Versatile Producer, Musician

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

A: Each of my projects hold a certain meaning to me, and they each tell a specific story. I love to work on a lot of collaborations, and these bring great life and eclecticism to my music. Something I find when looking back on past projects is the way a piece of work can make me feel the same profound way I did back when I made/wrote it. I feel that my latest collaboration with Cece Alaniz - a cinematic art pop, electronica and indie remix of my track, “Colour The Dark Days” - is a very moving production, especially paired with the music video we made together. I wrote the lyrics about emerging from a period of depression and anxiety, and regaining confidence, yet not wanting to rush back into things, taking the time to “Colour The Dark Days”. For me, this song is like putting a seal on this mental health crisis after overcoming it, and spending time reflecting on the past. For Cece, this song represents overcoming difficulties in life, healing by using art, music, and nature, amongst other things, in order to create something beautiful from dark experiences. For the production of the remix, I was inspired by the atmospheric and mesmerising nature of the 2017 track “Whole Again” by the Icelandic music group, Gangly. The original drum and bass production of “Colour The Dark Days” has a theatrical quality to it, and I wanted to make this aspect a core theme in the remix. Starting again from scratch and building new music around the vocals, the first element I played for the remix was the electric guitar. From there, the composition blossomed around the addition of Cece’s singing. The arrangement takes the listener on a journey and represents the story of the lyrics. Possibly the most cathartic part of the song is the transition between myself and Cece's echoing of the line “please give me time to bloom” and the reflection of this in the music, when the instrumental lifts and ends in a finale with bright synthesisers. A fascinating, and unexpected, fact about the percussion in the song is that it is mostly made from field recorded sounds of my bike. I released a sample pack for producers titled “Bike” featuring sounds made from recording my bike and associated tools/items. The music video, which I directed, embodies the story through symbolic actions, objects and visual effects. An impressive aspect of the video is that we recorded our clips from across the Atlantic; I'm based in London, and Cece is based in Michigan.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: As well as doing jobs for clients, I am working on solo songs and collaborative releases.

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

A: Callum Agnew - a very organised and professional producer, mixer and mastering engineer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital - portability and ease of use in my workflow.

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

A: To work with the client collaboratively, with full commitment and care to find the sound they are looking for.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The fact that each day is different! Music for me is much more than a job.

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

A: Customers ask me "can you make my song sound like this song?". I say YES I can, and I will bring something original to the project as well.

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

A: Just because I am called "Avid Beats", it doesn't mean I am limited to making beats! "Avid" is much more than that.

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

A: Choose someone whose sound you resonate with; and someone organised, communicative, friendly.

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

A: MacBook, Logic Pro X, Sennheiser HD 490 Pros, Omnisphere 2 and Fabfilter plugins.

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

A: I started producing in 2017, after listening to a lot of EDM and trap music and wondering how it was made! Since then, my sound has been ever evolving. I have built up a following on YouTube for my instrumentals and songs, and have collaborated with many artists from all over the world, and this has led me to offer my services to clients.

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

A: It would be a dream to produce for JFDR (Jófríður Ákadóttir) from the band Samaris because I really resonate with her lyrical style and themes and her voice is stunning.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Never be afraid to try new things. Your music will always evolve this way.

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

A: I endeavour to always try new things, and it will be this way throughout my music career. My "type" or genre of music cannot be defined!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is creating unique music in a diverse range of genres.

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

A: I mainly do full song production: composing the music, mixing and mastering the song, although I am happy to do any job however big or small.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: A couple main questions I reply to job requests with are (although it really depends on the client's request): - What's your vision for the song? - Can you provide at least 2 reference tracks of songs you like? - (For mixing) How many stems/tracks does your song have? - What is your timeframe?

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: "Avid", eclectic, versatile and full of passion.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my "avid" passion, my eclectic musical taste and knowledge, my wide-ranging collaboration experiences, and my receptiveness to new styles of music, combined with a close attention to the artist's vision.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It always depends ultimately on the job, but in general I first read the client's request and description of what they need. I then clarify any sections I am unsure about, and ask for at least 2 reference tracks to shape my understanding of the artist's vision. I listen to the files provided in detail throughout the project. I listen to any feedback the artist has and implement it ASAP, communicating always throughout my projects.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in my home studio, and below is a list of my equipment and setup highlights: MAIN GEAR: Computer - MacBook M1 Pro Audio Interface - RME Fireface UCX II Monitors - Hedd Type 05 MK2 Headphones - Sennheiser HD 490 Pro (Open Back) and Sennheiser HD 280 Pro (Closed Back) MIDI Keyboards - Yamaha Arius YDP-142 and M-audio Keystation 49 Mk3 Microphone - Aston Spirit Guitar (Classical) - Alhambra Model 4P Guitar (Electric) - Fender Stratocaster Guitar Amplifier - Fender Mustang LT25 Cajón - Thomann Field Recorder (for my sound design work) - Zoom H5 MAIN SOFTWARE/PLUGINS: Logic Pro 11 Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 Arturia Analog Lab 4 & V Vital XLN Audio Addictive Keys Output Exhale Fabfilter Pro C2, Q3, L2 & MB Plugin Alliance Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor UAD Pultec EQs UAD Studer A800 oeksound Soothe 2 Yum Audio Crispy Clip Celemony Melodyne Studio Valhalla Vintage Verb Output Portal SugarBytes Effectrix

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

A: I am inspired by a wide range of musicians and producers. Part of the reason why I love music so much is the endless genre possibilities. As a few examples: I love how in the EDM scene, Skrillex collaborates with so many artists to bring new feels to his music... Then on the other end of the vibe spectrum, I am a fan of world folk music and the feel of different languages when singing and use of unique traditional instruments. Anything with ethereal vocals is a yes from me, so I love FKA Twigs's experimental pop sound. I love Flume's vibrant production style and sound design. I wouldn't say I am a "fan" of any major artist, because I like to listen to everything that I come across and get inspired by many sounds. For me, though, the most inspiring and interesting aspect of music is working with clients and collaborators to bring our unique perspectives and sounds together, creating something unexpected and new.