Live Drum Tracks, Percussion

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

A: I recorded an EP with a friend of mine. Just guitar and drums. Everything live, no overdubs, no editing. You can listen to one of the songs on my SoundBetter profile. I love the purity and the sound of it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently working on a Drum Sample Library featuring my 1940s Slingerland RadioKing with original calf skin.

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

A: Yes, Alex Pohn, a great drummer and producer and Alex Hoeffken, also a great session and live drummer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Definitely both. I love to record drum tracks on my tape machine but it's hard to imagine recording with modern interfaces, pre-amps and a powerful DAW.

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

A: I promise to record absolutely unique drum tracks for you that fit and support the uniqueness of your song perfectly.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I think what I like best is the feeling when a drum sound really "falls into place" - meaning that it lifts the song to another level, supports it and blends in perfectly at the same time.

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

A: I think musicians underestimate the influence that drum sound has on their songs. Just changing the snare can make a huge difference and give a song a completely different vibe.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Please tell me everything about your song: What is it about? How should it sound? Do you have a specific idea of how the drums should sound?

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

A: Look for someone who listens closely to what your notions are and what you have in mind.

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

A: Does a drumkit count as one piece of gear? :) In that case: The 1964 Ludwig kit, the 1940s Slingerland RadioKing kit, a pair of sticks, my laptop and a pair of ribbon microphones.

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

A: I started playing drums at the age of 7. After studying Jazz music at university I moved to Berlin to work there a freelance drummer for 5 years. I was touring in Europe with different artists. In In 2016 I moved to Vienna and opened my studio here.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Groove-oriented drumming with very unique sound that fits and supports the song.

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

A: I would absolutely love to record music with the Bros.Landreth. I love their songs and their sound.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Yes: Dear drummers: sound matters!

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

A: Very often I get asked to record for Singers/Songwriters, Alternative Pop music and Americana.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Sound in combination with a serving-the-song mind set.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: 100% passion for sound and the promise to do everything to support the song and make it feel awesome.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: The first thing I do is asking the artist if he or she has any specific notions of how the drumset should sound. If so, good! That helps me to meet their needs. Very often though the artist ask me to play what I hear. That means a great deal of freedom in my choices. In this case I ask myself: how can I support the song best? Usually, an idea of how the drumset could sound in the given context forms by itself. After that, I set up the kit, mic it and start forming ideas for the different parts of the song.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I love the sound of vintage drums. The kits I use most frequently are a 1964 Ludwig kit, a 1940s Slingerland RadioKing, a 1960s Slingerland Modern Jazz Outfit and a 1960s Gretsch kit. My number one choice of microphones are the 4038 Coles ribbon mics in combination with a tube pre amp. In addition, I have a nice collection of vintage microphones. (Sennheiser 441 pair, MD 421 pair , AKG C414 pair just to name a few)

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

A: I love listening to great performances. "The Story" by Brandi Carlile comes to mind. And I get inspired by sound. "WWCD" by Griselda was my latest inspiration in terms of sound.

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

A: I record live drum track and percussions for artists all aver the world focusing on supporting the uniqueness of the individual performances.