{{Short description|American composer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Josh Mancell.jpg | alt = Mancell smiling to the camera, wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt | caption = Mancell in 2015 | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_date = | birth_place = Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States | genre = {{hlist|Video game|synth-pop|punk rock|garage rock|acid jazz|lounge|power pop|soul|surf|electronic|psychedelic rock|pop|post-punk}} | occupation = {{hlist|Composer|music programmer|musician}} | instrument = {{hlist|Piano|drums|guitar|timpani|vibraphone|percussion}} | years_active = 1992–present | associated_acts = {{hlist|The Millionaires|Uluteka|Mark Mothersbaugh|Mutato Muzika|The Dining Room Set|The Wipeouters|The Moon Upstairs|Exploding Flowers}} | website = {{URL|joshmancell.com}} }} '''Josh Mancell''' is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist who writes music for film, television, and video games. He is best known for his work on the ''Crash Bandicoot'' and ''Jak and Daxter'' series of video games.

Mancell has received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the children's television series, ''Clifford the Big Red Dog''.

==Early life and education== Mancell attended Sarah Lawrence College.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/undergraduate/arts/music/Noted_Alums.html|title=Noted Alumnae/i|work=sarahlawrence.edu|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519131238/https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/undergraduate/arts/music/Noted_Alums.html|archivedate=May 19, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

As a child, Mancell learned to play the piano, drums, and guitar and was a "rabid record geek". The exposure of playing music in different types of bands (such as punk rock, jazz, marching bands, and orchestras), combined with fandom in many genres, led Mancell to pursue a composing career. He was encouraged by his college professors to move to Los Angeles to write music for film and television.<ref name="CrashMania">{{cite web |url=https://www.crashmania.net/en/backstage/interviews/josh-mancell/ |title=Interview with Josh Mancell |author=Keiji Dragon |date=April 3, 2008 |publisher=Crash Mania |accessdate=July 24, 2021}}</ref>

==Career== Mancell has developed a successful career writing musical scores for film and television. In film, he has scored a range of films such as ''Bongwater'' (starring Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt and Jack Black) and ''Love Comes to the Executioner'' (starring Jonathan Tucker, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jeremy Renner) as well as contributing music to the cult indie ''Chuck & Buck'' (Independent Spirit Award winner).<ref name="music by Josh Mancell">{{cite web|url=http://www.joshmancell.com/-/pdf/josh_mancell_credits.pdf |title=Music by Josh Mancell |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425001605/http://www.joshmancell.com/-/pdf/josh_mancell_credits.pdf |archivedate=April 25, 2015 }}</ref>

Mancell's music has been used for the animated television shows ''Gary the Rat'' (starring Kelsey Grammer), ''Shorty McShorts' Shorts'' (starring Wilmer Valderrama), and ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'' (starring John Ritter), which has earned him two Emmy nominations.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0541359/awards?ref_=nm_ql_2 Josh Mancell&nbsp;– Awards&nbsp;– IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Mancell is known for his music in video games including Sony's ''Crash Bandicoot'' and ''Jak and Daxter'' series, and other titles such as ''Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie'' and ''Interstate '82''. This work was done with the assistance of Mutato Muzika, the music production company which Mark Mothersbaugh formed with several other former members of Devo including his brother, Bob Mothersbaugh.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/are-you-not-devo-you-are-mutato-2151061|title=Are you not Devo? You are Mutato|date=December 5, 2007 |access-date=4 August 2015}}</ref>

==Musical groups== Mancell has been a member of the following bands and musical groups outside of his solo composing career: * The Millionaires – punk rock/garage band (1995–1996) * Uluteka – acid jazz/lounge band (1996)<ref>{{cite web|title=Band Info|url=http://home.earthlink.net/~mitmil/uluteka.html|work=The Unofficial ULUTEKA Home Lounge|accessdate=March 19, 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507050453/http://home.earthlink.net/~mitmil/uluteka.html|archivedate=May 7, 2010}}</ref> * Mutato Muzika – music production company (1992–2007)<ref>{{cite web|title=Mutato Muzika Staff Info |url=http://www.mutato.com/personnel/Joshresume.html |publisher=MutatoMuzika |accessdate=January 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040105224752/http://www.mutato.com/personnel/Joshresume.html |archivedate=January 5, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mutato Muzika Staff Info |url=http://www.mutato.com/redesignmp/html/personnel_pages/jm.html |publisher=MutatoMuzika |accessdate=August 24, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811051046/http://www.mutato.com/redesignmp/html/personnel_pages/jm.html |archivedate=August 11, 2007 }}</ref> * The Dining Room Set – power pop/mod/soul (1999)<ref>{{cite web|title=The Dining Room Set|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dining-room-set-r2202657/credits|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=March 19, 2012}}</ref> * The Wipeouters – surf/electronic (2001)<ref>{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Richard J. |title=The Wipeouters&nbsp;– P'Twaaang! |url=http://kittysneezes.com/?p=2327 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227033213/http://kittysneezes.com/?p=2327 |work=Forgotten Records |publisher=Kittysneezes |date=October 5, 2010 |archive-date=February 27, 2015 |access-date=March 20, 2012}}</ref> * The Moon Upstairs – psychedelic rock (2006–2010) * Exploding Flowers – pop/post-punk/power pop (2010–present)

==Musical style and influences== Mancell's influences include electronic artists such as Mouse on Mars, A Guy Called Gerald, Aphex Twin, Juan Atkins, Richard H. Kirk and Kraftwerk, as well as progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He has cited their "interesting rhythmic elements" and said that "melodically they're simple but kind of leftfield too".<ref name="CrashMania" />

==Works==

===Video games=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Notes |- | 1995 | ''Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie'' | {{N/A}} |- | 1996 | ''Crash Bandicoot'' | {{N/A}} |- | 1997 | ''Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back'' | {{N/A}} |- | 1998 | ''Crash Bandicoot: Warped'' | {{N/A}} |- | rowspan="2" | 1999 | ''Crash Team Racing'' | {{N/A}} |- | ''Interstate '82'' | {{N/A}} |- | 2001 | ''Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy'' | {{N/A}} |- | 2003 | ''Jak II'' | rowspan="2" | with Larry Hopkins |- | 2004 | ''Jak 3'' |- | 2015 | ''Totome'' | {{N/A}} |- | 2016 | ''Vairon's Wrath'' | Two tracks<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/453320/Vairons_Wrath/|title=Vairon's Wrath on Steam|website=store.steampowered.com|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506205512/http://store.steampowered.com/app/453320/Vairons_Wrath/|archive-date=2017-05-06|url-status=|access-date=2018-06-09}}</ref> |}

===Film=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Director(s) ! Notes |- | 1997 || ''Bongwater'' || Richard Sears || with Mark Mothersbaugh |- | 1999 || ''This is Harry Lehman'' || Brian King || Short film |- | 2000 || ''Chuck & Buck'' || Miguel Arteta || "Nwo Tew" |- | 2006 || ''Love Comes to the Executioner'' || Kyle Bergersen || {{N/A}} |- |rowspan="2"| 2008 || ''Milkshake'' || rowspan="2" | Renji Philip || rowspan="2" | Short film |- | ''Stanley'' |- | 2009 || ''The Lights'' || John Sjogren || {{N/A}} |- | 2010 || ''Love & Other Unstable States of Matter'' || David Marmor || Short film |- |rowspan="2"| 2011 || ''Eat the Sun'' || Peter Sorcher || Documentary |- | ''The Dude'' || Jeff Feuerzeig || Short documentary |- | 2012 || ''Cheesecake Casserole'' || Renji Philip || {{N/A}} |- | 2013 || ''A Star for Rose'' || Daniel Yost || {{N/A}} |- | 2015 || ''Dirty Laundry'' || Renji Philip || Short film |}

=== Television === *''Adventures in Wonderland'' (1992)&nbsp;– with Mark Mothersbaugh * ''Futurequest'' (1994) * ''Clifford the Big Red Dog'' (2000)&nbsp;– with Mark Mothersbaugh * ''The Groovenians''&nbsp;– with Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Casale, Albert Fox, Al Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, Andrew Todd, and Pat Irwin <small>(additional music)</small> * ''Gary the Rat'' (2003) * ''Shorty McShorts' Shorts'' (2006) ("Dudley and Nestor Do Nothing") * ''The Bite-Sized Adventures of Sam Sandwich'' (2011)

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.joshmancell.com/}} * {{discogs artist}} * {{IMDb name|id=0541359}} * [http://explodingflowersmusic.blogspot.ca/ Exploding Flowers Blog]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mancell, Josh}} Category:20th-century American composers Category:21st-century American composers Category:American film score composers Category:American male film score composers Category:American male television composers Category:American television composers Category:American video game composers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan Category:20th-century American male composers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American male composers Category:21st-century American multi-instrumentalists