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YouTube remix pioneer and multi-instrumentalist
Created ThruYOU in 2009, an innovative online music video project that remixed unrelated YouTube videos into original compositions, earning recognition as one of Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009.
Kutiman is an Israeli musician, composer, producer and animator who gained worldwide recognition in 2009 for his groundbreaking ThruYOU project, which remixed unrelated YouTube videos into original compositions that attracted over 10 million views in two weeks. Time Magazine named ThruYOU one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2009. He has released 7 albums and created viral audio-visual portraits of cities including Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Jerusalem, and New York.
Born in Jerusalem and raised in Zichron Yaacov, Kutiman started piano lessons at age 6 and learned drums and guitar at 14. He studied jazz at Rimon Music College in Tel Aviv, then spent 9 months in Jamaica in 2003 working with Stephen and Damien Marley. While working at a Tel Aviv convenience store, he discovered college radio playing Afrobeat and funk, which changed his musical direction away from classical jazz.
His father, Haim Kutiel, is a climatologist and professor emeritus of geography at the University of Haifa. His mother, Pua Bar, is an ecologist and professor at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Kutiman was deeply influenced by artists like James Brown, Fela Kuti, and King Crimson after his return from Jamaica.
Worked for 2 months straight on ThruYOU barely eating or sleeping, just working day and night without seeing friends or family
His debut album Kutiman received an 8.2 rating from Pitchfork Media in 2007
Won the 2010 ACUM Prize for producing Karolina's album What Will I Do Now
Nominated for a Webby Award in 2014 for Thru Tokyo and won 2015 Webby Honoree for Thru You Too
Co-headlined a concert with DJ Shadow in Tel Aviv in 2010 performing with The Kutiman Orchestra
At first I took some drummers, before I had the idea about Thru You, I took some drummers from YouTube and I played on top of them, just for fun, you know. And then one day, just before I plugged in my guitar to play on top of a drummer from YouTube, I thought to myself, you know, maybe I can find a bass and guitar and other players on YouTube to play with this drummer.
It took me two months, but it was really intense. I barely ate, I just worked on a computer and went to sleep, day and night, and night and day, didn't see any friends, no family, not even the sun.
Signed to German music label Melting Pot Music and released first single No Groove Where I Come From
Released debut album Kutiman which received 8.2 rating from Pitchfork Media
Released ThruYOU project which gained over 10 million views in two weeks and was named one of Time Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009
Won ACUM Prize for producing Karolina's album What Will I Do Now and performed at YouTube Play grand opening at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Released Thru You Too and was nominated for Webby Award for Thru Tokyo project
Won Webby Honoree award for Thru You Too and launched record label Siyal Music
Released sophomore album 6AM and won Vibe Israel and Shorty Story award for Outstanding Content Creator in Israel