Mix & Mastering / Producer

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on several projects. Finishing the mixes of an EP by a jazz-fusion band, working on masterings for funk live act Echoes Of, remixing tracks for bass player/singer Adeline, doing the masterings for swedish label Local Talk, working on my debut solo LP as well... and lots of positive things with my label MOCHI Records and our new release with soul jazz diva China Moses.

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

A: Lately I have been very proud to work with Warner France and collective Funky French League, digging into the vaults of 70's french pop stars multi-tracks, to remix for the 1st time some of their funkiest tunes, and I have had the privilege to pick, edit, remix and master favorites like Sheila & Nile Rodgers - Your Love Is Good, Veronique Sanson - Bernard Song, Françoise Hardy - Juke Box, etc... All released officially and on vinyl too, and many more coming.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I use mostly digital, I find it perfect for what I do, I know my tools well and have the results I want. But you gotta remember and trust your ears, not what you see on a screen or plugin, even if it can be helpful ! This is when you start to make loads of mistakes. Also I am often on the road as a producer, so I can carry a whole studio in a laptop and create everywhere. I couldn't be as productive if it was not digitally possible.

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

A: Deadlines will be secured !

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That it is endless and there is always new stuff to learn.

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

A: How long will it take for a mix ? I respond that I usually try to make it fit in a day. But it doesn't include the editing, that can sometimes be longer than expected depending on how the session was recorded. So 1 day of editing, 1 day of mixing. And then we can have a pass or two for modifications.

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

A: Many times people sent me sessions that were poorly recorded, and thought that I could just make them sound fantastic like a Quincy Jones album. If the takes are bad, the mixing will become more complex, and the result won't be as good as you expect.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What type of music are you doing ? how many tracks in a session ? what is the feeling of the song, its destination ?

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

A: For mixing and mastering, I'd say that it is important to have the right words to explain the direction and needs correctly. It will make things way easier. Also bring a few references of things you like, in order to gain time in understanding the result seeked.

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

A: The most powerful laptop with all the suites of plug-ins, a midi keyboard, a sound card, a pair of speakers, and my turntables/records collection. But is there power on that desert island ?

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Soulful, joyful, powerful.

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

A: It's a tuff one. There is so many of them. Right now I'd say Patrice Rushen, and bring back the boogie !

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: More a mixing/mastering tip : at the end of my chain, I often turn down gently the low ends of -2/-5db, which I will have back by adding a heavier compression/limiter. It brings back the lows with a bigger dynamic. In most of the projects, it works great ! But it depends on what you are looking for of course. Not the same use in every genres.

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

A: Funk, boogie, disco, house music, hip hop / rnb, jazz-funk. I also own the label MOCHI Records, in which we release soulful, house and boogie remixes of contemporary artists in the family of jazz/funk.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Patience in great editing.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Dynamic and warmth is what I like to reach.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It varies. In a mix in Pro Tools, after making the right balance between the instruments, I usually start with mixing the drums and percussions, then the bass, keys, guitars and synths, and I finish with the vocals if there are any. In a mastering I have a chain of tools that works well for me, starting with a parametric EQ, a multi-band saturation and distortion, a multi-band stereo imager, an other EQ, and a limiter.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio setup is pretty simple. I have a 12m2 isolated production studio in Paris, with 3 different pairs of speakers (Focal, Adam, Genelec). I don't use many hardware for mixing, but I have some of the greatest modern tools/plugins, in addition to good ears, that give me all the possibilities to reach the precise results I am looking for.

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

A: Prince has always been a funk favorite, Ashford and Simpson for the disco, Kerri Chandler and the Masters At Work are real inspirations for the soulful house sounds. Actually, there is so many, everything in music inspires me, but I guess there is not enough of one life to travel in every genres and artists discographies.

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

A: I mostly do mixes and masterings for clients. Also editing the sessions if it is not already done. I also produce and remix tracks for artists in the soul, boogie, house community mostly.

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

A: I started all this in 2000, as a hip-hop dj/beatmaker. I joined a hip hop collective in Paris in 2004, to which I was doing all the productions, recordings, and mixes, and we got signed in 2007 to Institubes, a successful independant electronic music label at the time. I founded its sub-label Stunts and was involved in doing most of the music direction of the projects (recordings, mixing, productions, live sets...). In 2010 I had the oportunity and moved to the US for a collaboration with jazz pianist Marcus Johnson. I worked 4 years as a mixing engineer at Studio 8121 (D.C.), and in addition to Mr Johnson's projects and LPs, I recorded and mixed many sessions with live musicians, singers, etc... which opened my ears a lot ! Back in Paris since 2014, and in addition to my personal projects as an artist, I have been working for many artists and labels, and my skills keep growing daily. I'm very excited about this journey into music and sound ! It's endless.