Joshua Wells

Mixer Drummer Synther more!

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4 Reviews (3 Verified)
Joshua Wells on SoundBetter

Let's have fun and get creative! My head is in the sounds of the underground. Dramatic sounds, big drums, and synths to invoke your wildest fantasies.

I am a lifelong devotee of independent and alternative rock.

My head spins with the sounds of The Cure, Prince, Kate Bush, Brian Eno, OMD, Joni Mitchell, XTC, Can, Neu!, Cat Power, Roxy Music. Oh sure, The Beatles!
I love where heaviness meets gentleness, where dance meets deep feeling, and I'm equally enamoured of New Wave, soft psychedelic folk, proto-metal and electro-funk.

I mix records in my modest Chicago studio.

I can play and record instruments here too, if you need them -- my drumming is all over records by Destroyer and Black Mountain. I am an avid synth sound sculptor. Plus I can play utility bass, guitar, Farfisa organ or Wurlitzer piano if your song needs it.

I can produce too, and have done so a fair bit. If you are looking for a producer, contact me and we can talk about your project and determine the scope of it!

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

4 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

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  1. Review by Liam A.
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    Joshua was a pleasure to work with on filling in some tracks on my song and getting it mixed. His creative instincts on the parts I needed were right on point and suited my song very well. Throughout the process he responded quickly and clearly to keep things moving smoothly and the end result was fantastic.

  2. Review by Robin H.
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    Josh did a brilliant job with the mix and laid down some killer drum and synth parts - I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! He delivered the mix early and was very responsive and friendly. Highly recommended. Cheers Josh!

  3. Review by Jacob F.
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    Josh has been my alternative/indie/electronic/rock producer, collaborator, synthesist, drummer & mixing engineer for over a year. He's everything you want: knowledgeable, experienced, excellent communicator, prompt responder, collaborates well, can-do attitude, produces great sounding mixes & instrumentation.. What's especially rare about Josh is his good taste; his ideas are actually cool & his ears are not just technically capable but aesthetically sensitive. Will work with him indefinitely.

  4. Review by Ashley Webber
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    by Ashley Webber

    I had the privilege of working with Josh Wells on my two Ashley Shadow albums. He was a very important part of those album as he played synth, drums, percussion and co-produced. Not only is he an incredibly lovely human to be in the studio with, he is open minded which allowed an environment of ease. He has an inconceivable work ethic due to the fact he is truly doing what he’s meant to. Josh is an extraordinary musician himself, has both played/produced on beloved albums from Black Mountain and Destroyer (the song Tinseltown Swimming in Blood is a Josh Wells masterpiece!! ) He’s brilliant !

Interview with Joshua Wells

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

  2. A: Destroyer - ken I was the producer, engineer and mixer on this album. I collaborated with Dan Bejar, who is Destroyer, on every sonic element of this album. A whole host of the things I can do are displayed here -- coming up with arrangements, recording them, playing a bunch of instruments, and mixing the end result.

  3. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  4. A: I love them both, and ultimately it's whatever you have and whatever gets the job done in a satisfying way!

  5. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  6. A: I love getting to immerse myself in sound on a daily basis!

  7. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  8. A: I want to know if a client has any song references that could inform the overall direction. Also I like to ask the client to describe the sound they want -- is it spacious? Tight? Intimate? Dense? Anything that helps me to get to what you are hearing faster.

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

  10. A: I've been playing in bands my whole life, mostly drumming, but more recently I've been playing piano and synths. I got my big break playing in a band called Black Mountain. We recorded a bunch of our first album ourselves, and then got to work in incredible studios like Sunset Sound and Avast later on in our career. Inspired by those spaces, I really took to the recording process and always found myself being involved in any of my bands' recordings, whether it was from the ground up or just doing some overdubs. Eventually, I set up a project studio and have been at it ever since. I've been drumming for 35 years, engineering recordings for about 15 years, and started mixing 7 years ago.

  11. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  12. A: Follow your gut, do what makes you happy, don't get too caught up in what someone else says is right and wrong!

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

  14. A: I've worked on a lot of music that incorporates rock band and electronic elements. I love the sound of real drums and synthesizers working together! But I've also worked with a bunch of artists that play gentle, folky pop, and I love getting that warm sound for them and highlighting a voice. But really I am up for anything, because I like to learn and expand my horizons. I recently had the opportunity to record a psychedelic cumbia group, and it was so fun learning how to combine all the percussive elements for the foundation of this incredible music.

  15. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  16. A: My strongest skill is arrangement, and I feel I bring this to the table, even when I'm mixing another person's production work. I always try to think about what is important at any given moment; what needs to come through and what needs to be supporting it. I like to visualize the sound in terms of a stage and position the performers in the space, so that the moment is perfect.

  17. Q: What's your typical work process?

  18. A: I like to start a mix, get in in a good rough place without too much fuss, then come back to it the next day to complete the fine work of volume automation, detailed effects and tone shaping. Then I will leave and come back as many times as it takes to get it just right, listening on many different sources. I find perspective to be the thing that really helps me to know what to do.

  19. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  20. A: It's a one room studio with a professional DAW-based mix setup. Mostly in the box, but I do use outboard effects like my Korg tape echo, 1176-type compressor, WARM Audio tube equalizer, and Neve Satellite summing mixer. My room is also big enough to facilitate recording drums and I have a good selection of mics and mic preamps - six CAPI pres, one Retro 500, one Great River, 2 Chandler Germanium pres. I have some guitar amps and a bass rig for reamping. Also a bunch of keyboards: Wurlitzer electric piano, Farfisa Compact Combo, Sequential Prophet 600, Univox MiniKorg 2, Behringer Poly D, Korg Poly 61, Korg CX-3 Hammond clone, Korg SV-2 Stage Piano, Nord Electro, and many pedals!

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

  22. A: Conny Plank, Kate Bush, Giorgio Moroder, John Leckie, Prince, John Congleton

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

  24. A: I often mix songs that others have recorded, and add any elements they need to complete their vision, such as live drums, percussion or synths. And I love doing all of that!

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Destroyer - Tinseltown Swimming In Blood

I was the Producer, Mix Engineer, Drummer, Bassist, Programmer in this production

Terms Of Service

Mixes delivered within 5 days of the agreed upon start date.
3 revisions free. Instrumental mixes included, any other printed stems $20 each.
Drums, perc or synths, all individual tracks provided.

GenresSounds Like
  • New Order
  • Angel Olsen
  • Roxy Music
Gear Highlights
  • Rupert Neve Satellite
  • Pro Tools
  • Eve Audio SC208 monitors
  • Korg Stage Echo
  • Wurlitzer Piano
  • Univox Mini-Korg 2
  • Sequential Prophet 600
  • 1963 Ludwig Drums
  • Farfisa Compact Combo
More Photos
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Combine a drum session and full mix of your song for $350 -- a savings of $50!