Remote Mixing & Mastering

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

A: FLOOR IS LAVA. Fully proud and satisfied with every sound I produced in any track. I check my tracks on huge PA systems, on people breaking the dance floor, they work perfect. I just want to start performing this music life, and I'll be happy

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: My own music FLOOR IS LAVA, my label FIL Records, mixing tracks for Kiruza. Mixing two albums for my Russian clients.

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

A: Vindorra. I worked with him, he's a great singer. But SB was updated and his review on my profile disappeared.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Any. Depends on the music. I like Digital because it's easy and fast.

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

A: I give no promises as I don't want to do the job they have to do themselves. Every artist is a fragile nature. All I can do is to help them believe in their art.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Inspiration to write my own music I get when I hear other guys trying to do something beautiful. The money I get to have my time to write. Exchange of ideas, making friends with clients all over the world.

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

A: 'How much is to mix one track?' - 'I charge per hour' - 'Oh it's gonna be too expensive?' - 'No it's cheaper than a fixed price'

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

A: 'Mixing in the box sounds bad'. No, man. Just no. Everything depends on the original multitrack, musicians skills, mixing skills.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Questions that allow me to know more about their psychological state. It's a secret. I don't work with those who bother me too much.

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

A: All will be fine! Breathe deeper!

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

A: Mac, soundcard, Set of mics, Drumkit and guitar... erm... Wind mill?

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

A: 40 years. In 1982 I formed and joined a couple of bands and started recording them in my bedroom studio, set up a DIY label. During the 1990's I kept on playing with bands and produced our records. In 2000's I switched to Digital recording, became a professional Music Composer and song-writer. In mid 2000's I came back on stage with solo projects and other bands. Since 2005 I work as music mixer and sound producer. In 2020 I moved to Montenegro from Russia. My latest artistic incarnation is FLOOR IS LAVA. In 2021 we set up a label FIL Records to release our music.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Lively. Emotional. Clear (even when dirty)

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

A: Michael Jackson. I just wanna meet him.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Learn how to let your track go. Don't be over perfectionist. It's not gonna work. Let it go. The day they hear your track will be the day they will love it. If you change it afterwards, they won't accept it.

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

A: I went through almost all styles. I wrote and recorded Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Pop, I played in bands and do know them all through. I recorded classical musicians, my children studied violin. I recorded them, their orchestras, some crossover projects. I composed and produced music for films and TV. I did cinematic music for adverts and radio. I recorded Hip Hop artists, mostly their vocals. I am doing a lot of EDM now, like Progressive House, Deep House, Chill, Techno, Trance. I had a band that performed a blend of electronic music and guitar based Indie dance.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I am strong enough in everything. I can tell you I may find technical engineer skills a bit boring to me. I'd rather do something creative instead, like I enjoy arranging songs to recording multitrack. But still, everything depends on a situation, artist, material. I adore composing that's for sure.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Everything I know. I have heard so much of music during my whole life. I hardly can tell artist names or song titles, but I can tell a date a particular song was recorded by the sound. So, I bring everything I can and everything a client wants from me.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I have a specially designed table which height can be easily adjusted to the way I want to work, sitting or standing. When it's down like now, my typical work process is like this: I make myself a cup of coffee, put my phone next to me on a charger, turn on the light if needed, look through the window at the sea if it's daytime, turn on the heater under my table if it's cold, I sit down on a chair comfortably, I launch session, I work.... Then my neighbour may knock to my door and remind me that it's way later than midnight.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I started with a monophonic home tape recorder. This was how I recorded all early soviet punk records back in the 1980's. The studio archive was accepted by the Music Library of IU in Bloomington. Since the 2005 I am working on ProTools. I am fully committed and devoted to digital recording. It's comfy, easy, useful and sounds clear. Whenever I am in need of some lofi/analogy sounds, I can use tape or MC recorders, play with noises etc. It's a bit nostalgic. But for only few minutes maybe. I still like the smell of tapes though.

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

A: I started recording myself drumming when I was at the music school, at the age of 12. Ever since I was listening to various records as a sound producer, hearing details, such as room reverberation behind the drum kit or sound quality. I am talking about the old records made in the 1970's. I didn't even have their vinyl, those were tape copies and still I was inspired by the variety of recording techniques heard through tape noise and saturation.

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

A: Full set of production work. From recording multitrack, all the way through edition, comping, arrangement, mixing, mastering. Mostly I do mastering myself, but sometimes it's better to have someone else involved. That's why I like sharing job on projects with musicians at least, if they can do something like editing for instance.