Production | Strings

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

A: Seb - Co-Composing the score for The Northman. It was an amazing, but incredibly challenging project to work on. It was a real ordeal by fire.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Seb - I am currently working on a new album.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, or either! Both sound great, and both are fabulous ways of working with sound.

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

A: Seb - I will be completely honest about what I think is achievable, and then I will do my absolute best to realise that.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Seb - working with a variety of fascinating people, and helping them realise their creative vision.

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

A: Seb - Often clients want to know if they can re-create a cool sound from a song they like. My answer tends to be, 'yes, but no'. You can approximate - sometimes incredibly closely - sounds, but it may be unrealistic to expect a verbatim copy. There are often too many variable factors involved. And of course, you're missing out on the excitement of creating a sound that you feel is truly your own.

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

A: Seb - The term 'producer' is used as a broad umbrella term by some people, generally referring to 'musicians that use a computer'. It is sometime assumed that if you work on a computer, you are qualified to do everything from sound design to editing, from mixing to part-writing. This is generally not the case.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Seb - I would ask how they want their music to make people feel. The answer to this question often points to other musical or technical approaches that will be useful to the client.

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

A: Seb - Be as open as you can about what you really want your music to say, even if it feels a long way from that.

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

A: Seb - Whimsical Raps Just Friends, a tape player, a microphone, my Geoffrey Ellis Shakuhachi, and a looper.

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

A: Seb - I've been composing music since around the age of 15. I was playing in clubs from around the age of 17. I then studied Music Technology at university, before singing a record deal, and spending much of the next decade making music - for myself and others - and touring. With the arrival of Covid, touring stopped, but I was lucky to have the chance to work on a film score ( The Northman) with another composer. And I'm currently writing a new album.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Seb - always curious

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

A: Seb - Scott Walker (RIP). Because he was a unique, uncompromising talent with a great sense of humour.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Close your eyes and turn the knobs until you smile.

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

A: Classical, electronic, and folk music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: We pride ourselves on our communication skills. If you can't communicate with the client about what it is they really want, then you might miss out on bringing that extra-special something to the work.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Vitality, personality, and whatever it is the client is looking for!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It's entirely dependant on the clients needs and the job at hand, but broadly speaking, we tend to take an approach of - slow preparation, fast execution. We look at the job carefully, consider all of the angles, and then we are able to work quickly, efficiently and most importantly creatively.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: The studio we work in is thoroughly treated, acoustically. We have a small but exquisite selection of microphones to work with, from the microscopically revealing Earthworks QTC50, to perennial studio classics like the Coles 4038. In terms of outboard gear, we have some special pieces. The Thermionic Swift EQ is a beautiful tube equaliser, perfect for transparent, end-of-chain moves which seem to just lift everything effortlessly. We also have a Hendyamps Rothko Opto Mastering compressor, which is a truly magical piece of equipment. It adds class to everything you run through it. We also have other wonderful outboard equipment made by Rupert Neve and Louder than Liftoff. When it comes to sound-creation, we have a tonne of weird and wonderful instruments, from Andean guitars to Japanese flutes, Harmoniums to Ukrainian Lyres, and percussion instruments galore. For the more electronically inclined, we also have an array of Modular Synthesisers. In terms of software, we mainly use Bitwig for composition and sound design, but also have and use Max MSP, Ableton Live & Logic Pro, as well as a vast collection of esoteric and unusual sound design software. We are enthusiastic users of MPE in our studio, and have an Expressive-E Osmose Synth / MPE controller, as well as other MPE capable objects. Rakhi plays a Sebastian Vuillaume (1860) Violin with her exquisite Jacob Eury (1810) Violin Bow. Some people aren't aware that the bow can be as important as the violin itself, in terms of the quality of sound you're able to achieve. This bow is very high-end, and requires a special musician to get the most out of it. Luckily, Rakhi is qualified! For monitoring, we use a Hedd Type 20 MK II system, with a Hedd Bass Sub-Woofer.

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

A: .

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

A: We work with a wide variety of composers and creators. Some of whom are at the very start of their careers and who need a little more help and guidance, and others who are firmly established and highly experienced musician, who need a top-quality job completed quickly and professionally. From Rakhi recording a highly technical string line on her beautiful Sebastian Vuillaume violin, to Seb creating original Sound Design for an electronic pop track, between us we cover a huge range of musical territory. We believe this makes us uniquely flexible and responsive when it comes helping our clients get what they want, and often, something a little extra they didn't know they needed.