David Lawrence Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. He was the founding bassist of the band Mercury Rev, which he was a member of from 1989 to 2001, although he stopped touring with the band in 1993.
As a producer, he is best known for albums such as The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin (1999) and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002), Sleater-Kinney's The Woods (2005) and MGMT's Oracular Spectacular (2007).
Career From 1990 onwards he co-produced most releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips. Other bands he has worked with include Weezer, Saxon Shore, Neon Indian, Wolf Gang, Ammonia, Ed Harcourt, Sparklehorse, Creeper Lagoon, Café Tacuba, Creaming Jesus, Elf Power, Mogwai, Thursday, Longwave, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, The Delgados, Low, OK Go, Phantom Planet, Gemma Hayes, Ava Luna, Tame Impala, Goldrush, Tapes 'n Tapes, Baroness, MGMT and Magdalena Bay.
As a musician, Fridmann was the bassist and a founding member of Mercury Rev. He gave up his role as a touring member of the band in 1993 to concentrate on producing other artists. In 2001, Fridmann was included on MOJO's 100 Sonic Visionaries list and was described as "the Phil Spector of the Alt-Rock era". In 2007, he received a Grammy for The Flaming Lips' At War With The Mystics at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical).Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical In 2010, three Fridmann-produced albums were listed on the Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums of The Decade: MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, and Sleater-Kinney's The Woods.
Fridmann is an occasional faculty member of SUNY Fredonia, teaching sound recording techniques in the Fredonia School of Music.
In 2017, Fridmann became the director for the Western New York Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps, where he plays the bass drum. The group disbanded in 2022.
Discography As producer Release year Album Artist1990In a Priest Driven AmbulanceThe Flaming Lips1991Yerself Is Steam Mercury Rev1992Hit To Death In The Future HeadThe Flaming Lips1993Boces Mercury Rev 1994Syrup MacrameRadial SpangleChaos For The ConvertedCreaming Jesus 1995See You on the Other SideMercury RevClouds Taste MetallicThe Flaming Lips 1996RevelaterJennyanykindPinkerton (engineer)Weezer 1997ZaireekaThe Flaming LipsSouls For SaleVerbena 1998Deserter's Songs Mercury RevEleventh Avenue Ammonia 1999XIVHomeThe Soft BulletinThe Flaming LipsHope and AdamsWheatSchool Girl Distortional AddictNumber GirlA Dream in Sound Elf PowerCome on Die YoungMogwai 2000The Great Eastern The DelgadosSappukeiNumber Girl 2001Rock ActionMogwaiIt's a Wonderful LifeSparklehorseAll Is DreamMercury RevWithout a PlanBodega 2002Yoshimi Battles the Pink RobotsThe Flaming LipsNum-HeavymetallicNumber GirlRomanticaLunaHate The Delgados 2003The Strangest ThingsLongwaveSongs for DustmitesSteve BurnsPer Second, Per Second, Per Second... Every SecondWheatNight on My SideGemma HayesDrveće i rijeke (Trees and Rivers)Pips, Chips & VideoclipsCuatro Caminos Café TacubaBad TimingGrand Mal2004Phantom PlanetPhantom Planet 2005The Exquisite Death of Saxon ShoreSaxon ShoreThe WoodsSleater-KinneyThe Secret MigrationMercury RevThe Great Destroyer Low 2006The Philosophy of VelocityBrazilDreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a MountainSparklehorseA City by the Light Divided ThursdayAt War With The MysticsThe Flaming Lips 2007Some Loud Thunder Clap Your Hands Say YeahDrums and GunsLowOracular SpectacularMGMT 2008Zazen Boys 4Zazen BoysWalk It OffTapes 'N TapesSnowflake MidnightMercury RevChristmas on Mars The Flaming Lips 2009EmbryonicEating UsBlack Moth Super RainbowCommon Existence Thursday 2010Innerspeaker (mixing)Tame ImpalaThe Wild TrapezeBrandon BoydOf the Blue Colour of the SkyOK Go 2011Era ExtrañaNeon Indian180/365OK GoSuego FaultsWolf GangFlux OutsideRoyal BangsNo DevoluciónThursday 2012Lonerism (mixing)Tame ImpalaHello HumWintersleepIn the Belly of the Brazen BullThe Cribs 2013MGMTMGMTThe TerrorThe Flaming Lips 2014They Want My Soul SpoonOnly RunClap Your Hands Say YeahHungry GhostsOK GoDizzy HeightsNeil Finn 2015English GraffitiThe VaccinesPermanenceNo DevotionPurpleBaroness 2017Oczy MlodyThe Flaming LipsHot Thoughts SpoonThe TouristClap Your Hands Say YeahEvery Country's SunMogwaiMismo Sitio, Distinto LugarVetusta Morla 2018Little Dark AgeMGMTHuman Music Solomon GreyMarauderInterpolThis Is EgglandThe Lovely Eggs 2019Gold & GreyBaronessHow To Work A RoomSuperet 2020I Am MoronThe Lovely EggsLove Is An ArtVanessa Carlton2021As the Love ContinuesMogwai 2024Loss Of LifeMGMTGLOOM DIVISIONI DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND MEImaginal Disk (mixing)Magdalena BayWild God (mixing)Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 2025And the Adjacent PossibleOK GoAnywayAnamanaguchi2026Hotel UsonaProtomartyr
References
External links Dave Fridmann Tarbox Road Studios