Dustin Hunter
| Dustin Alexander Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dustin Alexander Hunter |
| Also known as | Dusty, dustyohunter |
| Origin | Olympia, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Rock, pop, synthpop, new wave, indie rock, folk rock, alternative rock, lo-fi, garage rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, record producer, Audio Engineer, Make-up Artist, Illustrator, entrepreneur, Blogger |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, keyboard, synthesizer, guitar, bass guitar, percussion |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Interpretive Sunrise Records, Dustys Records |
| Associated acts | Screeching Felines, F.a.S., Peto-a-gogo, Todd James Luque, Jade Jericho |
| Website |
dustinhunter |
| Notable instruments | |
| Fury Bandit, Norma Electric Guitars | |
Dustin Hunter (born Dustin Alexander Hunter, aka dustyohunter) is an American artist, singer-songwriter, make-up artist, blogger and entrepreneur.
Early life
Born in the Pacific Northwest city of Olympia, Washington[1] and raised in by his mother Alice and stepfather,[1] Hunter was a creative child who spent much of his time drawing. His fascination with make-up and music was sparked at a very young age after seeing a behind-the-scenes special about Michael Jackson's Thriller video.[2] While attending Olympia High School, ambitions of becoming a comic book artist gave way to a love of fashion design, makeup artistry and photography.[3]
Career
Musician
Dustin Hunter started making music electronically via a single-track audio editing software program. Taking samples from other artists' songs and digitally manipulating them until they were almost unidentifiable and then "gluing" the pieces back together again to form completely instrumental songs and soundscapes. "It wasn't until three or four years of mixing and recording that I worked up the nerve to use my voice in any way." Hunter stated in a blog post.[4]
Now an avid musician, songwriter and producer, Hunter's education in audio production combined with his experience in advertising have garnered him the opportunities to work as the creative director for an Internet-based radio station, design various radio ad campaigns and produce music for himself and other artists around the country.[5]
He cites glam rock artists like Marc Bolan and new-wave bands like The Cars as major influences in his music. In 2011, he released his most recent album "Benediction" on his own label via iTunes, CD Baby and several other on-line retailers. A limited edition Deluxe Edition of the album with hand-drawn artwork was also made available.
Visual artist/designer
Hunter's creative background ranges from illustration and photography to fashion and interior design to music production and makeup artistry.[5] He has worked for over a decade as a professional illustrator and his retail interior design concepts have been featured in nationwide publications, receiving recognition for their uniqueness and creativity.[5][6]
In 2003, along with Jay Becker, he co-founded the multimedia design company, Aakshara.[6] While at Aakshara, Hunter's illustration work caught the attention of an editor at DC Comics and he was asked to illustrate pieces for a tie-in in The Dark Knight franchise.[3]
Make-up artist
As a makeup artist, Dustin Hunter combines his love of music and visual art to construct images of experimental beauty for both stage and photography; creating avant-garde makeup looks for photographers, performers and musicians.[5]
Most of Dustin Hunter's recognition as a makeup artist comes from the launch of his YouTube channel: dustyohunter.[7] In 2009, he entered a creative makeup contest that was being held by a popular channel on YouTube and though he didn't win, the subsequent attention he received prompted him to begin creating his own videos. On his YouTube channel, Hunter shares his knowledge and experience as a makeup artist; presenting his audience with a mix of professional tips, advice, product reviews, education and humor. He has cited Food Network show Good Eats with Alton Brown as a major influence in the style of his videos.[7]
Discography
- Back in Commission (2000)
- Diesel (2001)
- The Things You Want (2001)
- Sex on Plastic (2002)
- Sex in Plastic (2002)
- MOD (2003)
- Benediction (2010)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Gods of Olympia | Café Customer |