Where in Belgium were you born?
I was born in Duffel in 1977.
Were you interested in music from an early age?
Before I was born, my mom was a prima ballerina at the Belgian national ballet [Royal Ballet of Flanders] and my dad was a technician and representative for Studer, ReVox, and EMT. So, music has always had a large place in our family. Mom's influence is one hundred percent classical music, and from dad I got Pink Floyd, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Deep Purple, Gilbert Bécaud, Jacques Brel, and Johan Verminnen.
Why did you decide working in a recording studio was for you?
It was my dad who introduced me to the industry. I had been playing guitar for a while, and a roadie for local bands, but the world of sound was unknown to me. Dad took me to see Herman Wilms, the head of the Audio Engineering Society Europe. We had a long chat and he told me that if I wanted to learn about all this I needed to go to London. He gave me a list of colleges to check out and that is what I did.
Did you play with electronic gear and tape recorders as a child?
No, I didn't. Because of my dad's job we always had amazing playback systems in the house, so I was always surrounded by great audio gear. When we talked about me possibly pursuing a career in audio, my dad handed me a ReVox G 36 1/4-inch machine that had been water damaged. He told me that if I was serious about this I should take it apart, clean it, replace the dead components, and if it worked I would be ready to go. Well, it worked.
Did you train to be an engineer after leaving school?
I did. In Belgium, you have to go to school until the age of 18. I went to university for two years, then went to London to study engineering at college, followed by university in Germany.
Did you work with analogue equipment?
Oh yes, I was trained on analogue and still work with as much analogue equipment as possible.
How long does it take to train as an engineer?
It never stops. I always learn new things every day. I learned the theoretical basics pretty quickly, however, putting the knowledge into practice in the real world is another matter.
Where did you first work after training?
My first proper recording sessions were with my mentor, Mike Skeet. The first name-worthy artist I recorded on those sessions was [Austrian pianist] Alfred Brendel at the Wigmore Hall in London. The first professional recording studio I worked in was Galaxy Studios in Belgium.
