Mixing and Production of ART.

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

A: An album I produced on and off over the course of 10 years was recently released to great reviews everywhere. I think i'm proud because it was never really clear if it would ever come out. And if it did would it even still be relevent? Well it was finally released late last year and entered a number of best album of the years lists, long after it was concieved, which makes me very proud of course.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently producing a band from Manchester, UK with a view to release at the end of the year on my very own record label 'Dook Recordings'. Keep your eyes out folks!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I prefer the sounds of analog and the convenience of digital. And actually visa versa. If I could have a Yamaha DX11 but with turnable knobs, I'd be a happy man!

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

A: I promise to work until the production is finished. I never leave anything until everyone is completely happy.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love music and how it's made. Never gets old.

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

A: Pressing some buttons fixes everything and makes it sounds better.

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

A: I think as long as you have a fair idea of what you are aiming for these things will fall into place with some idea juggling. You can be ultra clear and the producer will know what to do, or you can be ultra vague and the producer will go into producer mode and produce. Which might not be what you want!

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

A: Minimoog, Hofner Bass, Epiphone Casino, TR-808, Harrison Desk. And also a laptop and a microphone. And a diesel generator. 5 isn't enough sorry!

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

A: I have always made music but I started professionally in 2005 when I was signed to Atlantic Records and Universal Publishing as a solo artist and flown first class (not first class) around the world touring my albums and music. I was never going to be interested in releasing an album a year like a lot of artists, so I have also mixed, produced, and re-mixed lots of other artists to keep things interesting.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like to think I'm quite free and experimental when it comes to starting a new project. I wouldn't enjoy setting up 100 things to record before I know what it is i'm recording. I like to have a nice fluid 'anything goes' approach and I love being constantly surprised with new techniques and discoveries.

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

A: I'd love to just hang around in the studio in about 1975 and watch how ABBA would use their mixing desk. I suppose that's not possible without the time machine. So, ABBA now I guess.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Listen with your ears and not your eyes.

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

A: I personally float between interesting indie folkie rock style music and experimental electronic music. Aslong as it interests me and is not just your normal style wallpaper, I like to play.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I think probably adaptability. I feel like i'm pretty confident with multiple styles of music and multiple musical instruments. Quick to learn and easy going musically, I understand that sometimes things dont happen perfectly every single time and occasionally work needs to be looked at from different angles to achieve whatever is being sought.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A sense of unpredictable naive innocent charm with a bubbling sinister undercurrent of exotic minimalst layers of powerful happiness and dread. Or so i'm told.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I try to work at quite a fast pace usually as I find that the magic of any song or production does tend to be around the beginning stages. It's great if you can capture that magic moment, and then you have a great platform to build on as you work along. Depending on the production, if you can get a really good draft down quickly, the rest should come easy.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a large studio with many many wires. I would say it's very synthesizer heavy and full to the brim with wooden boxes from the 1970's that constantly fizz and whistle because they are not brand new anymore. That's the way I like it though. I have told myself there is no more room many times, so I have now recently made room for an old SSL mixing desk which I will be taking recipt of in the imminent future. And then that is definately the last thing I'm buying for the studio. Promise.

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

A: I've always been interested in the producers who have used the studio as an instrument. People like like George Martin at Abbey Road who helped and the Beatles how to experiment with sounds whilst also being at the cutting edge of recording production. As an artist someone like Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys also took influence from producers like Phil Spector and evolved it even more to create huge warm arrangements using unusual combinations of intruments and effects. And into the modern day I have always loved artists like Autechre and Aphex Twin, who like before them, took a style of music and made it something completely different through experimentation and a disregard for current trends.

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

A: A lot of my work currently for other artists has been mixing and mastering along with playing of any instruments that are needed for the track. I enjoy listening to the artists and really trying to achieve what they are looking for in a sound. As I'm often asked to produce by people because of my style, it's always a fun process to work together and see what kind of magic happens.