Media Composer and Producer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, they play their respective roles. Like the introduction of drum machine technology years ago, and CD's even more recently, one cannot replace the other.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Nothing brings me more joy than building sonic landscapes for people to travel through. Worlds to pair with other worlds, transporting listeners to somewhere familiar, and sometimes quite unfamiliar. Sound can shape how we feel at any given point and influencing that via someone's story is something I treasure dearly.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What would you liken your project to? Do you have any visual or audio references? How long have you been in your field? What is your timeline? What roles do sound and music play in your project?

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

A: Reach out to me here, via my website, on socials, wherever's most comfortable for you. I'm always happy to hear about other people's ideas and projects whether my contribution is important or not.

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

A: My computer, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro Headphones, a Mackie HM-4. an Arturia KeyLab 88, Ableton Live 12 Suite.

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

A: I have been at this for 14 years, working with bands, touring, recording, the lot. As of 2024, I'd only just begun taking my production skill to a professional level. Having explored other avenues music can carry you through, I've now realized how essential working with others to create soundscapes and worlds, stories and more, really is to me.

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

A: I would love to work with Peter Gabriel. Not only is Real World Studios a dream space, but he has an unlimited wealth of knowledge in sonic innovations and crisp songcrafting.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Organize your DAW sessions as much as possible ahead of time. That means: labelling your tracks, creating busses, understanding the reverbs and delays you may want to use and create Returns for them. Having a cleanly organized session can prevent significant overwhelm later on.

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

A: I worked best with ambient soundscapes and industrial instrumentals. Music that expands and contracts with a life of its own.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My use of midi and automation. I've spent countless hours plugging away at midi charts over the years, pulling organic and real-life energy out of static samples and synths. By now, I feel I can convince most people that something I've "recorded" inorganically via midi is alive.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Ideally, I offer sounds that feel positively unexpected and evoke a rush of emotion. Most importantly however, having worked in bands for many years now, I like to think I've spent enough time in youthful arrogance to know when to admit I am wrong. And, being able to provide that open-mindedness in the song-writing or production environment... I've felt nothing better.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My process begins in a conversation with the client. If they allow it, I like to hear about the project in as much detail as they'll offer. It's important that we both know how my work fits into their image. If we both feel like we can make something great together, I map out the work ahead of me in a notebook and in a document, setting step-by-step timelines and reasonable goals based on our discussion. Then, I'll often listen to any references that were discussed in our meeting, and immerse myself in the world that they're trying to build. My goal is to bring their vision to life, so having steps to follow and clear communication along the way is essential to me. I'll often share my progress along the way, if they are interested and provide samples of the work I'm building to make sure it aligns with their expectations.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a modest home studio in the heart of Vancouver, BC. Most of my work is written and recorded at my desk via a midi controller, with features from my guitars, synths and electronic drums peaking through from time to time. I do have live percussion, drums and microphones, but I do not have immediate access to a dedicated live room so everything is recorded in the space together. At times, this can be a hinderance when I'm working with people in-person, however in many ways it's a bonus because we are able to communicate clearly, without barriers.

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

A: Danny Elfman, Trent Reznor, Robert Smith and Nick Cave definitely lead my pool of inspiration, not to mention the works of Koji Kondo and Evelyn Glennie.

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

A: More often than not, I write, record, mix and master music that amplifies a game, movie or podcast. My best work lies in understanding my purpose in a project. At my core, I'm a drummer, trained to make extremely calculated choices in any space I join. That approach to construction has aided my ability to develop sounds that move between the forefront and background of a visual.