Interviews | No. 175
By Danielle Goldsmith and Joao Gonzalez of Abrelume
Melina Duterte began recording her own music armed with little more than a laptop, a budget mic, and a fascination with how records are made. As Jay Som, she crafted a distinctive sound defined by textural, layered guitars, and soft, intimate vocals. Since then, Duterte has expanded...
Engineer and mixer Geoff Swan has gone from university student, to studio owner, to producer Mike "Spike" Stent's assistant, back to studio owner, and is now a go-to engineer and mixer for some of today's most exciting artists and producers. He has had a hand in the...
In 2010 on St. Patrick's day, my friend, Patrick Sansone (of Wilco), took me to watch Liam Hayes perform at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. We were introduced after the show. I had no idea at the time how expansive Liam's career in music had been, or what a prolific songwriter he...
In the alternate reality where everyone still reads recording credits off of their album sleeves as the record spins, we would see the name Leon Michels on many of them. Having worked with household names such as Lana Del Rey, Dr. John, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, The Wu-Tang Clan, and Adele, as...
Ah, vintage recording equipment. Where did this world come from? In the late-'60s and into the '70s, cheaper electronics and manufacturing filled the market of pro audio. As the '70s rolled along, people like Dan Alexander and Allen Sides [Tape Op#106] sought out the best...
It is remarkable how I discovered Marc Jonson. Quite randomly, on a Sunday afternoon a few years ago, I found a box of CDs on the sidewalk in my Brooklyn, NY, neighborhood. Being a music lover constantly in search of new albums to inspire my life, I noticed one CD in particular when...
Well-known as a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter, Harry Connick Jr. found himself with a cancelled tour, left at home seeking "comfort, peace, and truth throughout the process of making music." He played all the instruments and recorded himself at his home studio and then...
One of electronic music's prevailing visionaries; Amon Tobin began producing in the south coastal town of Brighton, England, debuting with the album Bricolage in 1997 – a seamless union of downtempo jazz/jungle fusions. It was the beginning of a career defined by a...
Was this record really recorded in a garage?
Yes, it was. I now dub it the Mirage Garage. It's my back house here in Pasadena [California]; a little shack out back where I have all of my instruments and a modest recording setup.
Did you guys rehearse these songs, or was it more...
At this point, Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover are the Melvins. They've recorded over 29 studio albums in all types of spaces and show no signs of slowing down. I caught up with Buzz and Dale for a couple of days on their "double bass player tour" (with Jeff Pinkus and...
It's been 40 years since SoCal brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald, then only 17 and 13, first released music as Redd Kross – okay, the band was actually called Red Cross initially – but, cease-and-desist orders aside, that's one hell of long time for a creative relationship to...
I'd met engineer/musician Toshi Kasai and Melvins drummer Dale Crover when they spotted me at a NAMM Show years ago. We had a blast chatting, and while editing the Melvins' interview for this issue I realized I'd better get Toshi's perspective on his long...
Since the early 2000s, PHO, born Leonardo Rojas, has navigated his dynamic career through the grand corridors of hip-hop, funk, and soul. By 2015, he was already considered one of the top 40 DJs in the world. Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, he is equally as likely to be found behind the...