Zadra on SoundBetter

Multi-Grammy nominated, Platinum and Multi-Gold engineer. Credits spanning Kanye West, Young Thug, Drake, Casper The Ghost, Bombino, Samyra, Young Stoner Life Records and countless more.

I'm a producer/engineer from Italy.
I graduated Berklee College of Music majoring in Music Production and Engineering and have credits that include Kanye West, Young Thug, Drake, Bombino, Ceptemba, Jesus Molina, Quincy Jones and many more.

I started off as a tracking engineer when I was 15 and mainly did Jazz and Big Band recordings until I heavily got into electronic production. For many years I was producing almost exclusively Drum and Bass music but my focus has now shifted to mixing and producing Hip Hop.

When I first got to LA I was working with legendary producer and beat-maker MyGuyMars (Kanye/Jay-Z/Chris Brown/Ty$ and more), then moved on to become an engineer - or slimengineer - for Young Stoner Life Records and eventually went on to do my own thing, working with legends like Kanye West and more.

I also make music for sync and TV as part of the duo "tnsn" so whether it's Jazz, Reggaeton, Hip Hop, RnB, Pop, Afrobeats I can get your music to sound like you've always wanted it to. Hit me up and put me to work !

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Luca Zadra

Bombino

2 Reviews

Endorse Zadra

by Daniel
Hey guy knows he’s stuff! We’ve worked together several times and he always delivers. Efficient and creative. Definitely top notch quality. You’d be getting a pro!
by West Munroe
Amazing! I had Zadra mix and master 3 songs for me this year; “harley” , “Love Jones”, & “i think its you”. i was very pleased with how he got my records sounding, they are some of my personal favorites and he handled them with care. Couldn’t be happier with the result. Highly recommend

Interview with Zadra

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Kanye West's "Donda II" as an engineer just because it was so difficult that every gig after that felt like a breeze.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm working a lot with this new artist called Samyra, look out for her she's about to blow up !
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Nashi for songwriting !
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both have their strengths and weaknesses, it all depends on the situation I'm in
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it's not a creative process.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: State your vision and expectations from the start, it saves time and effort for both parties and makes the process much smoother.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Laptop, APB, Auratone speakers, UA Twin and my phone for referencing.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: It's been about 10 years now, I started off as the youngest engineer in a private studio in Belgium until I moved to Boston to study Music Production and Engineering in Berklee College of Music. Having graduated, here I am in LA doing my thing with a Grammy nomination and several Gold Records and Albums under my belt
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: J Balvin for sure. I just think we'd get along and he's so effortlessly creative and wide in his approach to music.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I listen to the rough mix and references while taking notes, then I move to organising the tracks like I like them to be and simply start doing my thing, always making sure I am reflecting the work done by the artist and producers in the rough (unless explicitly told not to)
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: It's very simple and straightforward, other than my Valley People dynamic processors, a few guitar pedals and the McDSP APB-16 I'm all In The Box via Pro Tools 2022.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will not stop until you've been delivered the best product you could hope for.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: It doesn't feel like work, most of the time.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: "What do you think your song is lacking?"
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Big low end, punchy drums
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Experiment and break rules. Creativity is learning something so you can do the opposite.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Urban music such as Reggaeton and Hip Hop though I do have a lot of Jazz and Fusion under my belt.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Understanding the client's vision and adapting my style to cater to their needs.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I like to think that I can understand the artist's vision for the song and bring it to life sonically, sometimes the client is already so close to it and all they need is my little push and sometimes it's a pretty hefty change but always something the client will want to sign off on.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Jaycen Joshua, Serban Ghenea, Alex Tumay, MyGuyMars, Boi1da to name a few.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I mainly get hired to Mix client's records but I do a lot of Mastering, Tracking and Producing as well.