Lukas Kurz on SoundBetter

Songwriter, Drummer, Producer, Recording and Mixing Engineer. Let‘s make a record, it‘s fun!

I can help you in some essentials steps along the way of music production. May it be songwriting, arranging, finding sounds, recording (in person or remotely) or mixing an already recorded song. I‘ve done all of this for about ten years. I studied music so I know my fair share of music theory which can be very helpful with writing and arranging harmonies, strings, horns etc.

I believe that a satisfying result comes from taking good care of every of the above mentioned (and all the other) stages of music production. I‘m not a big fan of „fix it in the mix“ although a lot is possible these days. Let‘s fix it where it should be fixed, right?

I have my studio in Berlin, Germany. Everything can be done there but tracking drums.

My goal is to get your ideas where they‘re meant to be and to make them as clear as possible to the audience. I‘d be happy to hear from you and your songs!

Send me a note through the contact button above.

8 Reviews

Endorse Lukas Kurz

by Albert A.
Verified
It was a real pleasure working with Lukas. Super nice and hospitable. Very easy to talk to and work with. We needed our song mixed and when we showed up, Lukas had already done all the ground work. In unison we spent the session tweaking and talking. Lukas has an awesome understanding for artistic vision, while not being afraid to give his opinion. We've come out with a song we couldn't be happier with!

Definitely recommend Lukas!
by Tiflis Transit
I worked with Lukas as a recording and co-producer on our latest release as Tiflis Transit. Lukas is an a absolutely trustworthy and professional person in music. He has at least four ears: two regular ones, which is already pretty helpful, moreover a tech-focussed and an artist ear. If you can read between the lines, all that is already so much to have for successful and magical productions. This recommendation comes with utmost appreciation and honesty! Looking forward to see Lukas again in the studio or behind the FoH!
by Wein & Haschisch
If I had to decide for one single person to pick for my next production, it would definitely be Lukas. I had the pleasure to work with him on several live and studio occasions and I must say that he is one of the most talented, reliable, creative minds you can imagine - a true professional! You can expect him to put as much passion and work into your projects as you do, having a strong focus on the right details without ever losing sight of the big picture (or deadlines). In addition: He knows all the dirty tricks, so if something does not work properly, he will find a solution, trust me!
by Birk Buttchereyt
I've had the luck to work with Lukas on several productions so far. Either it's been his skill as a highly reliable professional studio and/or live drummer with a fine ear for tuning drums and understanding the sonic subtleties of that complex instrument (e.g. for an internationally released rock album published by Sonoton or on stage with the Indie project Duktus), or it's been his abilities as an engineer/producer finding the right solution in each situation of troubleshooting without losing focus and the creative acces towards the music that made me call his number every single time!
by Darjeeling
We worked with Lukas as a recording/mixing engineer and co-producer on two consecutive records in 2018 (Hokus Pokus, 2019) and 2020 (MAGUNA, 2021). Being a high-level performing tech-expert he always has at least one ear for the artist approach. His works definetely move on an international level and he is able to make use of every tiny technical advantage you could possibly get out of a studio surrounding. Apart from performing as an absolute professional he is 100% reliable, funny, experienced and if you let him be: outstandingly creative. We are looking forward to work with Lukas again!
by Karina Häßlein
I worked with Lukas Kurz on two theater projects. He was my musical director and in this capacity he arranged, composed and produced music and took on many organizational tasks. In both projects it was a great blessing to have him there. His sensitive, calm and professional way of communicating and working allowed us to achieve the best possible result as a team. I hope for many more projects with him.
by Marcel
We did a little shortfilm and Lukas produced an awesome soundtrack. I was totally impressed and his ideas and his creativity helped the film to get on the next level. Thank you very much, it was a pleasure to work with you :)!
by Joules the Fox
I have been working with Lukas on several productions
and highly value his organized and creative mind, fine ear,
calm and clear way of communicating and honest opinion;
and all in all his utter professionality, reliability and person.

Sounds too good to be true: but is true.

Interview with Lukas Kurz

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have a small but very efficient studio setup. The room is treated acoustically in combination with a room correction software (Sonarworks Reference), which assures that mixes translate in as many situations as possible. I know my speakers (Yamaha MSP5 and Auratones) and my headphones (DT770 and K712) and I know what to listen to on each of them. I mix entirely in the box because I really like the speed and the workflow. Production-wise I am a huge fan of the Arturia Synth Collection, my Deepmind 6 and XLN Audio XO and Addictive Drums. Most recent hardware addition the studio is a Tasty Chips GR-1 Granular Synth.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Christine and The Queens. Her skills, her voice and her energy are just amazing and I‘d love to work with her in a studio environment.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Listen back to your mixes on only two volume settings, one loud, one quiet. It helped me a lot to know how hard i.e. a kick should hit on a certain volume. When you how something should sound, you have a goal that you can work towards. It also helps to keep a consistent level across your mixes and is a great indicator for when your ears need to rest (aka the moment you reach for the volume knob).
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Most of the work I‘ve done over the past year is in the field of production, recording and mixing. Everything from one person and a guitar to a 4-piece band tracking live in one room. Both in the box and on tape. Before that I also worked as FOH engineer but then that whole Covid thing went down....
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I recorded, co-produced and mixed the album „Maguna“ by Darjeeling. We did the whole thing in about 4 weeks and it was a wild ride. The songs are amazing and I am really happy how the mixes turned out.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What do you want this song to feel like? Can be an emotion, a picture or just „DANCE“. Do you have sonic references?
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love the combination of art and technics. Getting to work with people on the songs they put all their heart in is something i will never take for granted.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: „You don‘t add your mix to the production. You finish the production.“ (Dave Pensado)
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: It‘s mostly Indie-Rock, Psychedlic and Singer-Songwriter.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: If I am producing a song, I love to start with listening to your demo and talking to you about the song. It gives me an idea of what is important to you sonically and emotionally and what you want to tell with the song. From there we will explore what the song needs and how we can get there. Do we need live drums? Are there magic tracks in the demo, that we can use? What can we get rid of? What do we need to enhance? etc. etc.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Most recent inspirations are Shawn Everett, Brittany Howard and Cate Le Bon.