HOLYSEE was born sometime in the 1950s, and for many years played in jazz bars and clubs throughout New York City. it was in 1960 that he met James Mitchell, who had a small and independent record company, and the two entered into a partnership. HOLYSEE's first record, 1970s Sentimentality, was slow to sell but its impact was immediate. He pioneered the drum machine and synthetic instrumentation and imitated what would later become digital drum machines through analogue means. Many artists and producers who picked up the record sought to recreate its singular and unique sound. Throughout the 70s HOLYSEE released four records and the last of these, 1979's The Ageing of Innocence, was heralded as his magnum opus and was his first great critical and commercial success. It, along with its follow-up, The End, is considered to this day one of the finest albums ever made.

HOLYSEE died in 2025, not two months after his final record, Miscarriage. Throughout his life he released many veritable masterpieces, He Dies was the first true Electronica album, and HAYMAKER predated many of the sampling and drum-making techniques that would define hip-hop and pop music decades later. Few artists, if not none, come close to HOLYSEE's impact and influence as a producer and artist. Even in his 70s he was pioneering. His 2023 record, Sao Paulo, brought him his first Grammy award. He was 73. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.