Music Production, Audio Mixing

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

A: The project was with an X Factor contestant who got into the finals back in 2018. I really liked her voice when I watched her perform on TV so I took the initiative to contact her via social media. My girlfriend who is a songwriter had a song she wrote a few years back called "In the rain" which we decided to present to the singer. She came to the studio where she recorded the vocals of the song. I worked on the production after the vocals were recorded, I hired a session violinist to play the motiff I originally wrote for the demo version. The song was mixed and mastered by myself and we released the single on digital music stores. What made me proud was the fact that I orchestrated the entire project essentially turning a demo song into a fully fledged production which done over 150k streams on Spotify to date.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently I am working on some of own material as an artist and producing new instrumentals for potential clients

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

A: Tom Frampton for his excellent mastering service

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I use both but it depends on the situation and the sound i am going for

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

A: I promise to use all my expertise and knowledge in music production to get your track sounding the best it can!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The satisfaction of completing another song and having the possibility to leave a legacy behind

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

A: Choose someone who understands your vision and will go out of their way to deliver the project you anticipate

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

A: Acoustic guitar, Laptop, Headphones, MIDI Keyboard, iPad to read books

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

A: Started making beats after graduating college when I was 18. My first music production software was called fruity loops. I would make beats for fun and watch tutorials on YouTube. Things started picking up when I opened up a YouTube channel back in 2009. I continuously uploaded instrumentals for around 1 year. I noticed I was gaining a lot of subscribers in a short space of time and getting good feedback on my beats. During this time I was working with local artists in the area providing them with instrumentals and recordings. I continued to develop my skills as a music producer and opened up a beat website where I would put up my productions for licensing. Ever since then I have had more clients coming forward to work with me as I continue to develop my craft and put out the best music I can.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Tropical flavours with UK roots

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

A: Burna Boy, he has such a unique sound and I feel his style would sit well with my productions

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overthink the process in the beginning, just get down great ideas and leave the technical side to someone else

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

A: I usually work with Dancehall and Afrobeat genres but I am adaptable to a wide range of genres

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Bringing a song to life. Transforming it into a full music production that compliments the original idea

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Character and a unique sound that isn't afraid to break the rules

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process with a client starts by me listening to their song either acoustically or as an acapella. I then build a loop around the chorus section of the song, I like to start with a chord progression that compliments the top line, I then add elements in which I feel suitable for the production i.e. bass, percussions, drums etc. Once we have the main section of the song down I then start by arranging the track out, after I have a basic arrangement I will go into the sound design stage. The process from here is really adding the extra 10% by adding in the ear candy elements, sound effects and automations. Once the song has all of these elements completed its time for me to mix the track. When mixing I will use similar reference tracks to ascertain a tonal balance like the references I use. Throughout the working process I am constantly communicating with the artist to ensure we are on the same page and that they know what direction the song is heading into so they can add suggestions or make changes.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Most of my work is done at my home studio which is acoustically treated. This means that I can get a true listening experience when i am working on your track. For my computer I use a macbook pro 2019 6 core processor which can handle anytype of project I throw at it. In terms of gear I keep things very minimal as I mainly work inside the box using the best plugins in the industry.

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

A: music producer and YouTube vlogger - Jon Sine, Drake for staying relevant for over a decade, Tom Frampton from mastering the mix

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

A: The majority of my work with clients includes writing an instrumental based on my clients needs and desired sound.