ShyBoy

ShyBoy debuted music from his first solo album Water on Mars during a headline performance at the Carmel Art and Film Festival.[5] Released in October 2013 and produced by ShyBoy and Mark Nubar, the album features co-writes with songwriters such as Allee Willis, Ivo Moring, David Batteau, Wendy Waldman, and others. The songs "Bird in Flight" and "Wouldn't It Be Good" were released as singles, with videos directed by filmmaker Michael Bodie[6] and produced by Loretta Ramos.[7] Songs from the Water on Mars album landed several TV placements. CNN featured "Bird in Flight" during a story about the 50th anniversary of the first spacewalk by NASA astronauts and featured the title track on Newsroom, during a special segment on NASA's definitive discovery of flowing water on Mars.[8] The HLN news series Raising America with Kyra Phillips selected one of the album's tracks, "When I Close My Eyes," as the show's theme song.

HuffPost's review of Water on Mars described the album as one that "makes a bold, tuneful impression on today's indie-pop landscape" and that it "is one of the year's smartest, not-to-be-missed debuts."[9] The Monterey County Weekly described ShyBoy's music as "a cross-pollination of RJD2, DJ Shadow and 2001: A Space Odyssey – Arnold's understated vocals quickly erupt into full-blown soulful crooning that's irresistible for eardrums."[10] Kevin Bronson's Buzzbands LA noted ShyBoy's sound as "wonderfully dramatic," and described his music as a cross between Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens, and M83.[11]

ShyBoy's second album, Lost in Space,[12] was released in 2014 and features material co-written with Emmy and Annie Award-nominated lyricist Amy Powers, multi-platinum music producer Jeff Hoeppner,[13] German electronic music composer/DJ robot koch, Emmy Award-winning composer Jim Dooley, television writer and producer Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, American Gods, Hannibal); and more. The collection contains a cover of the Donna Summer song "She Works Hard for the Money," featured on the Essential Records compilation Café de Paris, Vol. 10.[14]

ShyBoy released numerous projects in 2015: Daisy Pusher[15] EP (which included "Haven't Heard This Song in Forever," featured on the ABC show Super Fun Night, starring Rebel Wilson); a cover of Sia's "Elastic Heart" followed (recorded as a duet with Kat Robichaud of NBC's The Voice); and the Zero Gravity EP (featuring a remix by Matt Mcjunkins and The Beta Machine).

ShyBoy and multi-platinum songwriter Allee Willis (Earth, Wind & Fire's "September," The Color Purple musical) teamed up with producers Jeff Hoeppner and Mark Nubar to create several singles in 2016 and 2017. The first of these releases - a cover of "Neutron Dance" (the Grammy Award-winning song by The Pointer Sisters, written by Willis and Danny Sembello) - features an animated lyric video directed by Willis, who also illustrated the artwork for the single. HuffPost describes the remake as "an entirely new, indie-pop version of the classic single with ShyBoy’s understated tenor lilting over delicate, synth-driven grooves."[16] Three more releases followed: the originals "Can't Stay With The Pay (Ain't No Little Fairy Gonna Pop Me A Five For That Tooth)" and "He and She;" and a cover version of another one of Willis' hits, the Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield classic "What Have I Done To Deserve This?."

ShyBoy's single "Backroom" was released in October 2018, followed by the Backroom (The Remixes) EP in June 2019. Produced and arranged by ShyBoy, Jeff Hoeppner, and Mark Nubar, "Backroom" was featured in the second season of Dynasty on The CW[17] and described by TheGATE.ca as "timelessly fun" with vocals that are "slick, rich, and addictive."[18] The "Backroom" official music video (directed by Michael Bodie) was premiered by World of Wonder's WOW Presents Plus, which described it as a "gritty masterpiece."[19] In September 2020, "Backroom" was named as an Official Selection in the music video category of the 5th annual QueerX film festival (presented by Lexus and Revry). In December 2020, the Hollywood Music In Media awards officially nominated ShyBoy's "Backroom" recording for a 2021 award in the Alternative music category.[20]

ShyBoy was featured on several new releases in October 2020, including the solo single "Superhero" (his first release distributed by Symphonic Distribution); "1981," the debut single by the group Warningfield; and "Silence," a Beatport Electronica Top 10 collaboration with Berlin-based artist Purple Kaiser (of Kaiser Souzai).[21]

ShyBoy is the lead vocalist and co-founding member of the collective Warningfield, a collaboration with film/TV composers Jim Guttridge & Sean Hosein (Beauty & the Beast) and writer/producer Mark Nubar. The group is based in Los Angeles and Paris. Warningfield's sound has been described as a "hybrid of dramatic underscore woven together with conceptual pop songs."[22] Their music was first featured in the trailer for the 2018 remake of Halloween (Blumhouse/Universal). Warningfield's debut single "1981" was released in October 2020. In a review of the song, Buzz Music wrote that ShyBoy's vocals "perfectly complement the surrounding airy and retro sci-fi-inspired production."[23]

ShyBoy's music career began as the lead singer of the band Hypnogaja. He co-wrote and produced numerous recordings with the group, including the critically acclaimed LPs Below Sunset (described by the Denver Post as music that "pushes boundaries"), Truth Decay (described by Outburn magazine as "an expertly crafted album”),[24] and Bridge to Nowhere (a European release by Sony Music Germany).[25] Hypnogaja toured consistently throughout the United States and Canada, opening for artists such as 311, Linda Perry, Shinedown, and Saliva. The band appeared on the debut episode of Stripped Down Live, hosted by Tears For Fears' Curt Smith.[26] ShyBoy received the award for Best Male Vocalist at the 2nd Annual Hollywood Music In Media Awards, for Hypnogaja's cover of the Donna Summer song, "On The Radio."[27] Hypnogaja t-shirts and posters were featured in the pilot episode of the Bryan Fuller series, Dead Like Me.[28] On February 14, 2020, Hypnogaja released the single "Lovesick," the band's first release since the 2011 single "Dark Star" (featuring SlimKid3).

The mashup concept album The RuPaul Mixtape[29] marked the beginning of ShyBoy's collaboration with RuPaul, including five singles for the Emmy Award-winning show RuPaul's Drag Race (seasons 4, 5, and 6). The songs - "The Shade of It All," "Runway Girl," "Reading is Fundamental," "It's Not Personal (It's Drag)," and "Oh No She Better Don't" - were written by RuPaul, ShyBoy, and Mark Nubar, and released by World of Wonder.[30] ShyBoy created two mixes, entitled "Shade" and "Serve," for RuPaul's Drag Race's Draglympics challenges in episode 6 of season 11.[31]

ShyBoy composed tracks for several cycles of Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model and co-wrote songs for on-screen performances by characters in HBO's Six Feet Under[32] and the Joss Whedon series Dollhouse[33] (starring Eliza Dushku). ShyBoy collaborated with composer Tetsuya Shibata on the end title for Capcom's multi-platinum video game Devil May Cry 4. The song, "Shall Never Surrender," was also released on a special soundtrack by Sony Music Japan.[34] Songs written and composed by ShyBoy have been featured in: Scream 4 (trailer); Roswell; Sex and the City; One Life to Live; Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars; Cold Creek Manor (starring Sharon Stone); Valentine (starring David Boreanaz); FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage; and more.[35]

ShyBoy has produced remixes for numerous artists, including RuPaul, Whitney Houston, Donna Summer. He sang harmonies for Julia Fordham on his remix of her classic hit "Where Does The Time Go?," from the album Mixed, Shaken & Stirred.[36]

ShyBoy is a resident DJ and vocalist for Bootie Mashup (a recurring dance party with events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York). Together with DJ Nubar, he created the mashup dance parties MaDonna Summer (a tribute to Madonna and Donna Summer), Britney Houston (a tribute to Britney Spears and Whitney Houston), and Rihyoncé (a tribute to Rihanna and Beyoncé).

On February 20, 2020, ShyBoy was the featured DJ at the official premiere party for the Broadway revival of West Side Story in New York City.[37]

• 2020: Superhero (Single)
• 2019: Lottery (Single)
• 2019: U Can Get It (Single)
• 2019: Backroom (The Remixes) (EP)
• 2019: In The Air Tonight (Single)
• 2018: Backroom (Single)
• 2017: What Have I Done to Deserve This? (feat. Allee Willis) (Single)
• 2017: He and She (Single)
• 2017: Can't Stay with the Pay (Ain't No Little Fairy Gonna Pop Me a Five for That Tooth) (Single)
• 2016: Neutron Dance (Single)
• 2015: The Murder Ballads (EP)
• 2015: The Murder Mixtape
• 2015: Zero Gravity (EP)
• 2015: Daisy Pusher (EP)
• 2014: Lost in Space (LP)
• 2014: The Interstellar Travel Companion Mixtape
• 2014: Lonely Disco (EP)
• 2013: Water on Mars (LP)
• 2013: Wouldn't It Be Good (Single)
• 2012: Bird in Flight (Single)

• 2020: Silence (single) - Purple Kaiser feat. ShyBoy
• 2020: 1981 (Single) - Warningfield
• 2020: Raggabot (Push the Button) (Single) - Ghost Cave feat. ShyBoy
• 2019: MaDonna Summer (10th Anniversary Platinum Edition) - Mixed by DJ ShyBoy
• 2016: Where Does The Time Go? (ShyBoy Remix) - Julia Fordham
• 2014: Oh No She Better Don't (Single) - RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy
• 2014: Shock and Awe (ShyBoy Remix) • Purple Crush, Raja, Josh Peace
• 2013: It's Not Personal (It's Drag) (Single) - RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy
• 2013: Reading is Fundamental (Single) - RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy
• 2013: Runway Girl (Single) - RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy
• 2013: The Shade of It All (Single) - RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy
• 2013: Headspin (Single) - Eddie Amador feat. ShyBoy
• 2012: The Beginning (DJ ShyBoy Remix) - RuPaul
• 2012: DJ ShyBoy presents the RuPaul Mixtape - RuPaul & DJ ShyBoy
• 2012: Welcome to the Future (single) - Kristina Sky and Randy Boyer feat. ShyBoy
• 2009: MaDonna Summer - DJ ShyBoy & Freddy, King of Pants with DJ Nubar
• 2008: Devil May Cry 4 ("Shall Never Surrender," "The Time Has Come") - ShyBoy, Tetsuya Shibata

• Hypnogaja Discography