Composer, Producer, Mixer

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

A: Sting, Bruno Mars, Toto, Harold Faltemayer, Kavinsky, Kate Bush, Astor Piazzolla, Thelonious Monk, Paolo Conte, Giacomo Puccini, Michel Petrucciani, Prince, Zakk Wylde, The Beatles, Radiohead, Ennio Morricone, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox, Ibrahim Maalouf, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Talking Heads, Daft Punk, Lucio Dalla, David Foster, Whitney Houston, Soundgarden, Rag’n'Bone Man, Dream Theater, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Lyle Mays, Massive Attack... too many to provide an exhaustive list.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Can you name three references, which best describe the vibe you want to achieve? What stands in your way to achieving the result you want? What do you need help with? How much creative input do you expect from me?

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

A: If I believe in something, I put my heart and soul in it until I get a result that fully satisfies me. I promise that I'll do the same for you. I will work on your project with the same passion and dedication as if it was my own baby. I take pride in your satisfaction and I won’t be happy until you are.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital — to me, it means freedom from heavy and expensive equipment. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the analog vibe. I always “analog-ise” my productions with dedicated plugins.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I am a strong believer in getting each step of the process right in sequence, as opposed to rushing through a project and patching it up later to cover weaknesses and problems. The job of an arrangement, to me, is to bring out the strength of a well-thought idea. Likewise, the job of mixing is to enhance a good recording, and the job of mastering is to perfect an already great-sounding mix. If we work together, I’ll make sure that you nail each step of the process before moving on to the next. That will minimise time and fatigue as well as improve the overall result.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Expensive gear is — luckily — not necessary to make great music. My studio is equipped with the strictly necessary to make magic: laptop, DAW of choice, interface, piano, drum machine, headphones, monitors, mic, and the right amount of good taste. The latter is by far the most important of the lot, and can’t be bought.

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

A: That what sounds easy IS easy. It isn’t. Behind three minutes of music there are hours and hours of hard work. If you want a great result, expect sweat and tears — but you won’t regret it!

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

A: MacBook with my DAW of choice (Logic Pro X), sturdy Shure mic, 770 Beyerdynamics, Scarlett 4i4 interface, and my Yamaha digital piano — I know, it’s big, but I’d make it fit in the suitcase. No way I am stuck on an island with non-weighed keys :-)

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I’m a versatile composer. Since a young age, I have been exposed to a variety of genres, from classical to metal. I have learnt to love MUSIC, and not any particular genre or style. Great music is unique. It escapes pre-existing classifications. In my work, I use whatever style or technique is best to convey my intention. The result if often eclectic and always out-of-the-box.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I can figure out in my head how to build a whole piece of music around a simple, promising idea. If you feel something is missing in your composition, but don’t quite know what it is, I can help you fill the gap — a new part, a new section, a different arrangement, a stronger hook, a more interesting harmonic progression, a more dynamic mix.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Do you know the feeling of having a good idea but needing help to bring out its potential? Having been there myself, I know that feeling very well. It took me years of study and practice to feel confident that I have the right skills and tools to overcome it. Most importantly, this experience taught me that I can help YOU overcome that feeling, too. I pride myself on being able to understand what you want and translate it into something you can recognise yourself in. This requires two equally important things — empathy and respect for the client’s wants. What matters is YOUR vision. My job is to help you make it true.