80s Synth/Retro Keys, Producer

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

A: Currently I'm jazzed to have released my first album of original songs on VINYL! It's called "Funk Punk" & includes 12 new songs. Since my music was recorded & produced specifically with those vinyl vibes in mind, it's a perfect fit to release on that format & I'm pretty thrilled with how it all turned out.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently recording lots of original music that I drop on Spotify regularly!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love building tracks & creating music! Making something from nothing is pure fun.

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

A: That as producers we just throw a bunch of loops together & instantly have a song. There is soooooooo much that goes into creating a great track. It doesn't always have to be a difficult procedure of course, but a lot more thought & care goes into producing a song than most people would ever know.

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

A: That I will work my hardest to make sure their vision is realized. I'll work quickly & as a team player who's there to support them & help them create the music that excites their soul.

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

A: Make sure whoever you hire is the right fit for your music. Listen to their song samples...do you like what you hear? Is it similar to the style of music you're creating? In my case, my playing style is very vintage 80s, so if you want that type of vibe on your track then I'm your guy.

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

A: Ensoniq VFX synth, Linn Drum machine, Fairlight CMI, Shure SM7B mic & a sweet sounding acoustic guitar.

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

A: I was on stage at age 6 singing in my parents family band. Music has always been my life.

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

A: I have a few...Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis would be amazing! Their 80s albums with Janet Jackson, Alexander O' Neal & so many others is pure magic. If the Pointer Sisters were still around, I would have loved to work with them. They had some fun & funky dance tracks I can't get enough of. And finally Finneas. Even though our styles are wildly different, I think he's an incredible innovator & songwriter. Sitting in the studio & vibing with that guy would surely bring forth some crazy cool inventions.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Less is more. It's very tempting to go crazy & layer ten thousand things when creating your masterpiece, but every track you record can potentially steal from another. Too many ingredients mess things up. Find the key ingredients that really make the song work, then mix them together until they pop & punch! Meat & potatoes baby....meat & potatoes.

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

A: 80s sounding pop, funk, RnB & soul

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have a strong sense of melody & can create musical parts to fit a song very quickly.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I run everything through Reason 13, Yamaha HS8 monitors, Akai MPK controller boards, tons of vintage synth plugins including Arturia & Roland cloud that I run through an old analog mixing board & a Korg Prologue synth & Yamaha DX7 to round things out.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Writing catchy hooks

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog! Luv those 70s / 80s vibes.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: How do I get my song to sound exactly like (insert favorite artist)? My answer is this...we all have inspirations & artists that greatly influence us. That's inevitable. But I feel it's a mistake to want to sound exactly like your favorite artist. If you do then you're now just a clone. You need to bring YOU into the music. What do you bring that no one else can? That's where the magic is, because there's only one you.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I usually ask them for reference tracks...what songs out there have the vibes you want on your track? This gives me a solid idea what direction they're going for stylistically.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Fun, funky, groovy & gorgeous

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When a client comes to me with a song, I listen very carefully for what's missing...what isn't there yet that I can add & that will compliment the track.

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

A: Prince is my main inspiration! I love his catalogue of music & am constantly inspired by it. Also Jam & Lewis have had a huge impact on me. Have to mention Thomas Dolby as well...his comical style mixed with funky grooves is very similar to what I do.

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

A: Vintage 80s & 90s synth / keyboard parts, music production