Remote mixing and arranging

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I've just finished two pop productions, a guitar ballad and an album of christian acoustic music. And had time to totally redo the studio, including new and amazing treatment. It sounds so good in the mix position now I never would have believed it if I didn't heard it myself!

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: No. Sorry. Totally new... (update 2 years later. Still totally new. Lost interest when I got more clients in the real world than I could handle, but now I'm back since I'm trying to expand my studio workload, and my income)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital all the way. Analog is awesome but also very very hard to justify when software has so many benefits these days. Yes I could spend a lot of money on an amazing sounding compressor, but what happens when the client wants a revision two months after I delivered? All those things that are making it really hard to justify the purchase and maintenance of hardware. I have even replaced most of my microphones with Townsend L22s! They sound fantastic!

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

A: I will try as hard as I possibly can to deliver! This is not simply a job for me, it's my life and my passion.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being creative and letting everyone touch a piece of my soul. I know it sounds cheesy but life's cheesy sometimes. I have a hard time expressing myself, and music, regardless if it's my own or clients, let me embed a part of myself and what I'm feeling in that exact moment in time, and give it away to the audience.

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

A: I think it's hard to define a producer or an audio engineer. What we do is both very technical and very creative. It's art, but at the same time it's also a trade. I wouldn't have it any other way! Love it!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Do you have any particular references? How would you like the project delivered? What's the deadline?

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

A: A guitar, a pen and a notebook. Maybe my bass clarinet as well. And a tent.

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

A: 2006 singer/songwriter, busker, music teacher 2007 Music Conservatoire in Falun 2008 Lunds University bachelor. Also touring with a klezmer band and freelancing. 2008-2014 freelancing in symphony orchestras, musical, doing field recordings, finished my masters and took music production classes. 2014 - present. Teaching music, and freelancing as a solo artist, learning mixing and production as i go. 2021 - Starting my company The Swedish Music Studio

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Diverse! Flexible and organic. I love mixing electronic and acoustic sounds. And I love a strong melody line!

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

A: Alex Lacamoire and Lin Manuel Miranda. That songwriting and arranging duo is just out of this world. I Love Lacamoires arrangments and must have listened to the Hamilton soundtrack 200 times or more, totally honest. Update 2 years later: Yes this is still my answer. Lacamoire is my house-god!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: this is a secret not many know about, not even pros: soft mount your studio speakers and they will sound incredible! Put them inside a super chunk construction. It needs to be well ventilated of course, and measuring before putting everything together is crucial, but it's not rocket science! It will remove the phase cancellations from the edges of the cabinets, and extend the wave guides somewhat to the sides. It will also remove the SBIR if they are close to a wall, which, for most home studio owners, they are.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Arrangement and fresh ideas.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring almost 3 decades of playing music. I have learned to make the most of what i have, since I come from a working class upbringing, and am kind of an expert on turning a feather in to a chicken! I have extensive knowledge in orchestral instruments, and can arrange and record lalmost any genre on the fly. I have been teaching music for 2 decades and know how to bring the best out of the artists performances, and I NEVER let go until every stone is turned hunting for the perfect song!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I love reference tracks, to get in the headspace of the client. It gets us on the same page quickly and we can be working towards the same goal right from the start. After that I will go where the creativity leads me. Listen to various other artists in the genre to get ideas, and then just throw stuff at the project until something sticks. Normally I work really fast and the song has a very clear structure in my head after the first hour of working. I am then very determined to get regular and ongoing feedback from the artists so that they feel included and a part of the process. It's their song after all.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work from a professionally treated home studio in a designated house in my back yard. It helps me cutting costs and I can also be a better and more present dad, even thought I work a lot. I use interfaces from RME (UFX II) and Metric Halo (ULN-2), and studio monitors are MunroSonic The Egg 150, and Kali IN5. I have microphones from sE, Shure, Townsend, CAD, Pearl, Weissklang and others, and more instruments than I can count.

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

A: Full production for local artists. From cowriting music to mastering, and everything inbetween. I love the creative process from start to finish.

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

A: I am very proud of an old release with the artists "Gustafssons". Its my family getting together (none but me are musically inclined) to make a song saluting my mother at her 60th birthday. its my first public appearance as a singer, and my little sister is rapping! haha. it was so much fun! I am also very proud of a video i did on instagram interpreting Miss Lis sheet music for a song she had yet to release. When it finally was released i compared the two and our arrangments and production choices was spooky similar. That was really cool!

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

A: Why are you so cheap, you could charge way more? I dont want to. If i did, i wouldnt get to know these amazing hard working artists, and i would exclude so many poor musicians! I rather have some leway artistically and maybe take a bit of time doing it. I hate beeing rushed if there is no point. So i try to avoid it by making a deal about they paying less and the work takes a few weeks and not days. Its also about balancing beeing a father of three along with life in general.

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

A: Dont be afraid to ask questions, and to take a chance on people (goes both in here and in life in general!). I have hired lots of amazing talents myself that no one else did. And I have made lots of new friends and got some great music recorded in the process!

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

A: singer/songwriter, soft pop, acoustic, classical, ambient.

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

A: Gregory Scott, Dan Worrall, Mike Senior, Sylvia Massey