Randall Dunn

Last updated

Randall Dunn
Randall Dunn.jpg
Dunn c. 2018
Background information
Origin Michigan, U.S.
Genres Rock, jazz, heavy metal
Occupation(s)Record producer, audio engineer, musician
Years active1990s–present

David Brian Wilson (born February 7, 1963) is an American record producer, songwriter, and composer known for his genre-blending work across alternative rock, pop, hip hop, and experimental music. Over a four-decade career, he has collaborated with a wide range of artists, produced charting singles, and developed a distinctive sound characterized by layered arrangements, atmospheric textures, and unconventional production techniques.

Contents

Wilson first gained attention as a member of David and the Giants, contributing to the band’s transition from mainstream rock to contemporary Christian music in the 1980s. In addition to his work as a multi-instrumentalist and producer for the group, he later established himself as an independent producer, working with emerging and established acts while expanding into film and television scoring.

His music has appeared in several feature films, documentaries, and television series, and he has released multiple solo albums showcasing his interest in ambient, orchestral, and electronic sound design. Wilson’s projects continue to span multiple genres, reflecting his reputation as a versatile collaborator and creative producer.

As a music producer, he has worked with artists and filmmakers including Danny Elfman, Jim Jarmusch, Panos Cosmatos, Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie, Guillermo Del Toro, Björk, Oneohtrix Point Never, Thurston Moore, Zola Jesus, Algiers, Sunn O))), SQÜRL, Six Organs of Admittance, Marissa Nadler, Boris, Anna Von Hausswolff, Pallbearer, Oren Ambarchi, Eyvind Kang, The Cave Singers, Akron/Family, Earth, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Jesse Sykes, among others. [1] Pitchfork has described him as "a go-to producer for metal but also for indie acts looking to add more edge and atmosphere." [2]

Early life

Originally from Michigan, Dunn moved to Seattle in 1993 to explore his interest in film music. [3] He attended the Art Institute of Seattle to study sound design for film, [4] and formed connections with local musicians, including Skerik and Matt Chamberlain. [5] In an interview, Dunn stated, "I'm sort of a frustrated filmmaker that turned into a record producer. The people I met when I moved here spun me in a way that sent me down this path of treating sound the way I would have treated film." [6]

During his studies he received practical experience at Hanzsek Studios under the instruction of Jack Endino. [3] He gradually became involved in the recording and producing of sessions. [7]

Career

Early Career / Record producer

As a fan of the band Naked City, Dunn contacted keyboardist Wayne Horvitz in Seattle who introduced him to Eyvind Kang. [7] Dunn received his first credit for a session with Eyvind Kang, resulting in the piece "5th NADE/Invisible Man" on the 7 NADEs album released in 1996. [8] His involvement resulted in a long-term friendship with Kang, through whom he met a number of musicians, mostly in the jazz-rock genre. [7] Dunn was later introduced to the engineer Mell Dettmer and together they founded Aleph Studios. [3]

In 1998 he engineered the live portion of the album Bumpa by Critters Buggin, [9] while he received a writing credit for his involvement with Mr. Birdy's Fryday by the Rockin' Teenage Combo. [10] In 2001 he worked together with trumpet player Lesli Dalaba and guitarist Bill Horist, releasing the ambient album Zahir. [11] [12] He engineered Kang's 2002 album Live Low to the Earth, in the Iron Age. [13]

In 2005, he was credited as an engineer on the Impaled album Death After Life released through Century Media. [14] In the same year, Dunn met Dylan Carlson of the band Earth in Seattle and recorded their fourth album, Hex; or Printing in the Infernal Method at Aleph Studios. [15]

After hearing his work with Asva, Stephen O'Malley contacted Dunn to produce the collaborative album between Sunn O))) and Boris, Altar. [1] This began a long relationship with the band doing live sound and producing several of their albums including Monoliths & Dimensions and Kannon. [16]

In 2010, Dunn and Omar Souleyman entered the legendary ADA studio in Istanbul to record and produce a remix of Björk's "Crystalline” which was released on her third remix album, Bastards , in 2012. [17] In the same session, Dunn recorded a full-length Omar Souleyman album, which was not released.

Dunn began an ongoing collaboration with Native American glass artist Preston Singletary, whose work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Singletary and Bernie Worrell (of Talking Heads and Funkadelic) began recording as Khu.éex’ under Dunn's musical direction in 2013. [18]

In 2017, Dunn entered the studio with Myrkur, producing her second album Mareridt. [19]

In 2018, Dunn produced Anna Von Hausswolff's fourth studio album, Dead Magic . The album was critically well received with reviews highlighting Dunn's attention to capturing her vocal performance. [20] [21] Later that year, Dunn produced Cloud Nothings' fifth studio album, Last Building Burning.

The Association of Danish Music Critics nominated Randall Dunn for Producer of the Year in 2018 for his work with Sort Sol, Myrkur, and Childrenn. [22]

Following the release of Panos Cosmatos' Mandy, Dunn and Cosmatos conceived a fictional record made by the character Jeremiah Sand. Along with Milky Burgess, Dunn produced and co-wrote Jeremiah Sand's Lift It Down, which was issued by Sacred Bones in 2018. Pitchfork described the record as “[...] a forged artifact, an album recorded largely because those who created it had so much fun inhabiting its outlandish world.” The record featured Angel Deradoorian, Tad Doyle, Faith Coloccia (Mamiffer), Monika Knot (Zen Mother), and Marissa Nadler. [23]

On November 9, 2018, Dunn released his first solo studio album titled Beloved. It featured guest vocals from Frank Fisher of Algiers and Zola Jesus. [24]

Dunn produced American doom metal band Pallbearer's fourth album in 2020, Forgotten Days , which was released by Nuclear Blast and described by Consequence of Sound as "Perhaps the best doom metal album of 2020". [25]

In 2020, Dunn opened the studio Circular Ruin, along with Ben Greenberg and Arjan Miranda. Circular Ruin took its name after the eponymous Jorge Luis Borges story in which a surreal plot is revealed to have been dreamed. Dunn likens the act of music making to mystical themes within the Borges text; the group founded the studio as an invocation of a collective, metaphysical, and medicinal approach to music. Signifying this influence, the studio's logo is derived from the Jungian maze. [26] [27]

Dunn and Ben Greenberg co-produced Algiers’ third studio album There Is No Year , issued by Matador Records in 2020. AllMusic described the record as “[...] extend[ing] the reach of their previous outings while offering a more strategically articulated, disciplined musicality without sacrificing their core sound or blunting their emotional impact.” [28]

Dunn produced Zola Jesus’ sixth studio album Arkhon, issued by Sacred Bones in 2022. The record featured drums by Matt Chamberlain, and was hailed by Pitchfork as “[...]a pleasantly shapeless record [... that] widens the scope of her music while retaining its primal, gothic spirit.” [29]

Dunn produced Silver Haze, the first full-length record from SQÜRL (Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan), featuring performances from Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anika, and Mark Ribot. It will be released on May 5, 2023 by Sacred Bones. [30]

Danny Elfman's 2020 single "Happy," his first solo pop single in nearly forty years, featured mixing by Dunn, as well as additional synth design. [31]

Master Musicians of Bukkake

In addition to his work as a producer and engineer, Dunn is a keyboardist and founding member of the experimental group, Master Musicians of Bukkake. [32] Dunn described the project as "a way to escape how I make music in the studio when I'm doing records for people". [7]

In 2004, alongside his bandmates, Dunn wrote, arranged and produced the first Master Musicians of Bukkake record, The Visible Sign of the Invisible Order. The album was released on Sun City Girls' label, Abduction Records and featured the musicians Eryn Young (vocals), James Davis, Don McGreevy, Alan Bishop, Charlie Gocher, and John Schuller. [33]

Film and television

Randall Dunn’s work in film and television extends his experimental production sensibilities into scoring, sound design, and collaborations with filmmakers. His projects include composing original scores, engineering recordings, and producing music for both independent and mainstream productions.

Film scores

• 2007 – Recorded several songs with Sun City Girls for the soundtrack to Harmony Korine’s ‘‘Mister Lonely’’. "Randall Dunn". IMDb. Retrieved March 17, 2023. • 2014 – Collaborated with Oren Ambarchi and Stephen O’Malley on the short film ‘‘Kairos’’ by Belgian filmmaker Alexis Destoop; released as ‘‘Shade Themes from Kairos’’ (Drag City, 2014). "Oren Ambarchi / Stephen O'Malley / Randall Dunn: Shade Themes From Kairos Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 31, 2018. • 2018 – Co-produced and composed additional music for Panos Cosmatos’ film ‘‘Mandy’’ alongside Jóhann Jóhannsson. The score won multiple awards for Best Original Score at the 2019 Austin Film Critics Association Awards, 2019 Fangoria Chain Saw Awards, and 2018 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards; also nominated by the Chicago Film Critics Association and Hollywood Music in Media Awards. "Jóhann Jóhannsson's Mandy Soundtrack, His Final Work, to Be Released". Pitchfork. July 12, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018. • 2021 – Produced Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe’s score for Nia DaCosta’s ‘‘Candyman’’, written by Jordan Peele; shortlisted for the 2022 Academy Awards in Best Original Score. "Oscars: 'Candyman' Marks the Rare Horror Film to Compete for Best Original Score". Variety. January 10, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2023. • 2022–2023 – Produced Robert Ouyang Rusli’s score for Julio Torres’ debut film ‘‘Problemista’’ (A24, 2023). "Robert Ouyang Rusli Scoring Julio Torres' 'Problemista'" . Retrieved March 17, 2023.

Television work

• 2022 – Principal composer for the series ‘‘Salvage Marines’’ (with Úlfur Hansson). "Salvage Marines (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved March 17, 2023. • 2022 – Co-composed the score for ‘‘The Way of the Psychonaut’’, a documentary on Stanislav Grof. "The Way of the Psychonaut: Stanislav Grof's Journey of Consciousness (2020) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved March 17, 2023. • 2022 – Musical director and producer for Daniel Lopatin’s score to ‘‘The Viewing’’, part of Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘‘Cabinet of Curiosities’’; contributed additional synthesizer arrangements. "Cast & Crew for Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities 1x07 "The Viewing"" . Retrieved March 17, 2023. • 2023 – Produced the score for Showtime series ‘‘The Curse’’ (Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie), composed by jazz keyboardist John Medeski. "Nathan Fielder & Benny Safdie's 'The Curse' Being Scored By John Medeski & 0PN". January 18, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.

Collaborations

• Dunn produced the Khu.éex’ score for the documentary on the life and work of Preston Singletary, combining his experimental music approach with cultural storytelling. "Khu.éex' Band Interview: Uplifting Alaska Native Culture with Genre-Defying Musical Fluidity". REDEFINE magazine. January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.

Style

Randall Dunn’s production style is characterized by a willingness to blend heavy, experimental, and ambient textures with rich atmospheric layering, often achieved through a hybrid approach that incorporates both analog and digital recording techniques.Autre Magazine. “Friday Playlist Honoring Producer Randall Dunn.” 2016. [34]

Critics and collaborators have noted Dunn’s ability to move fluidly across genres — from drone and doom-metal through his work with Sunn O))), Earth, and Wolves in the Throne Room, to avant-folk and experimental rock through collaborations with Marissa Nadler and Anna von Hausswolff — often injecting “edge and atmosphere” into indie and underground acts.New Noise Magazine. “Randall Dunn Discusses His First Solo Effort ‘Beloved’.” Interview, 2018. [35]

Dunn has described his creative philosophy as treating the studio like a cinematic or sculptural environment, approaching production much like film sound design — emphasizing mood, spatial depth, texture, and emotional resonance rather than polished, clinical mixes.NPR. “Randall Dunn Creates a Surging Space on His Solo Debut ‘Beloved’.” 2018. [36]

He has stated in interviews that he often prefers receiving “rough demos” rather than polished pre-produced tracks, believing that unrefined material gives him more freedom to craft a unique sonic identity for each project.Self-Titled Magazine. “A Studio Visit With Randall Dunn.” 2019. [37]

His influences are broad and eclectic, ranging from avant-garde electronic music to free improvisation and ambient soundscapes. In his solo work, Dunn channels these influences to create music driven by emotional depth, texture, and sonic exploration rather than conventional structures or genre boundaries.Pitchfork. Review of “Beloved,” 2018. [38]

Because of his versatility, Dunn is often sought out by artists looking to push sonic limits — combining heaviness, atmosphere, and subtlety, or creating moods that are cinematic without sacrificing intensity or emotional grounding.Resident Advisor. Feature: “Inside Randall Dunn’s Sound World.” 2017.

When being offered to produce someone, Dunn prefers "people to send the roughest demos possible rather than more elaborate ones. And I try to see if it's music that I – or my aesthetics – can work with. Like, with their vision, and the end goal". [7] He also pointed out that "people themselves are a really big thing for me. I just try to find people that you can spend ten days with in a small room, still enjoy each other's music and company, and be collaborative". [7] As a musician, Dunn described himself "as an arranger in the studio. (...) You have to think several steps ahead as a musician – tuning, performance, rhythm – you have to think about all these layers of how sounds work". [7]

On several occasions, Dunn has expressed a preference for the use of analog recording equipment: "I'm not a huge fan of the predictability of digitally processed music. But when you combine it with analog, you can get a cool medium. I rarely mix in the box [i.e., entirely digitally], or use Pro Tools [a common computerized editing software] to do mixes. Everything is hands-on with faders. I'll start with tape—if it's a rock band, recording to 16-track two-inch tape. It's a beautiful sound you don't hear much of any more. I like the hybrid approach with the soul of tape and the precision of digital." [6]

Dunn credits his open approach in the studio as being influenced by his studies of Buddhism and psychology. [7]

Discography

Solo studio albums

Collaborative albums

As Master Musicians of Bukkake

Production credits

References

  1. 1 2 "Randall Dunn – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Oren Ambarchi / Stephen O'Malley / Randall Dunn: Shade Themes From Kairos Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Barr, Brian J. (July 17, 2007). "There's More to Randall Dunn's Resume Than Beards, Cloaks, and Fog Machines". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  4. ↑ Cody, Brent (May 19, 2014). "Interview". bombmagazine.org. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  5. ↑ Kostelnik, Alex (August 2016). "Randall Dunn: Supporting Superstitions". tapeop.com. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Moorman, Trent. "The Master Musicians of Bukkake Man Talks Gateways, Mating, Electromagnetics, and the Cistern in Istanbul Where Sound Restores". The Stranger. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stannard, Joseph (March 11, 2014). "Interview: Randall Dunn on Producing Marissa Nadler, Eyvind Kang and Master Musicians Of Bukkake". redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Eyvind Kang – 7 NADEs". Discogs. 1996. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Critters Buggin – Bumpa". Discogs. August 25, 1998. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Rockin' Teenage Combo – Mr. Birdy's Fryday". Discogs. 1999. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Lesli Dalaba, Bill Horist, Randall Dunn – Zahir". Discogs. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Le blog du Webzine Musique(s): Dalaba, Horist, Dunn – Zahir". webzinemusique.blogspot.co.uk (in French). May 4, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Eyvind Kang – Live Low to the Earth, In The Iron Age". Discogs. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Impaled – Death After Life". Discogs. January 28, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Earth (2) – Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method". Discogs. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Randal Dunn by Brent Cody - BOMB Magazine". bombmagazine.org. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  17. ↑ "The Quietus | Features | A Quietus Interview | Remembering Syria: Mark Gergis Of Sublime Frequencies Interviewed". The Quietus. October 17, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  18. ↑ 華婷婷, Vee Hua (January 17, 2023). "Khu.éex' Band Interview: Uplifting Alaska Native Culture with Genre-Defying Musical Fluidity". REDEFINE magazine - music art film journalism - reviews, interviews, features. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  19. ↑ "MYRKUR Enters The Studio With Randall Dunn To Record New Album".
  20. ↑ "Album Of The Week: Anna Von Hausswolff's 'Dead Magic'". Vinyl Me Please. March 5, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  21. ↑ Prog, Natasha Scharf 2018-02-28T17:30:00 580Z (February 28, 2018). "Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic album review". Prog Magazine. Retrieved January 3, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "Her er de nominerede til Steppeulven 2018". gaffa.dk (in Danish). December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  23. ↑ "How Did the Fake Cult Leader From the Movie Mandy Make a Real Album?". Pitchfork. November 23, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Beloved, by Randall Dunn". Randall Dunn. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  25. ↑ Hadusek, Jon (October 23, 2020). "Pallbearer forge ahead with emotionally charged doom on Forgotten Days: Review". Consequence. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  26. ↑ Segal, Dave. "The Candyman Soundtrack Sounds Like an Epic Series of Unspeakable, Infernal Sonic Events Triggered by Unfathomable Nightmares". The Stranger. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  27. ↑ "We talked with Zola Jesus about her brilliant new album, working with Randall Dunn and Matt Chamberlain, dreams, life and more…". MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine. August 25, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  28. ↑ Algiers - There Is No Year Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic , retrieved March 17, 2023
  29. ↑ "Zola Jesus: Arkhon". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Squrl - Silver Haze - (Vinyl LP, CD)". Rough Trade. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  31. ↑ Grow, Kory (October 29, 2020). "Hear Danny Elfman's First Solo Pop Single in Nearly 40 Years, 'Happy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Randall Dunn | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Master Musicians of Bukkake – The Visible Sign of the Invisible Order". Discogs. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  34. ↑ Stannard, Joseph. "Interview: Randall Dunn on Producing Marissa Nadler, Eyvind Kang and Master Musicians Of Bukkake". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Oren Ambarchi / Stephen O'Malley / Randall Dunn: Shade Themes From Kairos Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  36. ↑ Moorman, Trent. "The Master Musicians of Bukkake Man Talks Gateways, Mating, Electromagnetics, and the Cistern in Istanbul Where Sound Restores". The Stranger. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  37. ↑ Stannard, Joseph. "Interview: Randall Dunn on Producing Marissa Nadler, Eyvind Kang and Master Musicians Of Bukkake". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  38. ↑ Stannard, Joseph. "Interview: Randall Dunn on Producing Marissa Nadler, Eyvind Kang and Master Musicians Of Bukkake". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Steve Von Till Releasing A Life Unto Itself in May | Ghost Cult Magazine". March 12, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Headwaves, by Headwaves". Headwaves. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
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