Mikhail Tarasov (Russian: Михаи́л Тара́сов), better known by his stage name Svoy (which can be loosely translated as "self-contained"), is a producer/writer/artist for Universal Music Group and a Billboard-charting multi-Independent Music Award winner in the genre of pop/electronica. He has four self-produced albums released via Mack Avenue Records/Sony Music Entertainment, P-Vine Records/Blues Interactions, Thistime Records and Songs of Universal/Universal Music Group, Inc., respectively.
In 2009, his single "Beautiful Thing" reached #69 on the Billboard Japan Hot TOP 100 Airplay and #82 on Billboard Japan Hot 100 Singles chart. Besides remaining in top 40 and 100 airplay charts of numerous major Japanese radio networks for over 8 weeks, the song peaked at #3 on Alpha Station FM Kyoto 89.4's TOP 40 Overseas Chart. Also in 2009, Svoy's album Automatons reached #100 on the Billboard Japan Top Independent Albums and Singles chart.
In 2011, Automatons and its title track were nominated for Best Dance/Electronica Album and Best Dance/Electronica Song at The 10th Independent Music Awards, and won in the latter category. He won the 10th IMA's Vox Populi in both categories. 10th Independent Music Awards judging panel included Seal, Fall Out Boy, Portishead, McCoy Tyner, Counting Crows, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Suzanne Vega, Jesse Harris, Tom Waits, Aimee Mann, Jonatha Brooke among other artists and music industry professionals.
In 2004, Svoy won the BMI John Lennon Award for songwriters and received the award from Yoko Ono.
In 2002, he won BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship for film composers, that led to studying with multi Grammy and Emmy-winning composer Mike Post and Atli Orvarsson for one month at Post's studio in Los Angeles.
Over the course of his career, Svoy has collaborated with Grammy-winning artist Kenny Garrett, multi Grammy-nominated artist Meshell Ndegeocello, Claudia Acuna, Raul Midon, Adam Levy and Ilya Lagutenko, among other artists. Svoy is a Yamaha Digital Artist, a Berklee College of Music and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music scholarship recipient/graduate.
New York music critics Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover Magazine and Jesse Seilhan of TheCelebrityCafe.com describe Svoy as a "...Robot-driven repetitive-trance big-dance-rhythm cold synth-pop modern-chart soul futuristic electro-disco techno meister" and an artist who "...Is not afraid to explore" with Tower Records Japan dubbing him "...Electropop prince" and Timmy Kusnierek of YourEDM calling him "...One of the most accomplished experimental electronic artists", as well as his music "...An incredibly forward-thinking production that’s beyond description". Svoy resides in New York City.
