Composer, Producer, Mixer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment I'm mostly writing my own music, geared towards Film and TV. Ambient, Orchestral, Post-Rock and Experimental mostly.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: "Less is more". I would say that over the years I'm realizing the importance of nailing the sound right from the start of the process. In the recording process, it’s always best to use a combination of preamps, dynamics and EQ to sculpt the sound before going to tape, according to your desirable end product. The more post-processing, the more quality degrading. "Gold in, Gold out!"

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

A: I usually work on Alt Rock, Electronic, Alternative and Pop music for other artists. My personal compositions have more Orchestral, Ethnic, Post- Rock and Experimental elements.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love the fact that I can work with clients in the studio, and I love the fact that I can also work alone. Working remotely, travelling to different locations to collaborate, is also something I really enjoy.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I use analog mostly when recording and mixing, for the initial and final sonic character, but find myself using several digital plugins in mid-process, especially when I don't have the luxury of endless time and have to deliver quickly.

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

A: I always guarantee that my product will be a ticket to many open "doors". Industry professionals will begin to take the artist more seriously because of the level of the product I will deliver.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I believe my style is dark, emotional and sonically alternative. These are words that people usually use to describe my productions and compositions.

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

A: I would love to work with a band such as Radiohead, because I absolutely love their material and it would be very challenging to capture their performance on tape, and place their genius musical ideas onto an even deeper sonic palette. I personally enjoy creating original sonic layers and textures.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I always want to know where they see themselves in the music industry, and why would people connect to them? I usually ask them to perform a song, and usually in that time, see if the artist is believable. The hardest thing for any artist is to be true, to be themselves.

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

A: Do not be fooled about what you read, and what the credits state. You should contact a composer, producer, mixer and listen to their productions, compare them to others in their price range, and if possible, go and meet physically, check out their environment and see how you feel. I get a handful of clients coming to me, after working with other "pros with even higher profiles and credentials" and in the end get very disappointed because they didn't do this research beforehand. Always use your ears first! :) You have to taste the food, not just look at the pretty plate and decide if it's good!

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

A: 1. C3 Grand Piano 2. Nord Stage 3 3. UA 1176 4. Neve 1073 5.Royer 121 Ribbon Mic

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is called Soundscape Studios, and is based in Cyprus. It is a professional Residential Recording studio accommodating up to 12 persons. A 48-channel Solid State Logic recording console (SSL AWS 948) is the centrepiece of the Control Room and along with Protools HDX, provides the ideal creative environment for recording and mixing. The Control Room monitoring provides unparalleled audio quality and in combination with the high-end outboard equipment, creates the ideal mixing environment for all applications. The room’s unique shape, dimensions and treatments are specially designed for the optimum acoustic performance. The Live Room is a 90 sq metre, fully soundproofed and acoustically treated room, which features variable acoustics and reverberation. It can accommodate up to 20 musicians, making it ideal for all types of bands, orchestral ensembles and choirs. The Live Room also features an electric lift, which enables accessibility to heavy instruments into the recording area. (max weight: 2 tons) Some of my favourite instruments & gear are: Yamaha C3 Grand Piano, SSL AWS 948 Console, Mytel Brooklyn AD/DA, SSL Alpha Link (2), Delta Link, X-Rack Dynamics(8), Neve 1073 with EQ, Focusrite RED7 Mic Pre (2), RED1 Quad Mic Pre, RED3 Compressor, ARX 6-ch DI (2), Avalon U5, Bricasti Reverb Processor M7, Axe FX II XL

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

A: Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone & Danny Elfman as composers Brian Eno, Trent Reznor & Butch Vig as music producers Chris Lord-Alge (C.L.A), Andy Wallace & Michael Brauer as mixing engineers

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

A: Arrangement, Orchestration, Recording, Production & Mixing. I always use top mastering engineers for Mastering.

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

A: I began playing music when I was 5 years old, when I taught myself to play piano. Since then, I don't ever remember me wanting to do anything else in my life. I've been in the music industry professionally for over 20 years. In 1998, after the National Military Service, I began to pursue my dreams, and graduated from LIPA UK (Paul Mc Cartney's School of Music), and SAE Institute in UK & Australia, majoring in Popular Music, Music Production & Audio Engineering. Meanwhile, I started an Alternative Stoner Rock band called Waterblack with one of my best friends, and at the time used my band to improve my recording and production skills. I also worked in several companies in Australia, audio designing for movies and adverts, which was a huge experience and knowledge boost in complex sonic textures which I still use today in modern songs.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is speed, and generally my ability to quickly create a preproduction of a song. This is very important because musical magic usually happens in an instant, especially in the first few sessions. I'm very quick at editing and mixing also, which means that I am always fresh, and can spend alot more time in between the processes, eg. preproduction and recordings or mixing and final touches. This helps alot in making the right decisions along the way.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Depends on the artist and the genre, but typically, I would say that sonic elevation, and vibe is what I bring to the table with any situation. For bands that are ready with their material I make sure their identity is kept but always trying to break the levels of sound quality. For artists which I write and compose for, I make sure they deliver the song in their own unique way, and make sure the final product sounds and feels like it belongs to the artist.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Before any music is made, I meet the artist, make sure that I'm totally in sync with their vision and goals, and take my time to understand who the artist really is. This is vital and I make sure I have it in mind at every step of the production process. Usually the process is as follows: 1. Listening to a demos 2. Meeting with artist / music jam with artist 4. Create a plan for the artist / Quotation 5. Recording rough demos 6. Preproduction using mostly MIDI 7. Recording process 8. Final editing 9. Mixing 10. Mixing revisions 11. Mastering (Out-of-house)