Boris Ivanov

Pianist, Keyboardist, Producer

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3 Reviews (1 Verified)
Boris Ivanov on SoundBetter

I'm a keyboardist, composer, and producer. I work as a studio and live musician in New York City. My primary expertise is piano and keyboards with emphasis on pop, rock, and jazz. I also produce and arrange in various styles. Throw a reference track my way and I'll let you know if I'm right for your project!

I can provide professional studio keyboard work for your track in any style you’d like. Just give me a few references and I can nail almost any sound. I can also produce, mix, and engineer your track. I’ve been working the club date/event music circuit in NYC for over two years, so I have experience in a variety of styles. I’ve been composing music for film and video games for five years. My credits include the score for the highly anticipated Project Borealis video game, as well as several scores for esteemed director Yuri Alves. I'm classically trained and hold degrees in piano performance and composition/film scoring from Montclair State University and NYU Steinhardt.

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

3 Reviews

Endorse Boris Ivanov
  1. Review by Andrew Pelletier
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    Boris was an absolute joy to work with. He was so easy to communicate with and his musical ideas were wonderful and constructive. I'm so very happy he reached out to me and I can't wait to work with him again!

  2. Review by K.
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    by K.
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    Working with Boris was a pleasure he delivered what was agreed upon in the time frame he promised. His talent made my track better. What more can you ask for.

  3. Review by CHANDLER MOGEL
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    Boris is a consummate professional whom I’ve had the great opportunity of working with on a regular basis . He will deliver on time and will not disappoint . Do yourself and your project a favor and hire him !

Interview with Boris Ivanov

  1. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  2. A: Both. Each has its benefits and drawbacks.

  3. Q: How would you describe your style?

  4. A: Taking an intimate, part-based approach to the keyboard to a higher, more ensemble-like symphonic level.

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

  6. A: If you have a track that you will eventually add lead vocals to, make sure to give your session musicians a scratch-vocal track (doesn't have to sound good, just has to give the general feel and ideas). This way, your musicians will have a good sense of placement and tone.

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

  8. A: When providing keyboard parts to an already written song, I like to interview the client in order to understand the desired sound and feel, and agree on a few reference tracks that are similar in playing style to the desired one. At this point we can decide on types of sounds, and where in the song they’d fit. After this I can take a pass through the song. When writing a song, the first step is to put together a sonic palette (decide what kind of sounds suit the music and how much keyboard the music needs). Generally the sonic palette is decided by the client, however if I hear something that the song needs that the client hasn't mentioned, I like to offer the idea as one of the options. The next step is to try a few loose runs through the song with one of the main keyboard sounds that were decided on and get a general feel for what works and what doesn't. I'll typically select a few ideas from this process and continue refining them until the part sounds solid. The next step is mixing the keyboard track so that it blends well with the rest of the mix. At this point, once the basic sound and ideas are there, I may try out a few off-beat wacky ideas that may or may not work - you never know if you don't try! At this point I'll polish the editing and the mix and that's it.

  9. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  10. A: Keyboards: Roland RD700NX stage piano, Moog Sub37 Analog Synth, Korg SV-1 Stage Piano (for great Rhodes and Wurly sounds). Sound libraries: I have a large East West library including Hollywood Strings, Symphonic Orchestra Gold, Ra, Silk, Solo Violin, The Dark Side, Stormdrum 2, Ministry of Rock. Other libraries that I heavily use include Spectrasonics Omnisphere, LA Scoring Strings, Ondes Martenot, Mellotron, and NI Session Horns.

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

  12. A: As far as keyboard playing goes, I'm a huge fan of John Medeski, Herbie Hancock, Bernie Worrell, Keith Emerson, Shaun Martin, etc. Basically anyone with a sound that is firmly rooted in genre yet has a healthy amount of individualism and originality to their musical voice. In terms of music production, I very much admire Hans Zimmer for his massive and immersive sound, as well as Trent Reznor and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez for their courageous and genre-defying experimentation.

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

  14. A: I do best at "classic" keyboard parts/sounds. Think percussive piano parts or screaming hammond organ layers for a rock song, funky clav comping or smooth rhodes pads for soul/r&b/funk, sparkly and bright "West Coast-style" synth leads for hip hop, and everything in between. I also can create extremely realistic orchestral textures with standard elements like winds/brass/strings/percussion or more off-beat ethnic and world instruments from different cultures for a more eclectic vibe.

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I was the pianist in this production

Terms Of Service

Two revisions, turnaround time is dependent on your project, but is generally 4-5 days for standard keyboard work. After the initial revision the job may not be canceled.

GenresSounds Like
  • Herbie Hancock
  • Toto
  • Trent Reznor
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