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Steve Fisk is an American, Washington-based
audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduc ...
, record producer and musician. As a musician, he has been in bands such as the instrumental alternative/indie rock band Pell Mell and the electronic band Pigeonhed. He has long been associated with the Pacific Northwest music scenes, including
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
and the
Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
indie record label.


Career

Fisk made his solo debut in 1980 with contributions to the compilations '' Let Them Eat Jellybeans!'', ''Sub Pop 5'' and ''Life Elsewhere''. In 1982 Fisk joined the Portland-based instrumental band Pell Mell, which issued records on SST. After a move to San Francisco, the group disbanded in 1985 and a few odd turns landed him in
Ellensburg, Washington Ellensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It is located just east of the Cascade Range near the junction of Interstate 90 in Washington, Interstate 90 and Interstate 82. The population was 18,666 ...
where he produced the Screaming Trees' '' Other Worlds''. In 1986, the group released ''
Clairvoyance Clairvoyance (; ) is the claimed ability to acquire information that would be considered impossible to get through scientifically proven sensations, thus classified as extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense". Any person who is claimed to h ...
''. Soon his credits appeared regularly on releases from the
Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
and K labels including early releases from Beat Happening and
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
. In 1990 Fisk moved to Seattle, where he produced
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
's '' Blew'' sessions, followed by work with Some Velvet Sidewalk, Treepeople,
The Reverend Horton Heat The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his psychobilly trio from Dallas. Heath is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. A reviewer for the magazine Prick (magazine), ''Pr ...
, Love Battery, Girl Trouble, Mary Lou Lord,
The Afghan Whigs The Afghan Whigs are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. They were active from 1986 to 2001 and have since reformed as a band. The group – with core members Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), and John ...
, Unwound,
Seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), '' Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...
,
Steven "Jesse" Bernstein Steven Jay "Jesse" Bernstein (December 4, 1950 – October 22, 1991) was an American underground writer and performance artist. He remains famous for his recordings with Sub Pop records and close relationship with William S. Burroughs. Bernst ...
, Beat Happening, The Screaming Trees and remixes for Soundgarden. In 1993 he teamed up with vocalist Shawn Smith in the ambient soul duo Pigeonhed, issuing a self-titled LP on Sub Pop. He shifted to major label production in 1994, helming projects for Imij (for Liberty records),
The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, by members of The Lost Pandas. The band has been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member. Closely linked to the C86 scene ...
(for Island records), Schtum (SonyUK) and The 360's (RCA). A year later a reunited Pell Mell issued ''
Interstate The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...
'' on DGC, and for the same label Fisk produced
The Posies The Posies were an American rock band. The band was formed in 1986 in Bellingham, Washington, United States, by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Their music has its origins in Merseybeat and the Hollies. They are influ ...
, Three Mile Pilot and
Boss Hog Boss Hog is an American punk blues band including the husband and wife duo of Jon Spencer (guitar) and Cristina Martinez (vocals) along with Jens Jurgensen (bass), Hollis Queens (drums) and Mickey Finn (keyboard). The band achieved some noto ...
. In 1994, Pigeonhed recorded its second Sub Pop LP, '' The Full Sentence'', yielding the oft licensed Battle Flag remix by the Lo Fidelity Allstars. It can be heard in '' ER'', ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'', ''
Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college. It aired from January 20, 19 ...
'', '' Queer as Folk'', '' Forces of Nature'', '' Dancing at The Blue Iguana'', '' Coyote Ugly'', ''
The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, Pegg ...
'' as well as many Hollywood trailers. The original Pigeonhed version is featured in ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...
'', '' Very Bad Things'' and '' The Horse Whisperer''. In 1996, Pell Mell were dropped. "Nothing Lies Still Long" was used in weekly episodes of '' Six Feet Under''. Other tracks from their last album ''Starcity'' were featured in ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO, based on Sex and the City (newspaper column), the newspaper column and 1996 book by Candace Bushnell. It premiered in th ...
''. Other 1990's work include recording sessions with
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, on January 1, 1988, following the demise of Green River (band), Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner (guitari ...
, Geraldine Fibbers, Low,
Soul Coughing Soul Coughing is an American alternative rock band composed of vocalist/guitarist Mike Doughty (also known as M. Doughty), keyboardist/sampler Mark Degli Antoni, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, and drummer Yuval Gabay. They developed a devout fa ...
, Damien Jurado, Lois, Agents of Good Roots, Maktub,
Joan Osborne Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues, and country. She is best kn ...
, The Halo Benders, and Heather Duby. His third solo album, ''999 Levels of Undo'', arrived in early 2001 on Sub Pop. In the 2000s Fisk produced more records for Heather Duby and Maktub as well as solo work with
Reggie Watts Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, musician, beatboxer, and actor. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. He refers to himself as a "disinfo ...
. Reunion records for
The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, by members of The Lost Pandas. The band has been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member. Closely linked to the C86 scene ...
and
Harvey Danger Harvey Danger was an American indie/alternative rock band. It was formed in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, by Aaron Huffman and Jeff J. Lin, who were both journalism students at the University of Washington. Drummer Evan Sult and singer Sean N ...
. Major label records for Midnight Movies and James Jackson Toth. Indy records with
Minus the Bear Minus the Bear are an American indie rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2001, and comprising members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound has been described as " Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics with sophi ...
, Past Lives,
Shoplifting Shoplifting (also known as shop theft, shop fraud, retail theft, or retail fraud) is the theft of goods from a retail establishment during business hours. The terms ''shoplifting'' and ''shoplifter'' are not usually defined in law, and genera ...
, Mark Pickerel, Carrie Akre, Alicia Dara, Paul Manusos and Al Larsen. In 2005 Fisk co-wrote and produced the score for the award-winning
Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
documentary '' About a Son'' with Ben Gibbard. In 2010, Fisk began work with KK and his Weathered Underground, mixing their ''Introducing'' CD, as well as solo records for members Kyle O'Quin and Thomas Hunter. Other mix work included Quasi, Bitch and The Telephantasm remix for Soundgarden. Between 2009 and 2011, Fisk composed two 16 channel ambient audio installations for the Experience Music Project's "Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses" and "Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror" exhibits. In 2015 he received the Stranger Genius award in music. In 2018 he led the mixing team for the original score of the documentary ''My Country No More'', about a North Dakota community's resistance to oil infrastructure planned for their area.


Bands produced or engineered

* Low *
The Posies The Posies were an American rock band. The band was formed in 1986 in Bellingham, Washington, United States, by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Their music has its origins in Merseybeat and the Hollies. They are influ ...
* Steven Jesse Bernstein *
Soul Coughing Soul Coughing is an American alternative rock band composed of vocalist/guitarist Mike Doughty (also known as M. Doughty), keyboardist/sampler Mark Degli Antoni, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, and drummer Yuval Gabay. They developed a devout fa ...
Woodlief, Mark. "Steve Fisk" ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' 92 (Apr 2001): 71. *
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
*
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
* Maktub * SEACATS * Special Explosion * Screaming Trees * The Halo Benders * The 360's * Train Wreck * Calvin Johnson *
The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, by members of The Lost Pandas. The band has been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member. Closely linked to the C86 scene ...
Housman, Danny. "Pigeonhed" ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' 43 (Mar 1997): 40. * Some Velvet Sidewalk * Moral Crux * Unwound * Heather Duby *
Negativland Negativland is an American experimental music band that originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1970s. The core of the band consists of Mark Hosler, David Wills (aka "The Weatherman"), Peter Conheim and Jon Leidecker (aka "Wobbly" ...
* Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground * Damien Jurado * Beat Happening''All Music Guide to Rock, 3rd Edition.'' San Francisco, CA: Backbeat, 2002. 77. *
The Geraldine Fibbers The Geraldine Fibbers were an alt-country band founded in 1994 by Carla Bozulich. Initially, band members included Bozulich, Daniel Keenan, Julie Fowells, William Tutton and Kevin Fitzgerald.Strong, Martin C.:"The Great Alternative & Indie Disc ...
*
Boss Hog Boss Hog is an American punk blues band including the husband and wife duo of Jon Spencer (guitar) and Cristina Martinez (vocals) along with Jens Jurgensen (bass), Hollis Queens (drums) and Mickey Finn (keyboard). The band achieved some noto ...
* The Blaze Brigade * 3 mile pilot *
Harvey Danger Harvey Danger was an American indie/alternative rock band. It was formed in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, by Aaron Huffman and Jeff J. Lin, who were both journalism students at the University of Washington. Drummer Evan Sult and singer Sean N ...
* Honor Hall * Thomas Hunter & White China Gold * Paul Manousos * The Unibroz *
Anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...
* grrRoPoLis * Spittin Images * Future Fridays * The Sexy Accident * Beautiful Lies * The Ghost Ease *
Car Seat Headrest Car Seat Headrest is an American indie rock band formed in Leesburg, Virginia, and currently located in Seattle, Seattle, Washington. The band consists of Will Toledo (vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizers), Ethan Ives (guitar, bass, backing voca ...
* Naked Giants * The Action Suits (featuring HATE comics creator
Peter Bagge Peter Bagge (pronounced , as in ''bag''; born December 11, 1957) is an American cartoonist whose best-known work includes the comics ''Neat Stuff'' and ''Hate (comics), Hate''. His stories often use black humor and exaggerated cartooning to drama ...
and Fantagraphics co-publisher Eric Reynolds


Solo discography

* ''Kiss This Day Goodbye'',
K Records K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, founded in 1982. Artists on the label included early releases by Beck, Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. The record label has been called "key to the development of independent mu ...
/A.R.P.H., (1983), cassette * Til the Night Closes in'', K Records/A.R.P.H., (1985), cassette * ''448 Deathless Days'',
SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was first founded in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Transmitters, a small business through which he sold elec ...
, (1987) * ''Media Warrior 543-KCMU '',(Erika records), (1988) * ''More Valley'', K Records, (1989), cassette * ''Over and Thru the Night'', K Records, (1993), compilation * ''999 Levels of Undo'',
Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
, (2001)


References


External links

*
Radio Feature
The Some Assembly Required Interview with Steve Fisk. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fisk, Steve Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American rock musicians K Records artists Sub Pop artists Musicians from Washington (state) Record producers from Washington (state) Pigeonhed members Evergreen State College alumni The Halo Benders members