Music Producer / Vocalist

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

A: I wrote and sang 2 x top line vocals for Madrid producer Nelue. He placed one of the songs as the first track on his album. I travelled to Madrid for the album launch and sang the songs I'd worked on, plus the other songs from his album that had a male singer. It was a really inspiring experience.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I usually have a couple of projects to mix and master each week so these come and go regularly. A longer term project for 2017, is a solo album for myself. Most of the backing for the songs is complete, my next job is recording the vocals, sending out the tracks to include parts for my guest rappers, then mixing and mastering.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I have a lot of appreciation for analogue but I primarily work in digital at the moment as that is the gear that I have available to me all the time.

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

A: I listen, and I care.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Firstly, being able to work with other musicians - it's a true passion that we all share. Not everybody in life is lucky enough to even have a passion - but we are working with ours right now, or we wouldn't be on this website. Secondly, I love the transformation. Whether it's writing/singing a vocal or producing a track, I love starting with the song and being able to transform it to another level.

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

A: What FX can you apply to give my songs an edge? I talk about basic elements of mixing such as EQ-ing (to give the mix more space or coherence) or Compression (to bring out certain elements, or 'gel' elements together or to create a more cohesive sound) or use of reverb (depending on the genre and what the client is looking for). Then I'd talk about more creative aspects of mixing such as using delays, overdrives, chorus types, gates and give some examples of how these techniques have been used in songs they might already know.

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

A: I think it's a common belief that almost anything can be fixed in the production process. The truth is that the better the recording is, the better the overall production and outcome will be. Not everyone has access to record professionally though and that's ok - I will always do my best to work with what I have been given.

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

A: I work as a Producer in a private recording studio and I also work as an SAP IT Consultant. I have been writing music for about 20 years and I have been producing for 5 years.

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

A: I usually work on Electronic, Trip Hop, R&B, Hip Hop or acoustic singer/songwriters although in the past I have worked with a lot of rock and indie bands too (I only had space for 7 genres on my profile though).

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Although I work mostly in production, I think my strongest skill is in writing a catchy vocal.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For vocal writing, I write one example of a verse/bridge/chorus and send it back to the client to review the lyrics, melody and style of vocal. They send feedback and I continue working based on their response. For producing, if it is a straight forward mix (ie. no writing/creative aspects involved) I will complete the mix-down and master and send it through. The cost will depend on the number of tracks that need mixing.

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

A: 33370-beatm4n-studio

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Are there any reference songs or artists that you feel match the genre/vibe of your song? When is your deadline for the track to be complete? For writing only, do you have any preference of subject matter for the lyrics?

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

A: Find someone who appreciates similar music to yourself.

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

A: Providing it had a generator with electricity... My Neumann u87 microphone has been one of the best buys I've ever made, my portable vocal booth, my laptop (with Ableton and Logic) and then 2 x different sets of speakers to compare mix-downs.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Quirky enough to be different, grounded enough to be accessible.

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

A: I would love to work with Björk. I am fascinated by her ability to make something essentially experimental into something accessible.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Never underestimate the importance of Audio FX Chains or the order in which you place every plug in.

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

A: Salaam Remi, Arca, Timbaland, Björk.

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

A: The most common work I do is mixing and mastering although I also write and sing top-line vocals and make remixes.