HipHop Producer & Mix Engineer

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

A: I recently got asked to write for a brief that was to pitch to a well known beauty products brand. Initially this was for a close producer buddy of mine. She unfortunately could find anything that aligned with the clients brief, so she reached out to myself to see if I could offer my help. We had received the brief in the morning and had a deadline of that night. I am particularly proud of this project because not only did we manage to produce a full track from scratch in under a day, we also managed to work alongside a rapper who wrote and recorded all the vocal parts all on the same night. I managed to do a full mix and master to give the song a final finesse. Overall, we have received great feedback from the clients who were not only impressed by the song itself, but also at how quickly we managed to turn around this entire song, produced, recorded, mix and mastered all in under 24 hours.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I find the most satisfaction in working with up and coming artists. For me there's nothing better than helping someone from day 1. I am currently working with an amazingly talented rapper who I see having prosperous future. The rapper is named Ban Micha. I am working on the mixing and mastering side of things for his future releases.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog any day of the week. Of course, investing in analog gear can be a costly rabbit hole to fall into so if you're working on a budget, utilise the best replicas out there i.e everything UAD.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The best part about my job is not actually feeling like I'm working. Because I have such a high level of love and passion for my craft, which is producing and mixing, not a day goes by where it feels like I've worked a standard day in an office.

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

A: Artists/producers such as Dr Dre, Timbaland, Kanye West, Neptunes, Max Martin were all my idols growing up. With their influence, I have been a producer and mix engineer for artists for 5+ years now. I've invested in mixing and producing for array of artists, my own 2 solo projects and 4 bands and have loved every moment of it. Producing music and engineering is my biggest passion, I can't imagine a life without it.

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

A: Quality with respect to tight deadlines.

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

A: How quickly can you turn a project over? This is obviously dependant on the project: - If it's mixing a single track - 24 hours for first draft delivery if need be. - If it's a production of a track (again, dependant on the project) - 24-48 hours for first draft delivery

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Imagine if Timbaland and Dr. Dre had a musical baby with Boi1Da and Kenny Beats, that's how I would envision my style. A strong Hip Hop/Trap style that doesn't shy away from pop sensibilities.

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

A: Pharell Willaims, Because I believe he's one of the most prolific producers of all time. He's influenced so much of my work.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Whether it's producing an album or mixing a track for an artist, I always start by developing a deep understanding of the client’s vision. This will completely influence my approach from the kind of gear and plug-ins I will use, to the references I will draw from as influence. Once I have worked out the overarching goals and what tools, techniques, gear, synths etc. are needed to achieve this. If I'm producing a song for an artist, I will start by creating the “heartbeat” of the song. This can be created in many different forms such as a melodic riff, drum pattern, vocal lines etc. I then construct and layer the rest of the elements around this. Once I think the vibe and feel of the song is right, I focus in on the smaller details, giving the song that extra finesse and flair. 

 If I'm mixing a record, I will start with the focal point of the song, if the song has vocals, I will start by perfecting the vocals to fit the aesthetic needed to align with the client's vision. If vocals aren’t a part of the song, I will start with the drums getting a balance between the main elements such as the kick and snare. Once the focal elements are perfected, I move to the bass frequencies of the track, so I find a good balance between the drums and bass. The remaining elements come thereafter.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run Ableton with a UAD Apollo Twin X. I have a range of UAD plugins such as the Fairchild range, Pultec EQ's, Teletronix LA-2A series, UA 11-76 series, UA 610-A & B. I also run the Slate Everything bundle, Antares Bundle and the Waves Mercury Bundle for a range of song and vocal mixing and producing purposes. For production, I lean on my Komplete 11 Ultimate Bundle, ANA, Arturia Collection, Massive, Sylenth.

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

A: Understand who you are as an artist and really have a clear vision of where you want your project to go and how you want your project portrayed. When reaching out to a service provider such as myself, work out exactly how that provider can impact your project whilst still maintaining your project visions and integrity i.e if you are hiring me to produce your next album, be clear on what overarching goals are, gather references for what you want the end goals to be, what areas do you feel need the most work? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your next release? What are your goals? PERSONAL NOTE: Please don't feel overwhelmed if you don't have that much of information on your project or you're only just starting out, you should never feel like you can't lean on the service provider to offer the words of wisdom to help steer you down the right path if that's what you're looking for.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: MAKE SURE YOUR DRUMS PUNCH & "BOUNCE" Don't ever cut corners with your drums as they are the foundation of any good song. Spend the time at the start of your song to build and create the drums tp not only hit the way the song needs but also to program your drum hits to "bounce" (bounce meaning elements of the drums that make people want to move or dance). If you nail the drums, everything else, chords, melodies, toplines, etc should come effortlessly because you have set the foundation.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are the main influences for your project (be it art, musical, artists, songs, movies, etc)? What are the main musical references you want this release to sound like + what do you like about each track? What does success in this next release look like? What are the main goals of the project? What timeline are you working on for the release? What is your budget?

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

A: UAD Apollo Twin X, Slate Virtual Microphone System (VMS), a classic Fender American Jazz Bass, Komplete Kontrol A25 & an Ableton Push 2

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My all-round electronic production skills, with an emphasis on drum sound design.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring 8+ years of production skills in an array of electronic genres. I also have a Bachelors degree in Audio Engineering & Sound Production which has provided me with a range of technical knowledge that influences all my decisions when producing and also mixing music. I go above and beyond to produce the top quality for my clients whilst staying true to my personal motto of respecting people's time. I work in an extremely fast and efficient manner whilst ensuring quality.

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

A: Hip Hop, Trap, House, Electronic, Pop Music, Chill, Ambient

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

A: J-Dilla, Madlib, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Rick Rubin, Max Martin, Dr Dre, Murda Beats, Boi1Da, Kenny Beats, Frank Ocean, Diplo, Knxwledge, Anderson Paak, Young Guru, Dave Darlington, Dave Pensado.

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

A: Trap/Hip Hop beats