Music Composer & Sound Design

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

A: One project I really loved working on was a score for a video game trailer that was very sci-fi and overly epic, in contrast to the super cute creatures. I used lots of space, epic drums, risers and crescendos, synth arms, Brahms style brass, blending electronic with orchestral and futuristic.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on my own 4th studio album at the moment, alongside client work.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Digital is great at so many things, recalling projects and automation to name the most obvious. Nearly all projects are creating in digital and eventually if you are going to deliver, then digital. However, I love analog as well. Analog can add unexpectedness, subtle harmonic variations and a bit of warmth and humanity. For analog sources or acoustic sources such as guitars, vocals, drums, horns, there will be analog input shaping with compression, EQ and saturation.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love working with people just as much as I love creating.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Depending on the project I could have a lot of questions or rather discussion to really understand what the director, filmmaker, music supervisor, editor, ad agency, whomever might need. There is a lot that is unsaid and it's my job to read between the lines and get a sense for what the client is trying to express. Music is a difficult thing to say what it is before hearing what something can be. For example I might ask something like "what is the overall mood of the piece, can you describe the interaction of the characters or the overarching feeling wanting to be expressed." The better you understand the feelings or conditions or action, the better you can try to deliver something that truly resonates.

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

A: Enjoy the process and let's have a great time being creative together.

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

A: Laptop and Studio Headphones, Audio interface, Korg Prologue Synth, Fender Deluxe Telecast 72, Marshall Stack

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

A: I have been playing in bands since around 11 years old, where I held my first rock concert for the neighborhood out of my parents garage. Skip forward to college I started a few more bands, with different styles ranging from rock, indie, metal, pop, even progressive rock, we toured the east coast. At this time I had already began experimenting with sound design and scoring and using synths. Since that time, I moved to San Francisco, started another band which I am still in, although now we all moved to Europe. While in San Francisco, I began working in Advertising agencies, some of the biggest, as a creative producer and project manager as well as some music supervision early on. In 2015, I had a wake up moment and decided to go full in to music for media when I was offered a chance to create an original piece of music, a rock tune, for a commercial, and on first listen, they loved it and I delivered that first version track. At that point I began to get a bit more work and then I started my own boutique music agency along with a partner who had a proper commercial music studio. We worked with some pretty big brands and clients like Xfinity, Google, Auction, Nissan, Nvidia. I continued refining my music craft further and further, got bigger and better tools. I would work on Logic at the time, he would work on Protools. After about 2 years, I was ready to move on to explore new things, I began traveling the world with my partner while still creating music, we would bring our studio with us in a few suitcases and set it up wherever we go, of course we had to strip down and minimize. This eventually brought us to London and now I am in Germany with close ties to productions in London, Berlin, Munich and Amsterdam.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is a blend of nostalgia, cinematic, indie-pop, and synthwave. There is a light and dark aspect, by this I mean I can write very uplifting and positive, euphoric anthems, while at the same time, shift over into the dark side and create really technical electronic and industrial songs with harsh sounds and intensity. Normally you stick to one lane, but I honestly love this dichotomy and at the moment I am equally pulled into both.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make sure you have good source material, great sounds and recordings if using acoustic or analog equipment, it will make your mix that much easier to balance, and be sure to commit to sounds when you have the idea, use your instincts and intuition and don't overly second guess your decisions.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My goal is to elevate your project through music and sound design. As an artist and producer, I bring my unique lens to the project and specific tastes.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: 1. Meet with client either virtually or in person and discuss the project. 2. If hired for film, commercial, or video game project, reference the brief, listen to any sound references to get a solid feel for the essence of the project 3. Start creative process: brainstorming and feel out what instrumentation, themes, vibes, textures and sound design resonate and start formulating a few ideas. 4. Prepare the project(s) in DAW. Depending on the work I either write and produce everything myself, or if the work requires a specific instrument or section (example a real choir, or horn section), then I tap into my network to find suitable studio musician(s) for the role 5. Share 1st versions or rough draft as soon as they are ready for feedback and approval. 6. Feedback and Refine. Continue to refine through feedback (depending on scope of the project). 7. Final Deliverables. Upon sign off, package everything up for final delivery and transfer, including stems or instrumentals (depending on scope of the project).

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work with a few DAWs including Logic, Ableton, but I prefer the sound design capabilities of Bitwig Studio - this allows you to control virtually every aspect of a sound in the greatest detail and modulate anything, it also works great with outboard gear and midi sync in and out, for projects where hardware and software need to meld. Also it works great for live performance as a tool and a playground for inspiration.

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

A: Artists: M83, The Weeknd, Grimes, ODESZA, The New Division, Justice, Daft Punk, Anorak, DeadMau5 Composers: Giogio Moroder, Ennis Morocone, Hans Zimmer, Alan Silvestri, Producers: Finding unique gear enthusiasts and music producers from various walks is inspiring

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

A: I love creating cinematic cues, sci-fi inspired cues, reminiscent of Stranger Things or Dune, or Tron and balance that with a healthy dose of Indie styles (electropop, indie pop, indie wave, synthwave, electronic, gizmo) I have worked a bit on advertising campaigns for clients, writing music to brief, as well in collaboration and for film and formats like installations or AR/VR experiences.