Browsing Tag

Audio Engineer

Shaping Soundscapes: An Exclusive Interview with Audio Engineer Kaiki Chan

Posted on 24 December 2024

Kaiki Chan’s journey into audio engineering is as inspiring as it is illustrative of the intersection between technical mastery and artistic passion. In this interview, Kaiki discusses their path from youthful curiosity about the entertainment world to an accomplished career that includes mixing standout tracks like Summer Cologne and restoring the audio of classic films at Audio Mechanics. The interview touches on the challenges of balancing creativity with client expectations, the rewards of collaboration, and the evolving landscape of sound engineering. Kaiki’s insights offer a window into the artistry and precision that define their work in shaping unforgettable audio experiences.

  1. Kaiki Chan, it’s a pleasure to connect with you and discuss your decorated career as an audio engineer. Before we get stuck into your accomplishments, can you take us back to the first moment you realized audio engineering might be more than a hobby and could become a lifelong pursuit?

From a young age, I was always drawn to the world of entertainment whether it was film, music, or television. What really fascinated me was the behind-the-scenes process: how all of these elements come together to create something that resonates with the audience. As I grew older, I became increasingly interested in sound and how it shapes our perception of media. It was in my teenage years, when I first started experimenting with recording equipment, that I realized this was more than just a hobby. I began to see audio engineering as a path that could blend my technical curiosity with my creative interests, and from that point, I knew I wanted to pursue it as a career.

  1. How did your early influences lead you toward refining your technical skills and understanding the artistry involved in shaping sound?

Throughout my academic years, I was fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly inspiring peers and professors who broadened my perspective. Although I initially felt that sound engineering was a niche, I quickly discovered just how expansive the field really was. Whether it was through learning about acoustics, mixing, or the creative possibilities of sound design, I realized that audio engineering is both a technical craft and an artistic expression. The more I learned, the more I recognized how sound can influence emotion, narrative, and overall experience, which ultimately refined both my technical abilities and my artistic sensibilities.

  1. Along the way, have you had to overcome any challenges which ultimately gave you more confidence as an engineer?

One of the most challenging aspects of being an audio engineer is the constant balancing act between creativity and client expectations. Over the years, I’ve learned that the moments that truly boost my confidence are when I’m able to meet those expectations while still maintaining a high level of creativity. Whether it’s delivering a sound mix that elevates a project or receiving positive feedback from clients who are thrilled with the final product, those moments serve as reminders of why I’m doing this work and motivate me to continue pushing myself.

  1. Could you share some insights into what drew you towards working as a mixing engineer on the track “Summer Cologne” and what made that collaboration such a standout moment in your career?

“Summer Cologne” was one of the first major projects I worked on as an audio engineer, and it stands out for a few reasons. One key factor was the collaboration itself. The artist was incredibly open to new ideas, and the creative freedom allowed me to experiment and really find the right sound. Additionally, the project came together remotely due to the pandemic, which was a new experience for many professionals at the time. The challenges of working virtually helped me realize the potential for remote collaboration and taught me how to adapt quickly to new technologies and workflows, which has been invaluable in my career.

  1. What was the most rewarding aspect of restoring the audio of old films at Audio Mechanics?

Restoring old film audio is an incredibly rewarding experience for me, primarily because it feels like I am giving new life to pieces of history. Many of these films had soundtracks or audio elements that had deteriorated over time, and the opportunity to preserve them for future generations felt meaningful on a much larger scale. There’s something deeply gratifying about knowing that my work will allow people to experience these films in their most authentic form, and that I’m contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage in a way that can be appreciated by audiences for years to come.

  1. How do you navigate the pressure of deadlines and high expectations while still allowing creativity to flow naturally?

Managing deadlines and high expectations is definitely part of the job, but I’ve found that the key is balance. Time management is crucial, but it’s also important to let the creative process take its course. When I’m really in the zone, it feels like nothing else matters. Hunger, sleep, even time itself become secondary to the flow of ideas. It’s when I’m able to focus fully on the task at hand that I can create my best work. And, as for high expectations, I’ve learned to embrace them as a source of motivation rather than pressure. They push me to strive for excellence, and they often lead to some of my most fulfilling work.

  1. What do you hope to achieve in your career that will leave a meaningful imprint on the industry?

My goal is simple: I want to continue contributing to the world of sound in a meaningful way. Entertainment, in all its forms, plays a crucial role in shaping how we understand the world, connect with each other, and experience life. While it may not be life-or-death work, the emotional impact of great sound design or engineering is undeniable. I’m proud to be a part of that process, and my aspiration is to keep working on projects that resonate with people, spark emotions, and leave a lasting impact, whether it’s through a film, an album, or any other medium.

  1. What would you say to inspire others to follow their own engineering paths?

The journey in audio engineering is one of constant learning, and that’s something I’m still experiencing every day. One of the most important things I’ve learned along the way is the value of mentorship. Having someone who can guide you, offer advice, and challenge you to grow is invaluable. But just as important is believing in yourself. This is a field that requires dedication, patience, and a passion for learning, and it’s crucial to stay committed even when the road gets tough. My advice would be to embrace the learning process, seek out mentors, and above all, trust in your own potential to contribute something unique to the field.

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Connect with Kaiki Chan on Instagram & check out their work on Spotify.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

A&R Factory interview with the man, the muso and the audio legend, Manuel Sanchez

Posted on 3 September 2024
Manuel Sanchez

Manuel Sanchez’s interview with A&R Factory explores into his profound connection with music. His narrative begins with the discovery of this deep-seated passion and traces through his scholarship at Berklee College of Music which marked a pivotal point in his artistic life. His artistic arc showcases an unyielding adherence to personal authenticity, a theme consistent throughout his career and particularly evident during the Berklee audition where he presented an original piece.

The interview touches upon the challenges and cultural shifts Sanchez faced, from moving to Boston to establishing himself in the competitive Los Angeles music scene. His role at Igloo Music, alongside his transition into producing his own music, highlights his evolution and the various facets of his musical and professional identity. 

Manuel Sanchez, welcome to A&R Factory! It’s a pleasure to sit down with you and discuss your storied career as an audio engineer and musician. To start, can you take us back to the moment when you discovered your passion for music? 

My passion for music began when I was just 9 years old and started taking guitar lessons. From the very first moment, I felt a deep connection with music. Despite my limited knowledge of music theory at the time, I always found a way to express myself through it, creating original pieces from the moment I started playing. This drive to express myself inspired me to continue studying, striving to improve and communicate my emotions even more effectively through music.

Earning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music is no small feat. How did the scholarship shape your approach to music?

When I received the scholarship, I felt vindicated—it reaffirmed my belief in trusting myself and in what music truly meant to me. Many people don’t know this, but I wasn’t accepted into one of the universities I applied to in Colombia. Their requirements were very strict; to be accepted, I had to perform a prepared piece that demonstrated technical ability in a specific genre—Jazz—which I wasn’t very familiar with at the time. As a result, I felt like I wasn’t good enough.

However, for my Berklee audition, I decided to stay true to myself. I played an original piece with a full band because I wanted to show the jury what music truly meant to me: a way to express myself. When I received the scholarship, I knew that trusting my vision and passion had been the right choice. Years later, I had the opportunity to meet one of the jury members from that audition, and she told me it was one of the best auditions she had ever seen. No one else had the idea, nor the boldness, to bring a full band into an audition to play an original piece.

How much of a culture shock was it to move from Bogotá to Boston for your scholarship?

Arriving in Boston was a big shock. Not only because I had to learn a whole new language but because It was the first time I was living by myself. The culture was different, the food, the weather. In Colombia, we don’t have winter so being -26°C (-14.8°F) is a challenge for me. But Berklee was an amazing place to start over. I had many friends that were international students as well and we all supported one another. It was very interesting to me how so many people from so many different countries could just get together and become friends. It really showed me that humans have the ability to get along no matter how different we think we are.

You have successfully integrated into the LA music scene, a pipedream for most, what has been your experience of the industry in LA?

LA can be a really tough city at first. I felt more lonely and stressed moving to LA than I did moving to Boston from another country. When I arrived in LA, I was on my own, without a car or a stable job. I took on numerous internships while working, and eventually, I found a place where I could grow.

Your work at Igloo Music, alongside industry giants like Gustavo Borner, has been a pivotal part of your journey. What have been some of the most impactful experiences working there?

Definitely, learning from more experienced people has been invaluable. Even though they were often busy with many responsibilities, they were always willing to help and teach. And then there’s the importance of making mistakes and improving from them. Don’t be afraid to fail—every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow.

You’ve contributed to over 100 projects, including high-profile productions like Money Heist: Korea and The Glory. Out of all these projects, which one do you feel was the most challenging or rewarding, and why?

One of the most challenging projects I worked on was Who Killed Him? for Amazon. This project was particularly demanding because it centered heavily on the actors’ incredible performances and artistic vision. We had to ensure that we preserved and enhanced the original intent, staying true to the creative direction while bringing out the best in every detail.

Your career spans various roles in audio engineering, from mixing to recording and dubbing. How do you approach each of these roles differently, and what do you enjoy most about the diversity in your work?

Being able to switch between different roles is something I’m very grateful for. Every time I spend a long time recording, for example, it’s nice to be able to transition to a different aspect of my profession and continue being creative. Each role is like a different hat or character I need to play, and with experience, you can switch between them more organically.

You’re on the verge of releasing your first single and have several exciting projects on the horizon. Can you share a bit about what we can expect from your music and these upcoming ventures?

I’m thrilled to finally release my music project. These songs have been in the making for years—some for over five years—so they’re deeply connected to my journey. They represent how I’ve perceived and experienced my path and evolution throughout this time.

Your story is one of perseverance, talent, and an unwavering commitment to your craft. For those who aspire to follow a similar path in music and audio engineering, what advice would you offer based on your experiences?

I advise staying true to who you are and what you genuinely want. Don’t be afraid to take risks and demonstrate your desire to grow and learn. Nowadays, society is like a loud playground where it’s easy to get lost. So take the time to focus on your inner voice and truly listen to what your heart wants. Be grateful for what you’ve achieved, as that gratitude will give you the strength and courage to keep moving forward.

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Discover more about Manuel Sanchez via his official website.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Out of Time ft Jojo Guo Elevated Phil Raskin to Audio Legend Status

Posted on 11 May 2024

The wall of sound that rushes right over you when you hit play on the standout single, Out of Time, from the three-track single, Fade, affirms that Phil Raskin has earned a place among the likes of Phil Spector, Tom Dowd, and George Martin in the audio engineer hall of fame.

The clarity, depth, and all-consuming intensity within the synthesis of pop, rock and soul make the production a phenomenon in its own right – not that the immensity of talent nestled within the performance can be understated. With guitar riffs that paralyse with their overdriven power, organ keys that transcend enough to escape material reality, and the 70s pop-rock piano melodies that intensify the emotion within Jojo Guo’s vocals and wash away the decades, Out of Time is a timelessly indomitable multisensory experience that is by far one of the most Grammy-worthy pieces I’ve heard in the past decade.

To hone his talent, the multinational engineer studied Music Production & Engineering, Film Scoring and Audio Post-Production at Berklee before relocating to LA where he became an integral part of Igloo Music Studios, working on projects for Netflix and Disney. Further into his career, he recorded a full choir session for the 2023 Super Bowl Pre-Show and was put in charge of Spatial Quality Control of Dolby Atmos deliverables for Camel City Sound. At this stage, if he had any more feathers in his cap, he’d need an aviary to contain them.

Stream Out of Time on Spotify or purchase the single via Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

THE VISION blurred sonic boundaries beyond definition in his latest rocksteady with vibes production, WANNA KNOW

Posted on 25 July 2023

Sonic boundaries blurred beyond definition in the latest single, WANNA KNOW, from the London-based fusionist artist, engineer, and producer, THE VISION. Instead of pandering to arbitrary stylistic parameters, the alternative artist let rhythm and soul take the wheel and drive with the top down while painting a contemporary love story with more twists than a Shakespearean tragedy.

With so many lyrical layers to unpeel in WANNA KNOW, the trap pop hit spills a narrative that keeps giving with every listen; lock into the lyricism or lose yourself in the steamy synthetics of the hit, that provides the ultimate soundtrack to hazy summer nights with the Afrobeat rhythms, pop hooks, trap beats and deeply reverberant RnB vocal melodies.

WANNA KNOW hit the airwaves on the 14th of July; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pedro set a cinematically arcane score with ‘Súplicas à Floresta’

Posted on 15 February 2023

Princeton, NJ-residing Portuguese artist and engineering student Pedro Pimenta is here with his dramatically filmic score, Súplicas à Floresta. The scintillating arrangement is just a taste of what is to come from the up-and-coming artist and producer, who takes inspiration from the roads he has travelled in addition to spiritually-centred artists, including Bjork, Arca and La Rosalia.

With the shimmering organ notes drifting above the contrast of the eerily ethereal electronic motifs in the cinematically synthesised soundscape that also pulls you through jarringly immersive orchestral layers, Súplicas à Floresta is an arrestive experimental arrangement with deep reverence for the natural and cultural phenomena it was inspired by. If the score was the soundtrack to a film, it would undoubtedly be a Cannes Film Festival favourite.

Súplicas à Floresta will officially release on February 15th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

True Peace: Indianapolis multi-instrumentalist Daniel Walzer is quite brilliant on ‘Stand Up’

Posted on 16 August 2021
Essence of Now by Daniel Walzer

With a consistently groovy delivery which makes you feel like you are on a well-deserved holiday, Daniel Walzer skillfully has our heads moving and our bodies grooving all over the lounge with the nosy neighbors next door watching on in absolute astonishment with ‘Stand Up‘.

Daniel Walzer is an Indianapolis-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and audio engineer, who is also the Assistant Professor of Music and Arts Technology at IUPUI.

Featuring a stellar range of skilled artists who have helped Daniel create this wonderful track, this is a real gem that is clearly made with much love and scintillating skill. It feels like he is asking us to get motivated again after a long slumber with many excuses – as we now get up and reach those lofty goals – which have our hungry hearts beating quickly, with passionate excitement.

”Originally trained as a percussionist, Walzer’s recording discography includes more than two dozen albums as a session musician, engineer, and producer. Essence of Now is Walzer’s sixth album as a bandleader and showcases his production versatility on piano, drums, mallets, percussion, and audio engineer. The title commemorates the 20th anniversary of Essence of Now Records, a Midwest-based record label that Walzer started in 2001.” ~ Daniel Walzer

‘Stand Up‘ from the Indianapolis-based indie multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer Daniel Walzer, shows us a terrifically-made single that is from the eleven-track album ‘Essence of Now‘. This is a cinematic moment to treasure from a truly skilled and underrated music wizard – who seem to effortlessly sizzle with pride on each instrument he summons – with a world class display that might leave you quite breathless in admiration.

Hear this finely tuned new single on Bandcamp.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Those Travels: Atlanta producer/rapper Marsalis dreams of those wild times in ‘Mexico’

Posted on 17 July 2021

As he atmospherically advances our mindset with a smoothly cut freestyle-type of track to transform our constantly changing moods into the much-awaited holiday season, Marsalis imagines the party-filled summer with his beautiful crush on the road trip to ‘Mexico‘.

Marsalis is an emerging Atlanta, Georgia-based music producer, Georgia State University student, audio engineer, hip-hop artist, and brand owner. He is a skilled performer who shows us his experienced production techniques that were born from his hard work and self-belief, in his ever-increasing abilities.

”Marsalis is focused on creating new waves of music that are just as enjoyable as artistic. From creating dark moody vibes to creating summer soundtracks, he is an experienced producer who is a part of the new wave of artists that create soundscapes, as well as perform on them.” ~ Marsalis

‘Mexico‘ from the burgeoning Atlanta, Georgia-based music producer and hip-hop artist Marsalis, is a testament to the positive outlook that has him thinking of better days away in an exotic country, to get away from it all for a while. He displays impressive ability behind the mic with a gritty and eloquently smooth delivery, that is fused with such a memorable voice that you can’t easily forget. This feels like the start of something special for the GA native who seems to have all the right tools in the box, to create something great.

Hear this new single on Spotify and follow the journey on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Keeping Things Real: Genevieve Zamora drops the excellent new single ‘No BS’ (feat. Gifted)

Posted on 7 April 2021

With her soul alive and feeling extra creative, Genevieve Zamora is back with the top shelf new hip-hop/RnB laced single called ‘No BS‘ (feat. Gifted).

Renowned audio engineer, singer-songwriter, online class educator and proud owner of Southern Royalty Studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Genevieve Zamora makes music that helps you relate to real life, as we all go through ups and downs whilst desperately needing that heart-warming uplifting feeling that helps things be better again, after a cold winter of chaos.

After being married for twenty years and having two beloved children, she has decided to get more of her music out there to the world and this feels like a renaissance to see what else there is to achieve. Her creative juices are flowing over the top of the waves and you can just sense that she doesn’t ever back down from any challenge.

This is the story of showing that you don’t play any games and this what you do is for real, you don’t have time for seeing those fake sharks bite themselves on social media while doing nothing of substance, as you are making things happen and keeping life legit.

She sings with such class and the raps bounce perfectly on a crisply produced beat that has you nodding your head, whilst your body just wants to dance and get into the mood.

‘No BS’ (feat. Gifted) from the inspiring and multi-talented Genevieve Zamora, is a sign of things to come from a woman who knows what she wants. Everything screams quality here and the subject matter is real, which is a welcome curve away from the usual overly embellished stories on the airwaves, that has you questioning their morals. Keeping things in reality is what this whole project is all about after all.

Stream this new track on Spotify and check out the IG for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

A new talent shines through: Chris Potter is ready for this exciting journey and asks doubters to get ‘Out of the Way’ on debut seven-track EP

Posted on 5 February 2021

His debut album had a few technical hiccups on the way to our curious ears, but Chris Potter certainly made the wait highly worth it, on the stupendously performed and produced seven-track EP named ‘Out of the Way‘.

Chris Potter is a soulful Los Angeles-based indie singer-songwriter, audio engineer and producer who creates that special mix of music that incorporates his thoughtful energy and encapsulating melodies, to formulate that magnificent rare authentic sound that gives you hope again.

All seven track are of equal quality and a particular mention must be made of ‘It Was Love‘ (ft. Margot Jezerc), which is a sweetly mixed bundle of genuine joy, that fills your heart with such happiness. Their vocals mesh like smooth wine and creamy cheese, as the taste in your mouth after listening to this single is one that you won’t forget easily.

Another gem is without doubt ‘Used To‘, as it captures that raw love feeling that has you thinking about past encounters with those special souls, that were so perfect, until you ran into various issues that took away the spark forever.

‘See A Way‘ is the third highlight from the new EP, as it adds a positive tone to break away from the heartbreak and fills you up with hope that love can indeed be simple and fun, just the way it should be.

Chris has that pureness in his voice that you don’t hear too often and somehow manages to effortlessly lather your anxious senses into feeling safe again and helps you drift away to a peaceful place, where everything around is calm and loving.

‘Out of the Way‘ from the multi-talented LA artist and producer Chris Potter, brings forth that extra sweet care and stunning creative energy that makes you forget about the doom and gloom. You get lost in time on this memorable EP that is a hug to the heart when it was most needed, from an authentic artist with only good intentions.

Hear this assortment of goodness on Spotify and see his story on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen