Mark Ramos Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys on every album since 1992's "Check Your Head." Mark recently performed with Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in "Stop the Virgens;" a psycho pop opera that brought together the crème of indie rock to the Sydney Opera House.
His first album, the relatively obscure Mark's Keyboard Repair (1995), was made up of keyboard driven pop-funk songs recorded at demo quality. Guy Ritchie used a song from the album in "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." MKR was followed up by the Third Version EP in 1996 and Push the Button in 1998, for which Mark received critical praise. Whereas his 1996 EP was similar to his debut, Push the Button was extremely eclectic, combining aspects of rock music and pop with soul, funk and hip hop. This LP was met with good reviews, as was his 2001 follow up Change is Coming which had a tropical yet danceable disco and funk sound.
Mark met the Beastie Boys during their migration to the West Coast. He helped them build a studio, and quickly become a principal collaborator. He has performed, written, and collaborated on every Beastie Boy album since the 1992 ground-breaking "Check Your Head." Mark co-authored the Grammy Award Winning album, "The Mix Up."
Money Mark contributed the keyboard phrase that opens and underpins "Where It's At" from Beck's 1996 album, Odelay. He played keyboards on tour for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet in support of their self-titled album. He has since become a full member of the quintet, appearing on the live EP with Damo Suzuki called Please Heat This Eventually and several other albums, with his debut full-length collaboration with the group being the Quintet's second LP release, The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange. In 1996, Money Mark contributed the song "Use Your Head (Use A Sua Cabeca)" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization. He also contributed songs to Red Hot's Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin and Red Hot + Rhapsody a tribute to George Gershwin. In 2004 Mark scored and played all instruments for HBO's first ever documentary prime time series, "Family Bond's," directed by Steve Santor. In that same year, Mark also contributed original songs and score cues for "Along Came Polly," "Fun With Dick and Jane," and "The Devil Wears Prada."
In September 2006, Money Mark signed to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label. Brand New By Tomorrow, his first album with Brushfire, was released in February 2007. In late 2006, he opened for Gnarls Barkley at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago. In 2007, Money Mark and The Woodrow Jackson Orchestra recorded a cover version of Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme" for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album Guilt by Association. Money Mark composed original music for the 2008 documentary film Beautiful Losers. Mark scored and played all instruments for HBO's first ever documentary prime time series, "Family Bond's," directed by Steve Santor.
In 2011, he contributed the Mario C. Remix of "Tropicaliá" with Beck and Seu Jorge as well as a version of the song "Tropical Affair" with Thalma de Freitas and João Parahyba for Red Hot Organization's most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
Mark scored the Slamdance Audience Award- winning and critically acclaimed documentary film, "Getting Up: The Tempt One Story."
Money Mark, working with Mike McCready and Stefan Lessard, contributed to many of the tracks used in the soundtrack to the film Horrible Bosses.
Over the course of his career, Mark has done recording sessions with the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, Nile Rodgers, Yoko Ono, Carlos Santana, Lee Scratch Perry, and Jorge Ben, Dangermouse, Moby, Mixmaster Mike, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Seu Jorge, Jack Johnson, The Mars Volta.
He is now on DVDASA, a podcast with David Choe and Asa Akira every Tuesday and Thursday.