Tolga Katas is an American singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, filmmaker, and software developer born in Istanbul. He became prominent in freestyle music through Futura and Summit Records, producing artists including Stevie B and Linear, and later developed media, streaming, and software ventures.
Background
Tolga Katas was born on June 5, 1966, in Istanbul, Turkey, and was raised in the United States. In a 2006 interview, he described beginning with rock guitar and bass in Florida bands before moving toward recording, songwriting, and music production.
His early work developed during the expansion of Miami dance and freestyle music. Katas became interested in electronic sampling and computer-based production, using equipment such as the Emulator and E-mu Emax samplers while working with musicians and radio professionals in South Florida.
Career
Katas began his career as a rock singer, guitarist, bassist, and songwriter before concentrating on production and independent record-label management. He wrote and produced early dance material, including “Action Reaction” and “Leave It All Behind,” and worked with Stevie B and other freestyle performers. His production of Linear’s “Sending All My Love” became one of his best-known credits; contemporary trade coverage identified Katas as the producer, and legal filings document his role as co-writer and producer.
From 1988 to 1994, Katas was president and founder of Futura Records in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He executive-produced records, arranged independent distribution, managed radio promotion and artist tours, selected artists, produced music videos, and oversaw administrative operations. Futura developed and distributed Linear, whose recordings later reached major-label distribution through Warner Brothers and Atlantic-associated channels.
From 1994 to 1998, he was president and founder of Summit Records in Fort Lauderdale. The label produced dance-music releases and achieved a number-one record in multiple international markets. Katas’s documented production credits from this period and later include work with Stevie B, Linear, Message Telecommunications Service, Alta Dustin, Angelina, and other freestyle artists.
As music television and home-video distribution expanded, Katas moved into music-video, television, visual-effects, and network-development work. His credits include production and technical services for television and entertainment clients, as well as video content prepared for DVD, IPTV, mobile devices, and Internet distribution. He was also associated with DayInvestor and other entrepreneurial projects during the late 1990s.
Katas developed software alongside his entertainment work. In 1997 he created Ultimate Craps, an online craps program; in 2000 he developed iMixalot, a media-player project using QuickTime technology, and eMaculate, an image-management application. He also developed Flyxo, an Internet broadcasting platform intended to distribute films, music, and other video through streaming technology.
Katas co-founded en2go, an entertainment-technology company that combined music, video, software, Internet distribution, and related media services. Corporate filings identify him as a director and describe the company’s ownership of software, streaming, online-video, and entertainment intellectual property. In later years he continued to work across music production, photography, cinematography, software, and film projects.
Achievements
Katas produced and co-wrote Linear’s “Sending All My Love,” a commercially successful freestyle and dance recording that received substantial radio and record-market exposure.
Through Futura and Summit Records, Katas developed and produced recordings by artists including Linear, Stevie B, and Message Telecommunications Service, contributing to the expansion of independent freestyle music.
He pioneered computer-based digital music production and was among the early producers credited with creating a hit recording primarily through digital production technology.
He founded Longerliving.com and DayInvestor.com and developed software projects including Ultimate Craps, iMixalot, eMaculate, and Flyxo.
He co-founded en2go, an entertainment-technology company that combined music, video, software, and Internet distribution.
Works
album
Party Your Body
(Stevie B freestyle release associated with Katas’s produc...)
1988
song
Sending All My Love
(Song by Linear co-written and produced by Katas; the reco...)
1989
Waiting for Your Love
(Stevie B recording for which Katas received production, e...)
1996
Leave It All Behind
(Song performed by Tolga and Stevie B and associated with ...)
I’ll Be Alright
(Recording by Message Telecommunications Service for which...)
1996
Personality
Katas has described himself as interested in both dance music and rock, with a continuing enthusiasm for experimentation in recording technology and software development.
Interests
Software development and remote-control airplane flying.
Music & Bands
Katas has identified dance music and rock as central musical interests. He cited Paul McCartney and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun among important musical influences and has discussed his continuing interest in freestyle music.
Connections
Katas married Christine Marie on November 11, 2011. Marie was his creative and business partner in en2go and has worked as an educator, media professional, and psychologist.
Katas is the stepfather of singer, songwriter, and actress Lola Blanc, whose birth name is Kandice Marie Melonakos. He has also described having four stepchildren in an interview.
Wife:
Christine Marie
Creative and business partner in en2go; educator, media professional, and psychologist.
stepdaughter:
Lola Blanc
Singer, songwriter, and actress whose birth name is Kandice Marie Melonakos.
Billboard, Single Reviews
Credits Katas as producer of Linear’s “Sending All My Love” and identifies the Futura Records release.
1989
AllMusic, Tolga Katas credits
Documents Katas’s credits as composer, producer, arranger, engineer, mixer, programmer, and other music-production roles across freestyle and dance releases.
Tolga Katas 2006 Interview
Discusses Katas’s Istanbul birth, Florida musical beginnings, digital sampling and production methods, freestyle career, technological interests, influences, and software projects.
IMDb, Tolga Katas
Documents Katas’s film and television credits as producer, cinematographer, visual-effects contributor, editor, composer, and music-department participant.
Tolga Katas official website
Describes Katas as an artist, producer, filmmaker, photographer, and software developer and summarizes his music, visual-media, and digital-technology work.
