Multi-Platinum Mastering

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

A: Started off as a DJ in the early 90's, performing for promoters like Pasquale Rotella / EDC and Gary Richards / HARD Festivals, among many others. Also headlined festivals overseas with acts like Air Liquide and Jamie Lidell. I was also a buyer for three very popular record shops in Los Angeles during that time and in total, my collection reached well over 15,000 titles. This covered many different genres as well, which has been key to what I do (decades of living, breathing, and listening to music). During this this time I also started producing, with my first original release coming out of Berlin in '99. This then led to remixing as well (The Mars Volta, Salvador Santana, Almunia, Kelpe, The Stepkids, Hanni El Khatib, Free Blood, West Indian Girl). While all of this was going on, I guess there was a buzz happening too, because I was then asked to master music for (I would say legendary) tastemaker label Stones Throw Records / Los Angeles. This was back in 2011, and mastering has been a full-time job since.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: An amazing full-length album from beatmaker / multi-intrumentalist / vocalist Evan Geesman.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I'd be a fool to tie my hands in either domain.

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

A: To deliver professional-quality masters each and every time.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making my clients happy by providing them with a professional-quality master that will bring out the best in their music.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Give yourself headroom.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Giving my clients what they want, which includes in-depth communication and personal attention to detail.

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

A: Make sure you hire someone with knowledge and experience.

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

A: Kyle & Lil Yachty's 'iSpy'on Atlantic - this was my first single for a major label that went multi-platinum (4x) and in turn led to mastering 4 other songs on Kyle's latest full-length album 'Light Of Mine'

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

A: Mastering is a dark art. I disagree. To me, it is a labor of love.

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

A: My experience is broad concerning genres.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Professional Quality.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Receive premasters, review and if good to start work on, I'll then move forward with mastering. Otherwise I will contact the client with my notes and request a second round of premasters.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Custom Analog & Digital System.

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

A: Ayo, Pensado, Lettuce.

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

A: Stereo & Stem Mastering.