Music Producer

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

A: Co-writing the score to BBC McMafia was an incredible, especially working with the London Contemporary Orchestra and recording at Air Studios in London. Doing a remix swap with Glock (Andy Bell from Ride and Oasis) was certainly a highlight. Oh and having the late Andrew Weatherall calling my album Madrapour "achingly beautiful" - I could have stopped making music after he said that!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Am doing the soundtrack for a virtual reality art installation in London and I'm about to remix a Berlin based artist and as a British musician (can't give the name!) on Mute records. I'm also about to release my 5th studio album with Ransom Note / Bytes.

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

A: MOWD in Berlin. We have worked together a lot and he's brilliant.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both! Analog synth are more fun than VST and sound better, valves and pre-amps sound great, analog tape delay is fantastic. But digital effects are now fabulous, and editing, tracking and mixing on a computer is the norm.

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

A: That it will sound good!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The process of creating an exciting piece of music cannot be beaten. It's never boring! I love the creative process and exchanging ideas.

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

A: Often customers are worried that their music doesn't sound good enough. I find that usually it is because they have 30 tracks of unnecessary VST that could be replaced by one track of analog synth recorded through a good preamp. Or sometimes they are stuck in the loop. It sounds good but it's boring because it goes around in circle.

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

A: That any producer can do the job you want. I think it's important to find a producer that you get on with and that you can have an open discussion with about your project. I sometimes get hired because I'm the "synth guy" without people listening to what I have done. And that can link to misunderstandings and disappointment.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What do you except by hiring me, what are you trying to achieve? What artists do you like and identify with?

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

A: It's best to listen to the music I have done before hiring me or understand that I work in the electronic dance music and soundtrack world.

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

A: One of my modular case, the Buchla music easel, Moog DFAM, a laptop running Ableton Live and my Rooster 2 to record everything!

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

A: I started releasing music on small labels in 2006. I then set up my own label Days Of Being Wild in 2009. Days Of Being wild release cold wave tinted dance music and is still going today. Around that time I started a project called Piano Interrupted and we signed to German label Denovali with whom we did 3 albums and toured Europe a few times over 5 years. We then got noticed by a film and TV producer and we scored the BBC Tv series McMafia, as well as some documentaries. Parallel to this I released many solo albums, either on my own label or with Ransom Note in London. I made loads of remixes and dance records as well through Days Of Being Wild under my own name, or as Sir Ouakam and Hotel International.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Cinematic electronic music meets slow mo disco.

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

A: Aphex Twin because I want to know how on earth he does what he does!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Less is more! Record a good instrument the best you can and you're halfway there.

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

A: Soundtracks, dance music and ambient soundscapes stuff.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Arrangement and electronic production with hardware synths.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have been making music for 25 years and releasing records for 16 years, I have had many collaborators, toured Europe extensively, DJed in the coolest clubs from Paris to Berlin, worked with orchestras and top engineers in London. I bring all I have learned from that and that's a lot.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First I will discuss what the artist / client is after and why they think I'm the right person for the job. If it's a production job, I will set up their session on my computer, and usually re-record the synth parts with analog synths or reprogram beats with drum machines. If there are composition issues, we will discuss structure and overall sound. When the client is happy I can then take the song to the mixing stag if it's what they want and to the mastering stage.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have different rooms I use. A programming room, I call it the creative room or the workshops. It has all the synths, drum machines, weird tape stuff. This is where I make stuff, create and experiment. I then use a mixing room with preamp, analog outboards and good monitoring / acoustic treatment and a dedicated engineer. I also have a mastering studio I work with which is state of the art and also has a dedicated engineer.

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

A: Producers: Flood, Alan Moulder, Brian Eno, Tony Visconti, Trevor Horn, Martin Hannett, Nigel Godrich, Andrew Weatherall. Artists: Trent Reznor, Aphex Twin, Fennesz, Martin Gore, Philip Jeck, James Holden, Four Ten, Kevin Shields and many more! I'm inspired by musicians and producers who have a unique sound and an exciting creative approach. I believe each project is unique and needs a personal approach.

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

A: Clients come to me to write soundtracks for the projects being a film, tv series, documentaries or an art installation. Artists come to me for remix work or help with arrangements and production as I have a lot of great sounding analog synths and drum machines that I can use on their productions. I also offer mixing services and mastering.