Damjan Stefanovic on SoundBetter

I give tracks the energy they need! Whether its laying down drums to make the whole song huge, or mixing to give it the life it needs to jump out of the speakers. In terms of audiobooks/voiceover work I offer a clear, well spoken, perfect british-accent voice with clean production. Easy to work with, quick turnaround, super creative!

Heres a showreel of various metal/hardcore projects and productions ive worked on:
https://youtu.be/AC2ov8fI63s

An easy to work with, super creative drummer with 22 years experience looking to make your tracks and albums sound HUGE!
I started my professional career in London at 19 with a band signed to a subsidiary of the Warner Music Group. I recorded and toured Europe and learned a lot. Then I had the opportunity to work internationally with Grammy award nominated producers and musicians.
I then took a more underground route, playing with as many bands in as many styles as I could.
I've played with probably over 50 musical projects (I lost count), and my playing has been released on labels and independently on 3 continents, in a dozen countries.
With Covid I moved to a more rural location, built my own studio, put touring on the back burner and focused on remote recording. (I also took up gardening which was very interesting and rewarding!)
I have played rock/metal/punk/hardcore/funk/blues and associated genres, and have built up the skill set and experience to produce the sounds needed for these kinds of music. Check out my audio showreels to see examples of various styles of playing and productions I've worked on.
Get in touch! - affordable rates and discounts on bigger/ongoing projects
dstefanovic1@hotmail.co.uk

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

Languages

English
Serbian

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Interview with Damjan Stefanovic

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you play this? 95% of the time the answer is yes, unless they send me some programmed parts that are unplayable hahahaha
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Is it to a click. Is the arrangement final. what kind of dynamics they are looking for, who the song reminds them of, what theyre going for.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: The Sarah Jezebel Deva EP. I played the drums, brought in my own ideas, layed it down tight and the band was happy. Bearing in mind at the time i was 20 and everyone was 10+years older than me. I held my own professionally.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: 2 albums for one musical project, both in different styles. Hiphop Beats, 2 different EPs. A Short film.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Edward Amos
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: At this point, if we're being honest, either or.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will play my heart out on this, and i will bring all my experience from various bands into it! I will make it sound how you imagine or hopefully better.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The fact that its my job!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: that i treat it like a job, or conversly that i dont treat it like a job. After 20 years its both a job and what my life is.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: make sure you have the arrangement down, to a click. have an idea of what sound youre going for, at least give me the ball park to start in!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: kick snare hats ride sticks
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: 20 years, started drums at school in London, passed grade 8 with 92%. Joined a band with former Cradle Of Filth Members, toured europe playing alongside Anthrax, Meshuggah, Lacuna Coil, Arch Enemy. After that i had some of my own projects in punk and hardcore and moved more to session work. I;ve recorded with members of Death, and various international bands and projects. Every band i've ever played in has been a different genre or subgenre. That was always my aim. That way i have a wide scope of associations of sounds and textures.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Tight! but after years of playing in extreme metal bands i've dedicated myself to being able to walk around the click, play with the time and make it breathe!
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: aaaa! so many... Omar Rodriguez Lopez because he has a unique sound a vision. Flea for the groove...
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more! Took me a long time to figure that one out.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Rock, Metal, Hardcore. Sometimes slightly lighter rock blues bands, which i always look forward to as its where i started.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Attention to detail.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Energy, orchestration to bring out the power of the other players
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Listen through it a lot... jam along, start laying down ideas, listen to the ideas, reflect, cut paste, see what works, record the final versions, then mix and master if applicable.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: A modest studio, 16 ins, In a remote house in the forests of rural Serbia. The studio window looks out onto my vegetable garden and behind that a mountain with a 100hectare forest, wild animals, streams...
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Sooo many... Mars Volta, Rick Rubin, the avant garde Mayhem in the 2000s, the energy of punk and hardcore....
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Drum tracks, metal and rock. Also audiobooks, nonfiction and fiction.