Producer/Composer/Drummer

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have two separate studio setups... A drum studio and my production studio. I do all my drum recording at the drum studio and come back to my production setup for all the rest.

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

A: Right now I am most proud of working on my group Sistine Criminals' music. So far out of all the music I've been a part of, this music is by far the closest in matching my personal creative vision. It is live electronic music which combines the digital and analogue worlds using live instruments augmented by electronics and drum programming. It's cyborg music! To make this music happen, I serve as first and foremost the drummer and co-leader in the band and secondly as the executive producer and mixing engineer. Outside of my ThisIsTorch artistry, Sistine Criminals is without a doubt one of my passion projects. I hope to get other artists interested in doing some similar things with their music on a conceptual level as I've done with Sistine.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently working on some music for an artist by the name of Courtney Paige Nelson (Americas Next Top Model) as well as a live Trap/DnB group called Sistine Criminals based in NYC, some Sync projects and other stuff with a handful of other artists.

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

A: 100%

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: The marriage of the 2... because why pick one side when you can have the best of both worlds?

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making music is fun...especially when it pays your rent. ;)

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

A: ...I'm not sure to be honest.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: First thing, I like to really get a sense for what the project is and what the musical direction will be. I prefer to do as less guess work as possible so I can get it right the first time and deliver satisfactory results.

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

A: The most important piece of advice I could give to any customer who would like to work with me is to... ...Get very clear with yourself...knowing EXACTLY what you want to get out of the situation is KEY...and also knowing how to ask for it. Trust me, it will make my job alot easier as well as anyone else you decide to work with..as I am personally not talented enough to read minds. If you can do this, you are more likely to be satisfied with the end results. :)

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

A: 1) Drums (assuming that counts as 1 piece of gear) 2) Laptop 3) Audix Mics 4) Scarlett Interface 5) Roland Keyboard ...basically a complete working on-the-go recording studio.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style has always been evolving...and of course it changes depending on the artist I work with or the project i'm involved in...but if we're talking about my personal musical style I'd have to say it would be Squarepusher meets Mike Will Made it meets Billy Cobham meets Danny Elfman. Hopefully you can imagine what that sounds like!

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

A: Timbaland because he's the greatest of all time.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overthink...Let the music happen.

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

A: I work on many different styles of music but these days I often find myself producing Trap, Trap EDM, Dark Pop, Bedroom/Late Night vibe (think Kehlani)...stuff that has low bass (not always 808's), ethereal or dream-like textures, and sound-scapey..real vibe music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: One of the more unique qualities or elements I can bring to any given song/track as a producer would be my drumming. I'm not necessarily talking about..lets say..'pop/rock' drumming as this style is pretty common. Rather, I enjoy the idea of 'reverse engineering' (sorry i'm about to nerd out here..) styles that aren't typically played by live drummers such as 'Trap' or Jungle/DnB or really any style of electronic music that is typically produced with programmed drums. To me, emulating a programmed drum groove as a live musician brings a whole new organic and dynamic element that is rare to find.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It tends to be different almost every time but typically it starts with a concept or musical direction...At first I try to work quickly and 'throw paint at the wall' (so to speak) in order to get my ideas out. It then gradually zones in and refines as I work on the track. I'm usually looking to highlight something distinctive in every track I make in order to make it stand out.

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

A: As a producer my influences have been Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Mike WIll Made it, Metro Boomin, Squarepusher, Roni Size, Calibre and more. As a composer I've been influenced by the work of Danny Elfman, Rachmaninov, Hans Zimmer and more. As a drummer my heroes have been Billy Cobham, Questlove, Elvin Jones, John Bonham, Jeff TAIN Watts and so many more...too many more to name!

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

A: For artists, I have served as both a producer as well as a musical director/drummer. Other times I will collaborate with other producers as co-producer/drummer.