James Davis on SoundBetter

Producer/ Mix Engineer with a taste for bass, energy and soul!

Based in Jersey, Channel Islands; Specialising in mixing and beat making services. I have been producing Drum N Bass (under the names Contagion/ SKMA) and Hip Hop for the last 15 years, with releases on top tier DnB labels such as Serial Killaz, Technique and ProgRam to name a few. Along side this, I have been producing/ mixing hip hop for local artists and further a field.

In recent years, I have expanded my purview for mixing Afrobeat/ Afropop, Amapiano, Americana, Folk and Country bands to solo artists, something that has been a great joy to work on and am very enthusiastic about!

I'm passionate about all parts of the music creating journey from production to engineering and mixing. I look forward listening to what you're working on and how I can help realise your unique vision.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

4 Reviews

Endorse James Davis

by Sam Nicholls
James is a solid producer and has honed his skills over the past couple of decades. Great to work with, very catering to desired needs and delivers fantastic output. Thank you
by Jermaine
My boy Davis has been smacking it down for the longest , and his catalog speaks for its self , I always feel at home when I’m in the studio and I recommend anyone who wants to do music produce or dj there is no better on the island
by Shyli
Absolutely loved working with you. Great communication & response time. Overall I’d recommend James Davis for your mix
by DayDreamerr
The goat! An absolute wizard in the studio. I make rap music and contagion is always so easy to work with. Absolutely no pressure bouncing ideas off each other and making something great over time. Would recommend working with him to anyone, established or up and coming. Always a laugh creating stuff together and I hope to continue!

Interview with James Davis

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I mixed the first ep for my brothers band, Lost Post. Incredible humans, with such organic talent. Of course I may be biased, but I felt honoured to be a part of their journey, which has been absolutely blossoming!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Afrobeat/pop and Electro Punk Rap. When i have time, I'm putting the finishing touches to a DnB ep for my favourite label!
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: As of now, I've only just started on this platform..but i'm sure i'll be coming back to edit this question as time goes by!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I work mainly in digital but you can't beat a bit of decent Analog gear!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To put my all into the work I'm given and to be flexible.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The ability to create and help create moments of expression for the world to hear and enjoy!
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Q: How quickly can you have this turned around? A: Providing everything is order when it gets to me - one day. Two to four days if it's production from scratch. Q: Can I book in again? A: Absolutely!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: It's easy!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What service are you looking for? Do you have any deadlines? Have you labeled and zero pointed your multi-tracks or stems for mixing? Where do you see yourself in one years time?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure they're a good fit for your vision and you feel comfortable working with them and come prepared!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My laptop, external hardrive, Audient iD4, Mini Akai midi keyboard and the Beyer Dynamics DT990's
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been dj'ing since '92 and didn't get fully into production until 2001. for the longest time I honed my craft in DnB, but as time went on I found myself taking on various types of projects from Hip-Hop, Dubstep, UK Garage, Grime, Drill to Indy, Rock, Metal, Folk/ Country and Acoustic. Because of this, I find it helps me to be more creative with my own personal music.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: My own style is bass orientated, but to be honest I love to be put out of my comfort zone!
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Rick Rubin: purely for the fact that he professes to not know how to use his gear properly but gets awesome results!..Would love to see his process 1to1 and hear what he hears in his studio.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Sidechain and automation are your best friends!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: My own style is Drum N Bass, but this isn't my core work. you'll usually find me producing Hip-hop, Afrobeat, Afropop, Amapiano and most recently Electro Punk Rap!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Production and mixing; I can deliver masters that stand up too, but I usually prefer another Mastering engineer to take care of that process. I like to think that I have a calm environment in the studio and the ability to put artists at ease (especially those who've not had much studio time) when coming into record.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Enthusiasm, passion and dedication to make it sound to the best of my abilities!
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Coffee!..everything starts with a good coffee! A careful listen through the track to see what initially stands out and make notes. Generally I start with drums first, bass and then on to the more musical parts of a track, finishing with the vocals. I tend to use this process with both production and mixing.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My Setup is relatively humble; I use Logic X with a Focsurite Scarlett 18i20, Audient iD4 mk2 audio interface (for on the move) Adam Audio T7V's (with Sub10 mk2), Yamaha HS5's, ART TPS2 mic pre-amp, Lewitt LCT 440, Behringer Xenyx control 2, Beyer Dynamic DT990 and DT770 headphones, Akai mpk49 midi keyboard, Rolland JP-8000, Korg MS2000 (last two not as much as I would like anymore!)
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Hans Zimmer, Marc Mitchell, Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams/ Neptunes, Lou Sawdy and Harley D
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mainly backing tracks and mixing services (online); tracking vocals and instruments in my studio.