitchfork Media|date=October 26, 2010|access-date=June 21, 2014}} Sitek developed an interest in music at an early age influenced by his "aunt Paula [who] sneaked out of the house [to see] Jimi 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.cokemachineglow.com/feature/2281/grizzly-bear |title=Grizzly Bear |first=David |last=Greenwald |publisher=cokemachineglow.com |access-date=September 22, 2012 |date=November 17, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924051037/http://www.cokemachineglow.com/feature/2281/grizzly-bear |archive-date=September 24, 2012 }}

Selected discography

=With Jane's Addiction=

The Great Escape Artist (2011)

=Production work=

Sitek produced the album Anywhere 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 You self released by the band in June 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/aleksandthedrummer|publisher= MySpace.com |title=Aleks and The Drummer profile|access-date=June 21, 2014}}

He works with several Brooklyn [https://bloggingterminal.com/ acts], having recently remixed the song "Disco Lights" for Apollo Heights{{cite web|url=http://www.myspace.com/apolloheights |publisher=MySpace.com |title=Apollo Heights|access-date=June 21, 2014}} and produced albums for Dragons of Zynth{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10736-coronation-thieves/|title=Dragons of Zynth: Coronation Thieves|publisher=Pitchfork Media |access-date=June 1, 2008 |date=November 16, 2007 |last=Berman |first=Stuart }} and Telepathe.{{cite web |url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2796053 |title=DiScover: Telepathe |publisher=Drowned in Sound |access-date=June 1, 2008 |date=January 15, 2008 |last=Strang |first=Samuel |archive-date=May 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521121025/http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2796053 |url-status=dead }}

The Orwells – Other Voices – Dave Sitek Version
TV on the Radio – OK Calculator (2002)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2002)
Love Life – Here Is Night, Brothers, Here the Birds Burn (2002)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell (2003)
TV on the Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004)
Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned (2004)
Celebration – Celebration (2006)
TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones (2006)
The OhSees – The Cool Death of Island Raiders (2006)
Dragons of Zynth – Coronation Thieves (2007)
Celebration – The Modern Tribe (2007)
Foals – Antidotes (2008)
Scarlett Johansson – Anywhere I Lay My Head (2008)
Aleks and the Drummer – May A Lightning Bolt Caress You! (2008)
TV on the Radio – Dear Science (2008)
Telepathe – Dance Mother (2009)
Iran – Dissolver (2009)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz! (2009)
Pink Noise – What Will Happen If Someone Finds Out? (2009)
Wale – Attention Deficit (2009)
Holly Miranda – The Magician's Private Library (2010)
Daniel Higgs – Say God (2010)
TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light{{cite web | url=http://allmusic.com/album/nine-types-of-light-r2139501/credits | title=TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light|publisher=AllMusic.com |access-date=November 18, 2011}}
Icky Blossoms, (2012)
Santigold – Master of My Make-Believe (2012)
CSS – Planta (2013) {{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/planta-mw0002541663/credits|title= CSS – Planta|access-date=June 21, 2014|publisher=AllMusic.com}}
Ximena Sariñana – Ximena Sariñana (2012)
Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man
Beady Eye – BE (2013){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/be-mw0002543365/credits|title= Beady Eye – Be|access-date=June 21, 2014|publisher=AllMusic.com}}
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito (2013){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mosquito-mw0002480470/credits|title=Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito|access-date=June 21, 2014|publisher=AllMusic.com}}
TV on the Radio – "Mercy" and "Million Miles" (2013)
Oh Land – Wishbone (8 tracks) (2013){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/wishbone-mw0002578110/credits|title=Oh Land – Wishbone|access-date=June 21, 2014|publisher=AllMusic.com}}
Erik Hassle – "Somebody's Party" from Somebody's Party – EP (2014)
Elliphant – "Look Like You Love It" from Look Like You Love It (2014)
Kelis – Food (2014)
Cerebral Ballzy – Jaded & Faded (2014)
Francisca Valenzuela – Tajo Abierto (4 tracks) (2014)
TV on the Radio – Seeds (2014)
Pussy Riot - Straight Outta Vagina (2016){{Cite news|last=Harding|first=Luke|date=2016-10-25|title=Pussy Riot celebrate the vagina in lyrical riposte to Trump|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/25/pussy-riot-donald-trump-straight-outta-vagina|access-date=2021-01-17|issn=0261-3077}}
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – So It Is (2017)
Beyoncé & Jay-Z – "LoveHappy" from Everything Is Love (2018)
Weezer – Weezer (Black Album) (2019)
In the Valley Below – The Pink Chateau (2019){{cite web|url=https://www.redlightmanagement.com/in-the-valley-below-announces-the-pink-chateau-full-length-album-feature-film-set-for-april-26-release-on-bright-antenna/|title= In The Valley Below Announces The Pink Chateau Full-Length Album|date= 28 February 2019|access-date=April 11, 2019|publisher=RedLightManagement.com}}
Adil Omar – "The Great Unraveling" from Mastery (guitars only) (2020)
Our Lady Peace – Spiritual Machines II (2021){{cite web|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200804235536/https://jujulive.ca/|title=JUJU - Livestream your favorite bands and artists|archive-date=August 4, 2020|url=https://jujulive.ca/|access-date=August 5, 2020|url-status=live}}
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down (2022){{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Tom |date=2022-09-29 |title=Album of the Week: Yeah Yeah Yeahs go huge with Cool It Down |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/yeah-yeah-yeahs-album-cool-it-down/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |language=en-US}}
WitchGang (2023-2024){{Cite web | url = https://music.apple.com/us/song/timeless/1717833938 | title = Timeless - Song by witchgang | website = Apple Music | access-date = 5 December 2024}}
Chelsea Wolfe – "Dusk" from She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (2024){{Cite news |last=Pearis |first=Bill |date=September 20, 2023 |title=Chelsea Wolfe shares new single "Dusk", announces 2024 tour w/ Divide and Dissolve |work=BrooklynVegan |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/chelsea-wolfe-shares-new-single-dusk-announces-2024-tour-w-divide-and-dissolve/ |access-date=October 24, 2023}}

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."{{cite journal|journal=Soundvenue|date=November 2010|number= 46|language=da}} On his solo project Maximum Balloon, Sitek collaborates with many of his old friends (among these are Karen O, David Byrne and Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio), 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.

=Solo work=

Maximum Balloon (Interscope, 2010)

=Singles=

If You Return featuring Little Dragon (2010)
Groove Me featuring Theophilus London (2010)
Tiger featuring Aku (2010)

=Features=

MF Doom – Gazzilion Ear (Jneiro Jarel feat Dave Sitek Remix) (2009)

=Remixes=

Fischerspooner "Never Win (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2005), FS Studios
Hope of the States "Sing It Out (David Andrew Sitek's Skyhorse Mix)" (2006), Columbia
Lee "Scratch" Perry "Fire in Babylon (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2006), Narnack
Nine Inch Nails "Survivalism (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2007), Interscope
The Knife "Marble House (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2007), Brille
Beck "Dark Star (David Andrew Sitek Remix)" (2007), Interscope
Bat for Lashes "Sleep Alone (909s In Darktimes Mix)" (2009), Parlophone
Steven Wilson "Harmony Korine (David A. Sitek Magnetized Nebula Mix)" (2009), Kscope
Fanfarlo "Fire Escape (David Sitek Remix)" (2010), Atlantic
UNKLE "Follow Me Down (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2010), Surrender All
Gypsy and the Cat "Time to Wander (David Andrew Sitek Remix)" (2010), RCA
MF Doom "Gazzillion Ear (Dave Sitek / Jneiro Jarel Remix)" (2010), Lex Records
Tegan and Sara "Alligator (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2010), Sire
Lykke Li "I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2011), LL Recordings
Dels "Gob (David Andrew Sitek Remix)" (2011), Big Dada Recordings
The Naked and Famous "Young Blood (David Andrew Sitek Remix)" (2011), Universal Music
Norah Jones "After the Fall (David Andrew Sitek Remix)" (2012), Parlophone
Norah Jones "She's 22 (David Andrew Sitek Remix)" (2012), Parlophone
Florence and the Machine "No Light, No Light (DAS Remix)" (2012), Island Records
Run The Jewels "Sea Legs (Dave Sitek Remix)" (2013), Fool's Gold Records