Satoshi Tomiie

A house music veteran and one of the first producers to convert the Japanese to club culture, Satoshi Tomiie was a crucial third man in the Def Mix Productions team helmed by David Morales and Frankie Knuckles. Born in Tokyo in 1966, Tomiie grew interested in electronics and keyboards at an early age, and formed his first band in the early '80s. After American house music began crossing the ocean, Tomiie began DJing and producing on his own. He met house pioneer Frankie Knuckles while the two DJed at a party thrown by a Japanese cosmetics company, and was promptly hired aboard New York's Def Mix Productions collective, home of Knuckles and another house hero, David Morales. Tomiie collaborated on several dancefloor smashes during the late '80s and early '90s, including "Tears" by Underground Solution and "I'll Be Your Friend" by Robert Owens. He also began remixing all sorts of club-bound pop stars -- Michael Jackson, Madonna, Mariah Carey, David Bowie, Diana Ross and U2, among others. Though he didn't record much on his own, Tomiie issued singles under his own name as well as Level 9, Loop 7, and the Black Shells. A contract with Sony in the late '90s resulted in a flurry of new productions, including his debut album, Full Lick. A set of mix CDs representing the diversity of his DJ sets was released in 2005. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide