Production, Mixing, Mastering

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: One of my productions made it onto the global sizzle video for Nissan 2020. I was the writer, producer, mixer and mastering engineer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am currently working on a number of tracks with a singer in the vein of H.E.R. I am also working on my own project under the name XkodeX, which is a mixture of trap, dubstep and riddim.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: It always depends on the project but most of the time I will use a mixture of both analog and digital gear in order to get a truly modern and unique sound. I am not a purist, experimentation makes the best productions. Digital provides an instant recall that saves hours on production time.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I will do everything to understand your vision using clear, fair and friendly communication. I will never make you do anything that you are not comfortable with because at the end of the day, it's about your idea coming into fruition, not mine. After many years of working remotely I have a precise way of understanding artists and helping artists understand me. When it comes to the vocals especially, I am able to explain myself to help you elevate your performance without any toxicity or harshness. It's about making the singer/artist feel safe.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: When a client and I are absolutely happy with the project.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Most clients ask about how I will be able to understand what they need when working remotely. I explain to them that I prefer to work in isolation in order to really focus on what I am doing and that even if we met in person that I would require many hours working alone because I have trained myself to listen to the same thing hundreds of times with very little fatigue. Remote work has given more people the chance to get professional producers to help them create their art. I assure all my clients that working remotely is more affordable and that it does not hinder the process of creation in any way. Clients also ask about how to tackle tweaks and changes, this too can be done very easily and quickly remotely.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: A common misconception is that anyone can do what I do. Yes, anyone can write and producer a song but what I do is so much more embellished. I have spent years searching for what makes people feel a certain way when they hear certain songs and sounds. My ears are my best instrument and I use my ears to understand how to take an idea and make it become a vessel for people to feel something. My job goes so far beyond, EQ, Compression and the technical aspect of production. Not everyone has that mix of understanding the feeling and the technicality required to move listeners.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask prospective clients the right questions to truly understand the vision and motive behind the music. It's of the highest importance to get the client to open up about the motive and feeling of the song/project.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: If you want a production that is one-of-a-kind, truly professional and has a competitive edge, then it is better to pay a more professional price rather than getting a cheaper option that will inevitably need another pro to fix the production. I will be providing you with 15 years of experience and an absolute dedication to getting your music to sound impeccable.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My Mac, audio interface, headphones, guitar and midi keyboard.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: My journey began at 17 when I started touring, producing and writing with a band called ISO (Isochronous). I spent a number of years producing/heading that project, which brought 3 top 10 singles, that I co-wrote and produced. I then started producing artists in South Africa for SONY ATV. I moved to Europe to pursue my touring career, I toured 30 different countries with various artists. I also started producing bands and 2 years ago I started working for Berlin-Tokyo based production company Audioforce where my productions were used on over 20 global commercials for Volvo, Puma, Nissan and Škoda to name a few.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I create electronic music with an organic sound and a pop sensibility. I use modern cutting-edge production to compete with music trends in all genres you hear on the Billboard top 20.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I would love to work James Blake because I find his style ambiguous and always evolving. He is also a truly fantastic singer with a diverse range.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The best pop productions/songs have a mix of organic and electronic elements in order to have a human feel. My tip would be to always mix programmed instruments with recorded or sampled instruments. The most important organic element is the vocal so I always encourage people to focus most on the voice.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Pop / Electronic / Rap / Rock / RnB / Bands

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strength lies in getting a track to feel exciting and interesting. I especially excel in the use of drums, percussion and song form to make song/production feel like it's always moving/evolving.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring whatever is needed to the project. If it's an entire production, it's about bringing the vision the artist is looking to convey from the demo/acapella. I am very straight forward and my aim is to push the artist/song to the best place possible. For me it's about being able to communicate clearly with the artist/client. I will always let the artist/client know if there is something we can do to make the project as cool as possible. Sometimes the artist has a solid foundation but the track needs stronger production, then I will use my skills to make the track as punchy as possible. I always aim to bring a sense of excitement to the production using a mixture of my songwriting, production and mixing skills. So much of a song depends on strong production and thats where I really can help the artist.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually start with listening to the reference provided for the project to get a vibe from the track. I will then start with forming a layout of the track with some chords and usually I will start getting the groove for the song. When the chords and the beat are working, I will add bass to lock in the song's form. I always feel like the drums and bass determine the song's form. I will then start creating samples and synths to embellish the song. If the track requires a topline and lyrics, I will lay down melodies through out the writing process and finally add lyrics once I have a strong Chorus melody. I will then send this to the artist, together we will take the foundational idea and finish the track. When the vocals are recorded and both the client and I are happy with the takes, I will comp the vocals and ask the client to add backing vocals, adlibs and harmonies. Vocals really are the most important part of the production so I always focus on that. I will do a final consultation with the artist and I will then mix and master the song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I like working in the box so my plugins and my Mac are the most important aspects of my setup. I use Softube, Soundtoys, FabFilter, iZotope, Waves, IK-Multimedia and Native Instruments.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Max Martin, Noah James Shebib, Mura Masa, Sylvia Massy, Disclosure, SKRILLEX, Diplo, Oliver El-Khatib, FINNEAS, Flume, Trent Reznor, J Dilla, Andrew Scheps, Tchad Blake to name a few...

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I create fully fledged bespoke productions for both artists and companies. I write, produce, mix and master the entire production. Artists/companies come to me for productions that can compete with the current Billboard Hot 100 in the pop, electronic, rock, rnb and rap genres.