Amir Derakh
 |
Amir Derakh | |
|---|---|
 Amir performing a live show with Julien-K | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Amir Davidson |
| Born | June 20, 1963 Schenectady, New York |
| Origin | New York, United States |
| Genres | Heavy metal, glam metal, hard rock, alternative rock, electronic rock, indietronica, alternative dance, dance rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | guitar, synthesizer |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros., Metropolis, Circuit Freq Records, Level 7, Tiefdruck-Musik |
| Website | amirderakh.com |
Amir Davidson (stage-named Amir Derakh), (born June, 20, 1963) is an American musician. He is currently the guitarist and the synthesizer player for the band Julien-K, and guitarist for the band Dead by Sunrise. He was once a guitar/synthesizer player in the rock band Orgy, and has also played guitar in the bands Rough Cutt and Jailhouse.
Career
After graduating in 1981 from Mission Bay High School in San Diego, California, Derakh played lead guitar for local bands Armed & Ready and Emerald. He moved to Los Angeles to replace Craig Goldy in Rough Cutt. He made a guest appearance on Crazy Town's album, The Gift of Game. Julien-K released a remix of Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington's solo song "Morning After" which appeared exclusively on the soundtrack for the 2006 film, Underworld: Evolution. Derakh describes the sound of Julien-K as Depeche Mode meets Chemical Brothers.
Derakh performed backing for Bennington when he performed the song "Let Down" during 2005's ReAct Now: Music & Relief televised concert. He also made an appearance in the 2003 version of the film Freaky Friday and has worked with many other bands, including Coal Chamber and Red Tape.
Personal life
Derakh is of Iranian, Irish, Austrian, Hungarian, and Russian ancestry. He attended UCLA and earned his certificate in producing/engineering.[1]
Derakh is an avid guitar designer. He has worked with Grover Jackson of Jackson Guitars and has personally designed several of the guitars he currently plays (the most famous being The Disruptor). One of his motivations for designing his own guitars is his desire to create something unique yet functional, and having the public wonder "Wow, what is that guy playing?"
Derakh has a son named Michael Melody Davidson.[2]
According to Metal Sludge, his stage name is meant to imply the phrase "I'm Here to Rock," with the spelling of the last name as a tribute to his Iranian heritage.
Discography (Producer/Engineer/Mixing and Arranging)
- Beta Test - Movie Score/Soundtrack - 2016
- Julien-K - California Noir, Chapter One - Analog Beaches & Digital Cities - producer/engineer/mixer - 2015
- Mumiy Troll - Pirate Copies - co-producer/engineer/mixer - various tracks - 2015 - #1 Russian Album
- Matt's Chance - Movie Score/Soundtrack - 2014
- Mumiy Troll - SOS Matrosu - co-producer/engineer/mixer/remixer - various tracks - 2013 - #1 Russian Album
- Julien-K - We're Here With You - producer/engineer - 2012
- Sonic Generations Original Soundtrack: Blue Blur - Soundtrack - producer/engineer/mixer for Circuit Freq - Sega - 2011
- True Colors: The Best of Sonic the Hedgehog Part 2 - Soundtrack - producer/engineer/mixer for Julien-K - Sega - 2009
- Dead by Sunrise - Out of Ashes - pre-production & engineering - Warner Bros. - 2009
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (video game) - producer/engineer/mixer for Julien-K score - Activision - 2009
- Julien-K - Death to Analog - producer/engineer/mixer - 2009
- Transformers - soundtrack - producer/engineer for Julien-K - Warner Bros. - 2007
- Underworld: Evolution - soundtrack - producer/engineer/mixer for Chester Bennington vs. Julien-K - Sony - 2007
- Shadow the Hedgehog - soundtrack - producer/engineer/mixer for Julien-K - Sega - 2005
- Orgy - Punk Statik Paranoia - co-producer/engineer - D1 - 2004
- Red Tape - Radioactivist - producer/mixer - roadrunner - 2004
- Sonic Heroes - Soundtrack - producer/engineer/mixer for Julien-K - Sega - 2004
- Freaky Friday - Soundtrack - producer/engineer for Halo Friendlies - Hollywood - 2003 - Gold
- Coal Chamber - Giving the Devil His Due - engineer/mixer - Roadrunner -2003
- Coal Chamber - Dark Days - pre-production & song arrangements - Roadrunner - 2002
- Valentine - pre-production & engineering - Warner Bros. - 2001
- Zoolander - Soundtrack - co-producer/engineer/mixer for Orgy - Hollywood - 2001
- Spineshank - The Height of Callousness - pre-production & song arrangements - Roadrunner - 2000 - Grammy Award Nominated
- Scream 3 - Soundtrack - remixer for Orgy - Wind-Up - 2000 - Gold
- Orgy - Vapor Transmission - co-producer/engineer - Reprise - 2000 - Gold
- Danzig - Satan's Child - mixer - E-Magine - 1999
- Coal Chamber - Chamber Music - mixer - Roadrunner - 1999
- Spineshank - Strictly Diesel - producer/engineer/mixer - Roadrunner - 1998
- Orgy - Candyass - co-producer/engineer - Reprise - 1998 - Platinum
- Strangeland - soundtrack - mixer for Coal Chamber - TVT - 1998
- Bride of Chucky - soundtrack - mixer for Coal Chamber - CMC - 1998
- Rod Stewart tribute album - Forever Mod - Portrait of a Storyteller - producer/engineer/mixer/arranger - DeRock - 1997
- Coal Chamber - Coal Chamber - engineer/mixer - Roadrunner - 1997 - Gold
- Eels - Beautiful Freak - engineer - DreamWorks - 1996 - Gold - Grammy Award Nominated
References
- ^ Amirshrine.tripod.com
- ^ Popgurls.com Archived March 17, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Self-description
- Amir Derakh at IMDb
- PopGurls Interview: Amir Derakh
- All About Amir
- Farm2.static.flickr.com
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
- 1963 births
- Living people
- American rock guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American record producers
- American people of Iranian descent
- American people of Austrian descent
- American people of Hungarian descent
- American people of Russian descent
- American people of Irish descent
- Rough Cutt members
- Julien-K
- Dead by Sunrise
- Orgy (band) members
- University of California, Los Angeles alumni