Mark Kates grew up in the Boston area where Mission of Burma's music inspired him to work for their label Ace of Hearts. From there he moved to Big Time Records in Los Angeles and artists like Love and Rockets, Alex Chilton and the Hoodoo Gurus. His work there led to Geffen Records where he spent 10 1/2 years and created the alternative promotion department eventually seguing to a+r and playing a significant role in the development of the alternative radio format. He signed Beck, Jawbreaker, Elastica, Alabama 3 and others. He brought Sonic Youth to Geffen and a+r'd albums by Nirvana, Hole, Teenage Fanclub, Siouxsie and the Banshees, White Zombie and many others as well as co-ecxecutive producing the soundtracks for "Beavis and Butt-head Do America" and "Suburbia." Kates left Geffen in 1998 to run Grand Royal Records for the Beastie Boys and work with them as well as artists like Sean Lennon and Luscious Jackson. In 2001 he returned to Boston and established Fenway Recordings, a music management and record company.

Coincidentally Mission of Burma decided to reunite that year and he again works with them as well as Doves, The Cribs, Foreign Islands, Jake Brennan, and others. As DJ Carbo he was resident LA electronica club Atmosphere at The Viper Room as well as on the legendary pirate station KBLT and now hosts The Fenway Recordings Sessions in Boston. As a DJ he has appeared alongside Paul Oakenfold, David Bowie, Wolfmother, Tricky, Richie Hawtin, DJ Rap, Grooverider, The Jungle Brothers, and many, many others.