Top Liner & Vocalist & Writer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on my next single.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I've heard some good music out there, especially from a female music producer, but I don't know the name.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Depends on what you go for.

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

A: When there is a deadline that we agreed on, it will be ready until the deadline. You will be happy with my performance.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: It's a privilege to do what I do. It reminds me to be humble and grateful. Also, I love meeting interesting people, sharing stories, and channeling them into music.

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

A: How fast can you do the job? Me: Done.

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

A: That I am from Germany and we mostly import international music but don't export. My delivery and writing actually meet AAA international standards.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: That will depend on the client.

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

A: You don't have to be always specific about your music. We can find out together.

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

A: The book "The war of art" by Steven Pressfield

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

A: I began to enjoy a strict musical upbringing at an early age, as my mother learned classical piano, as well as some in my family, are musically versed (e.g. my great aunt - opera singer). At the age of five, I took piano, singing, acting, and dancing lessons at a music school in Kislovodsk, Russia. After moving to Germany I continued to learn piano and singing. It all started with pop music. When I was 17, I was discovered by a management team that worked with a well-known producer in New York. But there were only ruff-mix versions until the collaboration ended on its own. During this time I began to write my own texts and socially critical poems. At 18 I recorded a rock-heavy album with a producer in Berlin, it was a great experience to co-write an album and to be involved in the production process, later we realized that I could not be absolutely behind the production. I lacked freshness and novelty. At the age of 21, I put my psychology studies out of ice, because I began to deal with production and now wanted to “really know” it, so to speak. I applied to the HDPK for music production studies in Berlin and was accepted, then I moved to Berlin. During my studies, some collaborations began with Hitimpulse, Parra for Cuva, etc. and I found my way into the music business. After I had a huge catalog I was signed by Universal Music Publishing Germany.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Black Cotton Candy. Dark and Sweet. Shoegazy and Poppy. Sad and savage. Intimate and direct.

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

A: Poo Bear. He's coming up with toplines and Runs that I absolutely love and I'd love to sing them.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: dry vocals in front, reverb on a bus.

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

A: Contemporary RnB, Pop (sometimes HyperPop)

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Vocal Runs, 4-octave vocal range, all types of vocal colors but also a strong own signature sound (The Weeknd but female), 25 years of vocal classes (high control level), Intuitive Toplining, Storytelling

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I make a song recognizable.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Every artist and every project is different. That's why I have different strategies to start off. Mostly I start with toplining progress aka "Max Martin Style" recording the verse, the pre, and the hook. The main focus is on dynamics and the hokeyness of every part. At this point, I like to send the material to get a go on writing. When I work directly with an artist I like to talk about the person's background and where he/she wants or needs to go musically. A little therapy session so to say. This provides me with authenticity in the writing process. Where can be approvement, where are the challenges? What is important here? For backings, I basically start off by improvising a huge amount of takes, sorting the best out, and building harmonies from there. When I start from scratch I usually start off with a baseline and build an atmosphere. Toplining and baseline are lovers in my opinion. Most of the time I instantly have a topline in my mind and go from there. I let the song become what it wants to become.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have Neumann KH 80 DSP speakers, a Neumann U 87 Ai mic, a Universal Audio Apollo Interface. Also a Roli Seaboard, Native Instruments Machine, E-Piano. PlugIns for Vocal Chain: UAD Manley, VOCBOX, LA-2A, Autotune, UAD 4K Channel Strip, Fresh Air

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

A: The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Poo Bear, Tyler The Creator, Frank Dukes, Pharell Williams, SZA, Rihanna, Coldplay

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

A: I sing any kind of genre perfectly, but mostly pop & RnB). I provide any type of voice color. I do pop and contemporary RnB toplines. Professional backings (4-octave range full-on harmonies, modern adlibs). Writing and providing lyric ideas. Working on vocal delivery and signature sound for AAA music standards. Also, I'm really good at finalizing your song (changes in toplines, words, catchiness, delivery, dynamics, or arrangements)