At the age of five, he began classical piano lessons. At the age of 11, he began playing jazz saxophone. By high school, he was playing as a jazz pianist sideman in Seattle, and was also the DJ in a local hiphop crew. He attended NYU jazz performance program with concentration in Piano, where he jammed in his dorm room with Bosco Mann. He studied with Frank Kimbrough, Arturo O'Farrill and Don Friedman. He has been a keyboard sideman with Sam Sparro, Lisa Shaw, Kat DeLuna, Rahzel, Orchestra Clave, Miguel Migs and DJ Colette.[12][8]
Film
In 2018, Tim K scored JT Leroy starring Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern. The film is a biographical drama film that tells the story of Laura Albert, a woman who wrote and published a series of books under the pseudonym JT LeRoy, a young transgender man. The score featured an avant garde small ensemble woodwind score. [13]
Tim K has produced records in variety of electronic music styles, often with jazz influences.[19]
In 2017, he produced Sam Sparro's "Christmas In Blue"[20] EP, which featured some classic carols in a vintage 1960s jazz style production.[21] The independently release EP reached No. 25 on the Billboard Jazz Chart.[22]
He has been a longtime producer and songwriter for DJ Colette, for whom he produced three albums.[23] When writing, he often starts with a melodic keyboard part and builds drums, and vocal melodies around it.[24] Her "Italo-disco-owing" and "indelible electro" album When The Music's Loud, featuring all compositions co-written and many produced by Tim K, was released in September 2013.[25][26] The album was named by Vice as one of the 99 Greatest Dance Albums of all time.[27] The album was also named as one of Billboard 's Top 20 Dance albums of 2013.[28]
In December 2013, he produced and co-wrote debut single "War Of Hearts" for artist Russell Taylor, helping him win VH1 Artist You Oughta Know award, which he performed live December 2, 2013 on Big Morning Buzz Live.[29]
A longtime vintage recording technique aficionado, using vintage microphones, techniques, tape and James Brown's old mixer, he recorded Shoshana Bean's second album O'Farrell Street in 2012 at North Hollywood.[30] With JT Donaldson, in 2012 Tim K also produced underground hip hop group Hawthorne Headhunter's "Sum People Don't Change" from their debut LP Myriad of Now on Plug Research.[31] Tim K lent a hand to The System's 2012 release for beatmaker David Frank's production "Mother Ungh Ungh", providing some "stutter" style edit of Mic Murphy's vocals.[32]
In 2011, with Fab Dupont Tim K co-produced, played vintage keyboards and added additional production to many of the tracks on Les Nubians' Nu Revolution album.[33]
In 2010, Tim K co-produced Dâm-Funk's Hood Pass Intact's "highlight" track "How It Be Between You and Me" on Stones Throw Records. The album received a favorable Pitchfork rating.[34] Later in the year, a track he produced, "Stressin'" featuring Kissey was selected for Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz compilation, volume 7.[35] Also in 2010, Tim K produced the lead single "Slow Recovery" for Lucy Woodward's Hooked album for Verve Records.[36]
Tim K is currently working a collaborative project, Tiny Hearts with producer Waajeed and vocalist Dede Reynolds.[39] Their debut EP Stay will be released on Detroit's Dirt Tech Reck label.[40] Their initial video "Centerfold" was released in September 2013.[41] A live performance of Tiny Hearts was featured on Boilerroom.tv.[42] His composition for the group, "Snow Cold", was featured on NPR's Here and Now late in 2013.[43]
Commercial and other work
Friskies tapped Tim K to compose music for its "Adventureland" Campaign, featured in the Winter Olympics, as well as in 3D at movie theatre venues across the US.[9][44][45] The 9 commercial campaign featured singer Deanne Reynolds of Tiny Hearts. The commercial was listed as Advertising Age's Ad of the week.[46] In 2013, Tim K composed the music for Nike's KDV shoe release.[47]
