Multi-Genre Producer/Engineer

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

A: I worked on a trip-hop track with a friend out of Italy. It was an incredibly emotional and eye opening experience from both a production and writing standpoint. It reminded me to never lock yourself to any specific sound or genre.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Too much to list! I have a few garage EP's I'm lining up, along with some other projects I'm experimenting with that straddle pop/trip-hop/UKG vibes!

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

A: Krysta Youngs for her vocal work. She's such a pro and was GREAT to work with!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Purely for cost and flexibility. Analog has great feel and sound, but despite what the diehards say, this can be replicated with proper techniques and technology. Definitely going to be an unpopular statement! Haha!

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

A: I can only promise a technical high quality product. I can never promise they'll like it. That's where collaboration comes in. I promise I will work with whomever the client is to get as close to their vision as I can.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The flexibility and creativity. Being able to work at my own pace and try new things.

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

A: Do I play an instrument! LOL! And the answer is, no.

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

A: Everyone thinks I'm a musician. I'm not! I took some piano when I was a kid, but the reality is, I just understand music theory and what does/doesn't work. As a producer, it's not my job to be a musician, but rather to put the right people and ideas together to achieve a great project. A lot of the times this is through various VST's, sampling, but sometimes it involves even hiring live musicians for a few bars or measures.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What genre did they have in mind? What kind of feeling do they want the track to have? What kind of structure are they looking for? IE: Standard V/C/V/B/C or unique? Do they want it to be more radio friendly or club/festival friendly?

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

A: Make sure to come with a clear vision and reference tracks, but also with an open mind. Even when you're hiring other creators, it's important to let their influence in! Trust them!

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

A: 1. My studio computer (lol) w/ screen 2. My monitors 3. My server which has my sample and recording library 4. My audio interface 5. A solar powered generator to run it all! LOL!

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

A: I started DJ'ing when I was 12, first gig at 14. I tended to focus on long track mixes and song structure. This led me to production with a clear understanding of what a DJ looks for in a track, and also what listeners tend to enjoy.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Western Hip-hop and house meets UK Garage & Drill.

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

A: Sammy Virji! His sound is fresh. He somehow manages to bring a sound that has both a club friendly danceability along with a chill, lay back vibe. He also seems like a nice dude as well!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Creativity is key, but don't forget about your mix down. Apply a generic compressor to your master channel, push the DB's ab it so you can hear the loudness as you work. Get your mixdown as close to how you want it to sound, even from a mastering perspective, before you start mastering on your master channel. This helps keep things balanced, and helps keep your mind on being creative!

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

A: UK Garage, House, UK Drill, Trip-hop and now more "new age" pop.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Thinking outside the box. Working as a team. Making efficient workflows. And Attention to detail.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like trying new things. I don't like making music that just sounds like the norm. When I'm sent the vocals or vision from whomever I'm working with, I like to almost build a palette of sounds that would compliment this. Then I'll create my own loops or samples, to then re-sample and bring in some other genres to put a twist on everything!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I wouldn't say I have a process. Different genres require different approaches. For UK Drill, I tend to focus on the melody or hook first, and use that to dictate the key and chords for the rest of the track, along with the drum movements. House and UK Garage, I tend to start with drums, and let that influence the rest of the track. Weird, i know!

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I try to keep my unorthodox setup a secret, but I live primarily in the DAW with a few external racks i like to run stuff through for some unique warm sounds. I just switched from my old TC Electronics Konnect48 to an Audiofuse, which has just amazing sound quality. I'm using H8 monitors with the paired HS8S monitoring sub.

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

A: The entire UK Drill scene is so great right now. Skepta, Unknown T, there's so much talent out there right now. I try to bring my own twist to the genre by infusing UK Garage, some house, stuff like that. Artists like MPH, Sammy Virji, MJ Cole, Todd Terry have all been major influences for me.

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

A: I do a lot of ghost writing/producing and co-production work. I'm known a lot for my drum work and basslines.