The Australian music community is in mourning as news broke that ARIA-winning producer and sound engineer Tony Cohen passed away in a Dandenong hospital this week. He was aged 60.
Born in Melbourne, he was sill in his teens when he worked alongside Ian “Molly” Meldrum on sessions for pop bands Supernaut and The Ferrets.
But Coen came into his own working on records that went onto help shape the sound of the Australian ‘80s and ‘90s independent scene.
These included Nick Cave’s various bands, as well as The Cruel Sea (he won an ARIA award for The Honeymoon is Over), The Moodists, The Go-Betweens. Hunters & Collectors, The Models, TISM. Kim Salmon & The Surrealists, Paul Kelly, The Blackeyed Susans, Mick Harvey, and Frenzal Rhomb.
Overseas bands used him to get that sound for their own records, and for a time he lived in Germany.
Cruel Sea bassist Ken Gormley posted, “The Cruel Sea owe so much of our success to his inspired vision of our wonderful trilogy together.”
He added, “I’ll always remember Tony… in the studio, raving with mad yarns, crapping on about hilarious stupid shit, or swearing like a filthy pirate. And amid the chaos, coming up with genius mixes.
“He was funny and sweet, complex, super intelligent, irreverent, totally maddening and just brilliant. And gone too soon. We’ll all miss him.”
Former Birthday Party drummer Phill Calvert ,said, “I hope there is a giant console heaven with all the outboard gear he could ever wish for. Maybe the big cheque is there too?”
Via Beat Mag