Mix & Master Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Digital most of the time because of perfect recall and the fact that most analog gear has very good digital recreations. The digital world also has great AI based dynamic tools that were unavailable in the analog era and they are lifesavers, especially when making bold moves. Sometimes analog grit or specific sounds are needed and then I reach for my trusted tools in my rack and print new versions of tracks through them. If I'm tracking myself, I aim to have a great sounding chain before even hitting the converters.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love working with great music and I love being creative.

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

A: Let me know your hopes and expectations as early as possible. Let me know if you have specific aesthetic aims or references, if there's something that you want to sound a certain way - and also create space to be creative where you are unsure. Some projects are very defined by the production and require following it quite precisely, whereas others can greatly benefit from being creative at mixing stage.

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

A: Good laptop, UAD soundcard, Genelec 8351B's, midi keyboard and a Brauner microphone.

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

A: I've worked with music as a profession for 20 years. I ended up producing an album by a band I played in and haven't looked back since. For a long time, I worked mostly with Finnish artists, but over the last few years, I've had the chance to work on projects with some of the biggest names in reggae & dancehall and I'm very grateful for it. Many of the projects I've worked on I've started on in a smaller role but having recognised the music might benefit from certain things, I've communicated with the team and helped with the arrangement and the production. Being Nordic helps, as we tend to be friendly but direct.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Punchy, smooth and with character.

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

A: There's so many ..

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Be brave, when needed - and refined, when called for.

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

A: Caribbean and African music styles - Dancehall, reggae, hip hop, afrobeats, reggaeton, afroswing and trap. I've also recorded, mixed and mastered soul, EDM, house, trip hop, prog rock, movie scores and children's music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Listening to a producers work, identifying what a song needs and being able to use the right tools for the job - later on listening to my own work and using a similar reflection to refine what is done without losing the focus on the strengths of a particular song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: If it's a vocal song, I make the lead vocal shine. I make it sit on a throne that the instrumental sets for it. I give character, definition and space where needed - most importantly I make the song sound like a record.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It all starts with listening to a rough mix of the song, identifying the strengths of it and the arrangement and also recognizing where it needs help. I make heavy notes, and when I start to compile a session I try to follow this intuitive guidance closely, while also identifying more refined things to do - reverbs / vocal spaces / small cuts / filtering / whatever the songs needs. Sometimes everything is very refined and straight forward - sometimes I need to use heavier tools. It's all up to the aesthetic of the song and I don't want to use one-size-fits-all solutions.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I used to work on a big console. Having done that for 15 years, I nowadays work very much in the box at my studio in Suomenlinna, Helsinki and use analog gear whenever needed. My Genelec 8351B monitoring is set up so I can hear every detail of every song I work on while still having the feel of the punch of the song when played on a heavy sound system - my NS10's help to refine sounds to work in more limited environments.

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

A: I have so many musical heroes it's hard to know where to start. I grew up with reggae sounds from the seventies to the nineties, so the big Jamaican producers and engineers from that time have shaped my musical thoughts a lot. I love the crispy, spaced-out, yet clean production styles of Damian "Jr Gong" Marley & Winta James, the pop-reggaeton sounds of Tainy & Sky, the modern afrobeats sounds of Kel P & Sarz. I love listening to a wide range of music - from jazz to ambient, from Top 40 hits to movie scores.

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

A: The work I do most is mix & master songs and albums. I make things sit in place, make sure the song translates on any system and often smooth some rough edges and roughen some smooth edges to make sure the whole thing has character and punch. I listen to songs as a whole and when needed, help with the arrangement to create space and air. Mixing vocals is my specialty - I'm proud to make artists shine.