Ariel Rechtshaid
Ariel Rechtshaid (born March 23, 1979) is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His production, songwriting, and mixing credits include Brandon Flowers, HAIM, Vampire Weekend, Madonna, Tobias Jesso Jr., Usher, Adele, Cass McCombs, Solange Knowles, Murs, Sky Ferreira, We Are Scientists, Kylie Minogue, Glasser, Alex Clare, and Major Lazer. Rechtshaid co-wrote and produced Usher's 2012 single, "Climax", which won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. Rechtshaid was nominated for the 2014 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year and won a Grammy for his production on the Vampire Weekend album Modern Vampires of the City. He also produced the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1-charting single "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's in 2007. Rechtshaid is the former lead singer and guitarist of the ska/pop-punk band The Hippos and the bassist and producer of indie folk-rock group Foreign Born.
Early life
Rechtshaid was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, a first-generation American born to Israeli immigrants. He attended Hamilton High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he would form his first band, the Hippos. One of Rechtshaid's high school classmates was rapper Murs with whom he would later record and produce.
