Scotty Hard

Canadian-born/New York-based producer, engineer, instrumentalist and remixer, Scotty Hard extends his passion for hip-hop to contemporary jazz and electronic projects. He debuted with 1999's Return of Kill Dog E and has worked with artists like Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, Medeski, Martin & Wood, and Vijay Iyer. A close associate of Sex Mob's Steven Bernstein, he collaborated on both 2023's The Hard Way and 2026's Resonation Trio/Ultra Resonance. A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Scott Harding aka Scotty Hard initially made his name in New York as part of the hip-hop scene. Working in the background on a number of projects with the stars of hip hop, including Kool Keith, Cypress Hill, Boogie Down Productions, Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, and Biz Markie, he made the connections necessary to get an all-star cast of supporters when he was ready to do his own solo projects. His first album, Return of Kill Dog E, came out in 1999 and was released by WordSound Recordings, a label dedicated to the hip-hop underground. The album featured a unique, sludgy mix of bass, beats, and noise. Hard was also featured on several WordSound compilations, including Crooklyn Dub, Vol. 2 and Subterranean Hitz. Beginning in the late '90s, he also began working with jazz artists. He formed close creative relationships with both Medeski, Martin & Wood and Sex Mob trumpeter Steven Bernstein, contributing heavily to albums like Solid Sender, Uninvisible, The Dropper, and Dime Grind Palace. In late 2004, Hard began work with John Medeski and Matthew Shipp, eventually releasing the collaborative Scotty Hard's Radical Reconstructive Surgery in October 2006. In February 2008, Hard was involved in a car accident in Brooklyn that left him with severe spinal injuries. Consequently, he endured physical rehabilitation and regularly uses a wheelchair, yet remains highly active in music production. He has continued to work on an array of projects, including with artists like Vijay Iyer, Sunny Jain, and Emily Wells, among others. In 2023, he again collaborated with Sex Mob on The Hard Way, followed in 2026 by Bernstein's Resonation Trio/Ultra Resonance; the latter featuring heavily reworked versions of the trio's performances. ~ Matt Collar & Stacia Proefrock, Rovi