Atheen on SoundBetter

I’m a UK-based session keyboardist with 35 years of live and studio experience, specializing in funk, jazz-funk, acid jazz, lofi and house, whether you're looking for soulful Rhodes, warm Wurlitzer, punchy synths or classic house piano.

I aim to bring a rich musical background and a deep understanding of rhythm, harmony and feel to every project:

- Session keyboards for funk, jazz-funk, acid jazz, house, soul and electronic projects
- Custom keyboard parts, from Rhodes and Wurlitzer to synths and classic piano
- Tight, groove-based playing with a deep understanding of rhythm and harmony
- Top-tier plugins for classic Rhodes, Moog, Sequential and Oberheim sounds

Industry & Live Experience
Early in my career I played 100+ cover band gigs per year. Over the years I’ve demonstrated for Korg, Casio, Roland and Yamaha, showcasing top-tier keyboard technology. I’ve also led my own jazz and funk bands, supported Soul II Soul and had the pleasure of working with Matt and Derrick from Jamiroquai, a great lesson in arranging at pro level.

Studio & Production Work
As a Sound On Sound magazine contributor, I bring deep technical knowledge to my sound and production. I self-release tracks via my own label and publishing company.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Atheen

Nick Ward and Atheen
Lisa Polson
Mythology Music
Mythology Music

Languages

English

4 Reviews

Endorse Atheen

by Mike Jolly
Verified (Client)
Atheen is super talented and it was an absolute pleasure remixing her track "Stronger". Hope we can collaborate again in the future.
by Elias David Rooney
Verified (Client)
So glad Atheen got in touch. Loved her track, a pleasure to collaborate with.
by Yoad Nevo
Verified (Client)
Atheen was an absolute pleasure to work with! Really cool track, had a lot of fun working on it. Very much looking forward to hearing Atheen's work in the future!
by Gerard Hairston
Verified (Client)
I really enjoyed working on this, great style and sound

Interview with Atheen

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: A track I composed and then had Matt Johnson and Derrick McKenze add their polish. It was the realisation of a long-held dream.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: New releases for my label, Modal Records.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Ooo tricky. I grew up in the digital era and I think newer digital releases are really starting to capture the raw sound and characteristics of early analogue instruments. Plus I like locational independence so digital works better for this. So I'll say digital.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: It's my professional reputation on the line too so I'll do my best to achieve what you're hearing in your head, or work to come up with something awesome if you're not sure what you want.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to work on great tracks with great musicians, what's not to love.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: When can I get the track back? I could turn something around very quickly but if you give me a couple of days to fully absorb a song first, you're going to get a better end result.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it's not a 'proper' job. People hear music around them every day and take it for granted, not realising that someone somewhere has spent hours of their lives pouring their heart into creating it.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Do you have a track / artist / sound in mind? It saves a lot of time if I know what they're aiming for from the start.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Have a listen to what I've done first to see if you think we're going to be a good fit. It's all about hiring the right team for your project.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Laptop, Beyerdynamic DT-880s, Rhodes V8, Yamaha CP88, Oberheim OB-X8 - I need more options!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: 34+ years, I've always been involved in the industry, from having my own six piece funk band, supporting Soul II Soul, signing a record deal and working as a demonstrator and reviewer.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I take a fairly traditional approach with those favourite sounds from late 70s, early 80s jazz funk, such as Rhodes, Sequential and Oberheim.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Mike Lindup, the reason I got into playing keyboards in this style.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Jazz funk, jazz, disco house, acid jazz.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I'm a big fan of harmonies so will try to find the most interesting chords and melody lines that I can, but only if they enhance the piece.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Many years of experience performing, recording and exploring the work of other artists.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Set up some favourite sounds and jam around a piece a few times to get a feel for it and get some ideas down. Then take a break while the track takes root and develops in my head. Then usually rush back to the kit to get those ideas down fast!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Based mostly in the box, with a Clavinova as controller to get the right feel. Working in Logic with a lot of high-quality plugins, including the Arturia suite, Softube Model 80, Moog Model D, Gforce OB-X, Rhodes V8 / Anthology and many more.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Matt Johnson, Wallty Badarou, Mike Lindup, Herbie Hancock, Patrice Rushen, Jeff Lorber, Derrick McKenzie, Mick Guzauski, Dave Lee, Micky More & Andy Tee, Purple Disco Machine
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Keyboards for funky disco house tracks.