Harris Mac on SoundBetter

Synth / jazz / hip-hop / avant garde artist & producer. Some of my projects include: Cathedrals (20M streams spotify) Von Sell (4M streams spotify) Ayer (8M streams spotify). Releases on Earmilk, Kitsune, Hillydilly, Neon Gold, and more. Attended Oberlin College and Pyramind Audio Production School. Trained in classical and jazz piano.

My goal and passion is to make radically beautiful things. Sonic landscapes that are complete, yet simple. Pure distillation of vibe and energy. I reject commercial philosophies and the idea that a song is a "product." Art is about authenticity and risk-- I believe a piece of art is good because it NEEDED to be made, and comes from a place of passion, heart, and soul.

Making a piece of music is like weaving together layers of fabric: every layer, every stitch, requires immaculate attention, because once it's finished it's out in the universe forever.

-Over 20,000 hours writing and producing music
-Attended Oberlin College and Pyramind Audio Production School
-Releases on Earmilk, Kitsune, Hillydilly, Neon Gold
-Produced Jak Lizard, Ayer, Cathedrals, Von Sell

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

14 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

Endorse Harris Mac

by Carl Culley
Verified (Client)
Another great project completed working with Harris!
by Carl Culley
Verified (Client)
Harris continues to bring inventive & well-executed ideas to the table. Really loved working on this song!
by Carl Culley
Verified (Client)
Continuing to work regularly with Harris! He's super easy to work with and has made collaborating on these past several tracks an awesome experience.
by Carl Culley
Verified (Client)
Great direction, clear vision, and awesome tunes as always!
by Carl Culley
Verified (Client)
Really enjoy working with Harris on projects - he's always ready with a specific vision and lots of creative energy. Looking forward to more music that's made with him!
by Carl Culley
Verified (Client)
Harris came to me with a specific & detailed vision for his track, so working to meet his mark was a super awesome experience. He's an incredibly talented producer & artist, and I'm looking forward to making more music with him!
by Klimbo M.
Verified
Just like our first collaboration, Harris was a joy to work with. He's professional and fast. I'll be back.
by Juno Star
Verified
It was amazing hearing the life Harris brought to the track I wrote. From mixing the overall soundscape to creating some super dope additional instrumentals, percussions and weaving some plug in mastery, the production quality surpassed expectations. Def had a feel for the vibe I was going for and helped build upon it and bring out the attitude I was looking for the song.
by Ian Griffiths
Been working with Harris the last couple months. As a song-writer, I have a lot of goals and sounds I'm trying to accomplish with a limited set of tools sometimes. Harris is not only a great producer, with the tool-kit and skills to execute a track technically, but also an artist and cultivator of 'voice' and originality. Being able to collaborate on a track from scratch and allowing our visions to take form has been liberating. As an artist looking to make new sounds/future-pop, Harris has been an innovative producer that has helped me develop and serve on a whole new level.
by Xédin
Where do I start?!?!?!
Harris has been a major aggresor in developing my sound, couldn't do it without him honestly. From building onto initial ideas to building from scratch in the moment, he has the ability to get into your head and knows exactly how to extract your vision. He's the real deal ya'll, and a dope artist to top it off!

Xédin IG: @x_e_d_i_n
by Joey W.
Harris is a fantastic choice to work with if you're going for an 80s-esque vibe. Patience and flexible to fit my vision for the track.
by Krysalis Winterbourne
Harris MacDonald is professional, knowledgeable, and one of the most outstanding producer /engineers we've ever had the honor of working with.
He makes the creative process fun, positive, and stress free while giving insight and constructive feedback when needed.
He gives you the freedom to make what you have in your mind without any restrictions on your art.
He is extremely proficient in all styles of music and if there's something he's not familiar with he can quickly pick up that style to help you complete your vision.
If you want to create something amazing choose Harris Macdonald.
by shalom
one of the most talented people ive ever met. harris not only has the vision but works with you and pushes you to achieve not only the sound you want but to help you grow into an atrist. ive turned out so many songs with this dude and i cant wait to make more .
by Ian Downey
Harris helped me put together a few hip hop tracks, he created dope beats from scratch and brought a keen musician's insight to every project. I highly recommend!

Interview with Harris Mac

Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Analog synths and mixing.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: One of my favorite "secret sauce" tips- take any random recording, like an iPhone voice memo or something you recorded- chop it into 50-80 pieces, map it to a keyboard, and play the keys to find snippets you like. This works for drums, percussion, ambient sounds, ornaments, etc.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Analog synth, 80s, pop, synth pop, dark pop, avant garde pop, hip-hop
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a unique analog synth flavor, reminiscent of 80s productions but infused with modern pop and R&B. A ton of my samples I recorded myself along my travels and in numerous locations- I love using found sounds and homemade recordings to create my own drums and percussion.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Generally I like to start with a reference track to give us a sense of direction and vibe. Then I'll start a foundation of drums, chords, and melody; after that I'll go in further and focus on subtle details like background textures, ornaments, transitions, "ear candy" moments.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio is a compact yet powerful setup with the following gear: Gretsch Drum Kit JUNO 60 (vintage) MOOG PRODIGY (vintage) M-AUDIO 49 (midi) ARTURIA (midi) Fender Strat Guitar Ibanez SDGR Bass Acoustic B100 Bass amp HS8 Monitors AKG C414 Vocal Mic SM7B Vocal Mic
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Kanye West, Max Martin, Queen, Radiohead, Frank Ocean, James Blake
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mostly I work with solo songwriters and producers to help them actualize their ideas into radio-ready, highly polished productions. My greatest strengths are melodies, basslines, beats, and anything involving analog synths. My favorite projects involve starting from scratch and co-writing a track working closely with my client, based off references and influences.