Hot Sugar (Nick Koenig)
Hot Sugar (Nick Koenig) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Nick Koenig |
| Nationality | United States |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Record producer |
| Musical career | |
 | |
| Background information | |
| Genres |
|
| Labels |
|
| Website | hotsugar |
Nick Koenig, professionally known by his stage name Hot Sugar is an American record producer, music artist, and entrepreneur.[1] He is also the owner of the Noise Collector record label. He specializes in creating associative music, that records sounds that are present in the world around and the listeners have already heard those sounds.[2][3]
He is best known for his music being featured in Broad City[4][5] and Ms. Marvel[6][7] and is known to have collaborated with Heems, Lakutis, Antwon, Chippy Nonstop, and Big Baby Gandhi.[8]
Career
During his education at film school, Sugar gained experience working as a ghost producer and creating rap beat samples. In 2009, Sugar started getting attraction in downtown NYC for composing a soundtrack for a thesis film “Strawberry-Banana”, which premiered at the National Arts Club.[9]
In 2010, while working as a musician for Dame Dash’s DD172 studios, Sugar was noticed by the directors of Kanye west: Jeen-Yuhs, Coodie & Chike. They released a video that featured Sugar’s unconventional recording techniques on their blog Creative Control. In the same year, Sugar also released a duo “Young Vipers”, with singer Son Little.[10]
The year 2011, marked the release of Sugar’s first EP, Muscle Milk, followed by producing the lead single Roots’ song “Sleep”, featured in Undun album, which was nominated for the Best Rap Album Award at the Grammy Awards. Sugar also produced Big Baby Gandhi’s lead single Been a Villain.[11][12]
In 2012, Sugar released two more EPs the Moon Money, and the Midi Murder, featuring vocals from a collection of indie rappers. The same year he also worked as a producer for Kitty’s song “Barbie Jeep”.
In 2013, Sugar released another EP Made Man,[13] and a compilation album Seductive Nightmares 1 via i-D magazine.
In 2014, Sugar released Seductive Nightmares 2 via FADER and instrumentals for his previously produced songs for vocalists via BitTorrent.
In 2015, he released his debut studio album, God’s Hand[14] on Break World Records. The album showcased his dedicated efforts to associated music, involving the recording of found sounds. Sugar has also starred in the documentary Hot Sugar’s Cold World by Adam Bhala Lough. The documentary was mentioned at the 2015 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
In 2016, Sugar designed a limited edition clothing collection in collaboration with Dover Street Market, a luxury retail company. The company hosted the release of Sugar’s Seductive Nightmares 3.
In 2017, Sugar released his musical album, The Melody of Dust,[15] in collaboration with ViacomNext. The album premiered as the first musical album released in VR at the South by South West Music Festival.
At the beginning of 2019, Sugar released his fifth EP, Mob Mentality. Later in the year, Sugar released an album called Life Support.
In 2020 Sugar released two albums, Candlelight & Torchlight. In the same year, he also produced and co-wrote an album for French pianist Vulax called Atlas.
In 2022 Hot Sugar released what he called an “epilogue” to Candlelight & Torchlight called Screenlight and his track Sinkies was featured in the pilot episode of Ms. Marvel.[16]
Hot Sugar has also directed music videos for Smashing Pumpkins' "Solara" and Marshmello and Lil Peep's "Spotlight”.
Style & influences
Sugar produces “associative music”, wherein he compiles sounds from instruments, and non-traditional places and found sounds to use in creating his own music. Sugar has been practicing these skills since he was 13 years old. In an interview with NPR, Sugar described his style as a way to capture sounds in a manner a photographer captures pictures, he believes in recording anything that seems to be poetic. Sugar is highly influenced by Kenneth Anger and John Waters owing to their innovative works and their impact on modern culture.
Discography
| S.No. | Title | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muscle Milk | 2011 | EPs |
| 2 | Moon Money | 2012 | EPs |
| 3 | Midi Murder | 2012 | EPs |
| 4 | Solid Steel Mix | 2012 | Compilation album |
| 5 | Made Man | 2013 | EPs |
| 6 | Seductive Nightmares 1 | 2013 | Compilation album |
| 7 | Seductive Nightmares 2 | 2014 | Compilation album |
| 8 | Skeletons | 2014 | Compilation album |
| 9 | God’s Hand | 2015 | Studio album |
| 10 | Seductive Nightmares 3 | 2016 | Compilation album |
| 11 | The Melody of Dust | 2017 | Studio album |
| 12 | Mob Mentality | 2019 | EPs |
| 13 | Life Support | 2019 | EPs |
| 14 | Candlelight | 2020 | Studio album |
| 15 | Torchlight | 2020 | Studio album |
| 16 | Atlas | 2020 | Studio album |
| 17 | Screenlight | 2022 | Studio album |
In the media
References
- ↑ "Hot Sugar's new Seductive Nightmares Vol 3 & Dover Street Market Collab". IMPOSE. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar Makes Music Out Of Anything And Everything". NPR.org. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Nick of All Trades". Interview Magazine. 9 April 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar on His New LP, Betrayal, 'Broad City,' and James Van Der Beek | NOISEY". web.archive.org. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Music on TV: Hot Sugar's 'Broad City' Beats - WSJ". web.archive.org. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "'Ms. Marvel' | Every Song Featured in Episode 1". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar". Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ Nast, Condé (16 November 2018). "Hot Sugar, Accused of Abuse, Sued Ricky Eat Acid and Fish Narc for Defamation". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ Jr, Ruben Perez (31 August 2022). "Hot Sugar: 4 Reasons Why People Love Him". Entertainment Rocks. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "5 Hip-Hop Producers You Need To Know (November 2013)". web.archive.org. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Premiere: Listen to Hot Sugar's "Trauma" | Complex". web.archive.org. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar – "Your Nails Look So Pretty" Video (Stereogum Premiere) - Stereogum". web.archive.org. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar "Made Man" stream | Complex". web.archive.org. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar – God's Hand | Album Reviews | Consequence of Sound". web.archive.org. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Hot Sugar's 'The Melody Of Dust' Is The Future Of Music · NYLON". web.archive.org. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ↑ "Here's Hot Sugar's Video for "The Forest Nymph That Lives Behind The School" | NOISEY". web.archive.org. 3 May 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.