Platinum selling drummer will record and mix multitrack drums, percussions and sounds in his own studio in Berlin, Germany and bring your music to life! Endorser for Pearl Drums & Sabian Cymbals, vintage as well as new gear!
I'm a session drummer based in Berlin and working in my own studio. I have a wide variety of drums, cymbals, percussions and recording gear to find the sound and groove you need to push your record forward!
After graduating university with a diploma degree as jazz-musician, I moved to Berlin and started working as a session drummer for live as well as studio sessions. I recorded with artists like multi-platinum selling singer Sarah Connor and toured with international bands like Mighty Oaks.
Besides that I was always writing, recording and producing my own music and therefore developed a very good sense to hear and play what a song requires. With a background in rock music as well as improvised music, I will be able to find some creative approaches and sounds fitting the needs of your music and lay them down straight!
I record drums in my big recording room in Berlin. Vintage gear as well as new gear just a handle away, ready to chose whatever is needed to achieve the outcome the music requires!
Endorser for Pearl Drums and Sabian Cymbals.
Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.
Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.
Credits
25 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients
Endorse Oli Friedrich
check_circleVerifiedAnother successful collaboration. I'm more than happy with the cool drum tracks, they sound very tight & professional and fit effortlessly in the mix. A+
check_circleVerifiedVery professional drummer, great sound and great communication!
I really recommend this guy!- check_circleVerified
Always a great experience to work together with Oli. He is a very versatile & talented drum maestro.
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Oli nailed it again. I really like his unique style to play the drums and especially the hihat which got a wonderful groove, that brings the track to life... Highly recommended 🙏
check_circleVerifiedWe contaced Oli with the mission to add live drums on our song (Find Back, by Indigorado). We didn't have clear instructions about what we wanted but Oli came with a suggestion that we felt would fit the general feeling of the song. He worked fast and communicated clearly.
check_circleVerifiedOli performed phenomenally on my track - he took my song to another level with his creativity, excellent timing, attention to dynamics, and pro-grade recording quality. I will surely utilize his services again.
check_circleVerifiedOli performed the drums sound I was looking for, I really like it!
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Oli was quick to answer to any and all feedback which was very useful when it came to finding the best possible product. He has a great sounding setup, perfect for pop/rock sounding productions. Thanks
check_circleVerifiedOli Friedrich is a great drummer with a very unique, grooving style. He's dedicated, enthusiastic, creative and highly professional. I really appreciate working together with him & Can't recommend him enough...
check_circleVerifiedOli put together some great drum and percussion sounds for me. He is both creative and technically proficient. I would definitely recommend working with him!
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Again Oli provided the perfect drumparts for the songs. His skills are out of this world, incredible tone and performance. Great communication. Glad I chose to work with him.
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Another great collaboration. Oli is a really talented drummer and a pro in every aspect
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Oli really is an outstanding drummer with lots if groove and feeling. This won't be the last track I'll produce with him...
check_circleVerifiedWorking with Oli is as pleasant as effective, really listen what the songs need, no doubt that he is a great drummer with passion for what he does, quick and clean, a real pro, don't hesitate you won't be disappointed !! Thanks Oli !
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Highly recommended. Great parts, great playing and great tones. Excellent communication, and fast delivery. What more could you ask for!!! A++
check_circleVerifiedAlways excellent
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"In Darkness" wouldn't have been the same without Oli, and I mean that in the best way.
check_circleVerifiedSuper fast turnaround and stellar tracks. Oli was a pleasure to work with and got me everything I had hoped for with stellar engineering.
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Oli's playing is exceptional, as is his range of drum tones and soundscaping abilities.
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Great work!
Interview with Oli Friedrich
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Play simple ideas in a way, they won't sound simple.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: First I look for the right drumset, snare and cymbals, decide wether I want my room to be open and wide or dry and small sounding and look for the mics I need to achieve the sound I'm aiming for. I record with BAE 1073, API 312, or UAD Preamps into Logic in 44kHz or 48kHz and there are usually up to 20 channels.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I'm really proud of the work we did with my own band "Vögel Die Erde Essen", because all we did, we did on our own. I was not only a drummer but also a writer, composer, singer etc.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Besides recording drums as a session guy, I write and produce my own music which is a great journey and experience.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: If you are looking for a great multi-instrumentalist, synth-nerd, super creative mixer and producer you should definitely check out akkerbouw from Berlin, Germany!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I love the warmth of vintage as well as the faster workflows in digital working, but in my experience it was always more about the idea than the gear. So whatever is available - get going :)
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The thing I like most is, that at the end of the day there will be music, that hasn't been there before. Creating gives so much energy!
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: "Can you record additional samples of each drum and cymbal?" - "Yes, I can!"
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I'm not only copying existing drums (programmed or played) I also do love to create new drumparts and bring in my creativity.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: If usually ask them, if they have a vision for what the drums play and how they should sound and tell them what would work best in my opinion.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: If you have a clear idea of what you want - that's great! But don't hesitate to contact someone to record if you do not, because most of the great players are also great creatives and it is often worth to let them bring in their ideas and creativity.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: As boat - to get back as fast as I could ;)
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: At the moment I would choose Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. I'm absolutely in love with his taste for groove and sound.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Before getting on the instrument and start playing/recording listen to the song and the ideas several times to lock in to the vibe and the idea.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Eric Valentine, Tame Impala, BadBadNotGood, Parcels, Steve Albini, Greg Wells, Kaytranada, Flying Lotus
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: We will come up with something great together!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started playing the drums at age of 10. From 2006 on I studied jazz and pop music at a german university and graduated with a diploma. After that I started to dive deeply into drumsound, tuning and recording. A journey I'm still on and enjoying every day!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I grow up as an indie rock drummer, but got also deep into jazz, bigband and funk music.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Mostly it's some sort of Indie Pop or Rock Music with straight forward grooves.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Energy and life. Sometimes this can mean to hit hard and play a lot, but more often it's the exact opposite.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First I listen to the song to get an overall feeling and decide which way to go soundwise. After that I set up the gear I need and play to check the sound. After recording I send a stereo track to the client to see, if he/she likes it. If yes, I send the multitrack stems or do a mix of the tracks first, depending on what is required. If not, we discuss what to change and repeat the process until everyone is happy with the outcome.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mostly clients have finished songs with ideas of drums they programmed or with a drumloop and they want real drums on it.
I was the Drummer in this production
- Live drum trackAverage price - $200 per song
- PercussionContact for pricing
Turnaround usually 3-5 business days.
3 Revisions free of charge.
- Queens of the Stone Age
- The Strokes
- Tchad Blake
- Endorser for Pearl and Sabian
- Vintage Ludwig + Slingerland Sets and Snares
- A&F Drums
- Sugar Percussion
- BAE 1073
- API 3124
- UAD 4-710d
- Coles 4038
- Neumann KM184
- Beyerdynamic M160
- M201
- M88
- Cascade Ribbon Mics
- Audix D6 etc
