Session Bass Player

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

A: Respect to your musical vision, attention do detail and smooth communication.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the style you're looking for? Do you have any references for the sound you're seeking?

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My signal flow goes: Bass/Guitar/Mic > Pedalboard (when needed) > Audio Interface (Apollo X4) > DAW (Logic Pro X). I use a 14" M1 Pro MacBook Pro, Dynaudio BM5 mk3 monitors + 9S sub and Audio Technica ATH-M50X headphones.

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

A: I'm inspired by all categories of musicians and styles. Some of my biggest inspirations on the bass are: Ben Kenney, Pino Palladino, Michael League, Felipe Andreoli, Victor Wooten. Drummers: Benny Greb, Jojo Mayer, Aaron Spears, Eloy Casagrande, Jake Reed. Guitarists: Mark Lettieri, Mateus Asato, Tom Misch, John Mayer, Guthrie Govan. Producers: Finneas, Oak Felder, Ian Kirkpatrick, Phillip Etherington.

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

A: Most of my work consists of session bass recording and music production/beatmaking for independent artists, but I also perform live periodically with cover bands and local artists.

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

A: I am experienced with all styles of music. I have composed for anime themes, commercial soundtracks, jazz, fusion, rock, pop, reggae, funk, R&B, soul, electronic, progressive rock, progressive metal, and many other styles. But what comes to me more often is funk, R&B and heavy rock.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Versatile and patient.

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

A: Do you want a name? John Mayer. But generally speaking, with the artist that knows what he's looking for. This artist not only certainly does great music but also makes the work so much lighter, because he has a clear vision and knows just which sounds and playstyles he's seeking.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I would say that my bass playing is my strongest skill, but the world is full of amazing bass players. One thing that really keeps my clients coming back to me, however, is my speed and attention when talking to them. Communication is key.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring originality, respect for each instrument's space and musicality. I play what I feel the music needs according to the instructions given by the client. If simplicity is required, I play simple. If fast, complex and odd-time licks are to be played, I take the challenge.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always start by listening to the client. I help him figuring out what his needs are if he's struggling with that, then proceed to listen to his references before I start any recording work. Once we have a defined direction with clear instructions, I setup my Logic project with all the tempo information and put the tracks in place. After the setup is done, I take a few listens to the client's song (if anything's already pre-recorded) and note my ideas, then I proceed to effectively record, making sure to edit the audio properly during and after the whole track's recorded. Then, I process the audio, bounce the isolated files and deliver them to the client. If he needs any rework, I'm ready for that and I do it as soon as possible. If not, then we have a happy client and a happy Rafael!