Recording/Mixing engineer

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

A: I will forever highlight the album "Ingen Tid Å Miste" by MÍO. It was my first major release, and the breadth of instruments and techniques employed on that album could be a masterclass in and of itself! I was the producer, recording engineer and mixing engineer for this album.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that I force your music into a box where it doesn't belong. The definition of producer is so varied that any one understanding will still probably be wrong to someone else. I don't write your music. I make your music translate into a recorded piece of music, and make your song sound the best it can.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your ambition for this project? How do you imagine I can help with this? How would you like to record this? What are some songs/pieces you want me to consider when we work together?

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

A: Look for the engineer/producer/artist that will make you feel like what you're doing with your music is the best thing ever. Someone that raises you up and helps you achieve the goals that you have set.

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

A: I am not beholden to any one genre, but I do tend to prefer working with bands as that is where me and my skill set thrive the most.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to work with bands/artists to accurately translate their creative vision into recorded music and make it larger than life. I emphasise the experience of recording to get a better end product and therefore end up creating meaningful and lasting connections with the people I work alongside.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Getting to create meaningful art with awesome people!

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

A: I have been producing music since I was 16/17 and playing in small local bands. After stumbling headfirst into recording I fell in love with being a recording engineer and subsequently worked freelance in live sounds for a number of years. Something I still do on occasion, when I have the opportunity. But it was a teacher I had that really made me love mixing and music production. I learned everything I could from him and before I knew it, I was recording and mixing all the time and gradually started getting paid for it as well. This led to me getting a bachelor's degree in musicology with a focus on jazz/rock/pop arrangement and music production; then a master's degree. I spent a few years in music research and now work full-time as a music producer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I employ a hybrid mix when I mix and produce music. I love the convenience of digital, and I would take 24 channels of clean preamps over 8 good vintage ones any day for recording. But when doing the actual mixing, I love have physical interactions with the gear. It helps me to stop listening with my eyes.

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

A: I promise to use every tool and technical knowledge at my disposal to make you music sound the best it can.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I love layers and rich textures. And that's what dominates most of my productions. When you hear my mixes they are often cram-packed with instruments, ear-goodies and little treasures that the listener gets to find by listening again and again.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: If it sounds good, it is good.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a nuanced and varied understanding of music and a deep level of technical knowledge of both the processes of recording as well as publishing music. Additionally, I bring many years of experience as a guitarist, vocalist and supplementary experience as a keyboardist/pianist.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It varies completely depending on the band/artist I work with. But I try to get into the recording studio as quickly as we can, so we don't get stuck in a production loop. The magic usually happens in the studio.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My setup is split into three separate spaces. I have access to a full recording studio with a decently large live room, where there is enough space to record an entire band at once, complete with two booths to separate vocals or amps etc. Secondly, I have my production suite, where I can do all the nitty gritty editing, organising and setting up of sessions in addition to mixing and mastering.

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

A: I am a big fan of the way Steve Albini works, where he becomes a technical extension of the band. Trying to be the fly on the wall that makes sure everything becomes as good as it possibly can and trying to give the band/artist the feeling of mastering their craft while we work.

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

A: I most commonly take on clients in partnerships where I work closely with them all the way from production to release. In this regard, I work more technically-oriented, doing my best to translate their creative vision into an actual recorded piece of music.