Remote Mix Engineer, Bassist

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

A: I'mm very proud of my Nikki Manos project. I never considered myself a singer or a guitar player, and I forced myself to do both, and I feel like a more well-rounded musician.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: 2022 has some great music from my record label Rabotat Records, that I can't wait to share. Remixes, Techno, Rock EP's, Americana singles. Nothing beats fresh music.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Hybrid. Analog is the best for the kinetic response of "touching" the music, so to speak, but digital has many advantages that cannot be denied.

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

A: That I will treat you with respect, I know this is a service-based industry, and I promise there's no ego here.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Music has never been boring to me, and there's still so much to discover.

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

A: People usually want changes at the last minute. I'm happy to oblige, but we must reach the end-stage so the world can hear the project.

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

A: Mixing can make things sound decent, but the magic comes from the creator's intention.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is the goal and context of this project? What are your references or influences?

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

A: Be clear on your intentions. If you have a hard time focusing on what you want, let's start there and get a game plan. My goal is to treat you like you're in a 5-star hotel, and I want you to feel comfortable.

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

A: I'd take a guitar so I can sing some of my favorite Cowboy songs by a campfire by the beach.

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

A: I graduated with both a Bachelors's & a Master's in Music Technology from Berklee College of Music in 2014. Afterward, I lived in Berlin Germany working as an engineer, DJ, and live musician. I moved to LA in 2015 and started Rabotat Records.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Minimal

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

A: Johnny Cash. Even if he didn't write it, he could take any song and make it his own.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Bring your tracks volume level lower than you think you need to. Headroom is a lifesaver and gives an engineer room to work. Also, label your tracks! :-)

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

A: Rock, Techno, and Alt-Country.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Patience through focus.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a level of approachability and hopefully bring a new perspective to the table that is beneficial to the project.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always listen first and try to respond to the work objectively. Then, I'll listen to the references from the project and be as critical as I can about the feel, mix, and analysis of the arrangement. From there, I can begin to get sounds or start a mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a room dedicated to my project studio that is sound treated and set up in a way that makes mixing and production easy and versatile.

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

A: Innovators like Miles Davis, Singers like Waylon Jennings, Sound Designers like Matrixxmann.

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

A: Mixing & Production is my most common form of work