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Hello Tobi, how are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tired.\u00a0 Once again I was smart enough to volunteer to review the Fresh Favs the same weekend as releasing a new Tobisonics track.\u00a0 Given this is the second time I\u2019ve done this, I can only conclude I\u2019m an idiot.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You are a man of many talents, how did it all begin for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n According to my parents, when the gypsies left me on the doorstep as a baby.\u00a0 …I had an, \u201cif not now then when?\u201d moment in my mid-30s and I figured I\u2019d better just get on with it if I was ever really going to start making music again.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What did you listen to growing up?<\/strong><\/p>\n What makes you think I\u2019ve grown up?\u00a0 My father listened to all sorts from Led Zep & Pink Floyd to Diana Ross & the Supremes to jazz and classical. The first real bands I got into were Guns n Roses and Faith No More; then MTV\u2019s 120 Minutes became the church at which I worshipped.\u00a0 After that, I converted to the Faith of Brit Pop (and its patron saint, Phil Daniels) and that was my sixth form years.\u00a0 And my sister was a big fan of musicals, so despite my best efforts to block it all out, I know all the words to musicals like Grease and Annie.\u00a0 I guess it all adds up to Tobisonics.\u00a0 Particularly Grease.\u00a0 A lot of Grease in \u201cMilitary Industrial Complex\u201d.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Congratulations on the release of Military Industrial Complex. How does it feel?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m a bit punch drunk to be honest.\u00a0 Again, with one or two notable exceptions, the blogs have been largely disinterested, but the radio response has been fantastic.\u00a0 There\u2019s a crazy kind of magic hearing your own song on the radio.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n What is the story behind it?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a tale of two Republican Presidents\u2019 speeches.\u00a0 On one hand, the dignified, thoughtful, and ultimately hopeful tone of President Eisenhower\u2019s Farewell Address to the Nation, and on the other, President Trump\u2019s macho-antagonistic and fatalistic response to the BLM protests.\u00a0 I can\u2019t reconcile the two.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe it\u2019s possible to believe in both.\u00a0 \u201cMilitary Industrial Complex\u201d is a challenge to traditional Repubician voters; can they reconcile the two?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n You are a mix and mastering engineer as well, what attracted you to that path?<\/strong><\/p>\n I can\u2019t sing or dance.\u00a0 I came into the Music Industry already middle-aged.\u00a0 I was at a time in my life when I was content to be behind the scenes.\u00a0 But the market for mixing and mastering is being squeezed year on year.\u00a0 Software and auto-master is getting cleverer and artists are often content with their own home mix\/masters.\u00a0 Even the top engineers have to offer budget rates nowadays.\u00a0 Independents like myself are competing in an ever decreasing market.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Do you have a particular approach when beginning a mixing session?<\/strong><\/p>\n Listen.\u00a0 Listen to the demo mix.\u00a0 Listen to the raw tracks.\u00a0 Listen to reference tracks.\u00a0 You have to know where you\u2019re going before you start mixing.\u00a0 You have to have the finished mix in your head.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n You have created a series of videos on YouTube showing techniques and plugins, what\u2019s your favourite plugin to use?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n For Mastering, I use Fabfilter, DMG, Voxengo & PSP.\u00a0 For mixing & production, I use a lot of Cubase stock plugins. A lot of the bridges and tunnels work can be done with stock.\u00a0 Save the fancy plugins for the featured instruments, etc.\u00a0 My most used plugin is DMG Track.\u00a0 It\u2019s a free plugin.\u00a0 Very functional.\u00a0 I did a video about it:<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s in your set up?<\/strong><\/p>\n Pretty simple.\u00a0 I like to keep the room as open as possible for the best listening environment.\u00a0 I have acoustic treatment to help with low frequencies in particular.\u00a0 The room calibration technology built into my Genelecs deals with what the room treatment doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 …pretty much.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n I sold most of my outboard gear and what I have left is for recording only.\u00a0 Everything else I\u2019m all in the Box.\u00a0 I have a Ferrofish 16\/16 ADAT.\u00a0 It\u2019s basically a converter in a box with an external power supply (which I keep separate with steel rack shelving).\u00a0 This keeps the clocking nice and stable.\u00a0 And it\u2019s fully transformer isolated input\/output with Radial Engineering boxes, which is crazy expensive but very effective – lucky I only use a few of the inputs\/outputs.\u00a0 ADAT lightpipe is ancient technology, but it\u2019s reliable and it\u2019ll run alongside power cables, etc no problem.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n What artists are getting you excited at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeen has a new self-titled album out.\u00a0 Her 2018 release \u201cGift Shop\u201d was my favourite album that year.\u00a0 I still haven\u2019t had time to listen to the new album all the way through – that\u2019s how busy I\u2019ve been.\u00a0 Jeen\u2019s music is under-produced, untidy, and undeniably wonderful.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n https:\/\/songwhip.com\/jeen\/jeen<\/span><\/p>\n Cartalk also has an album out – which I also have not had time to listen to – but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be stellar.\u00a0 Their 2019 release \u201cWrestling\u201d is just great.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n https:\/\/songwhip.com\/cartalk\/pass-like-pollen<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You are part of the Fresh On The Net team, what three artists have you discovered that have blown your mind since you joined?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pynch.\u00a0 As soon as I heard \u201cSomebody Else\u201d, I know it\u2019d be my favorite of the week.\u00a0 It\u2019s probably my favorite track of 2020.\u00a0 Even if they did master it themselves (bastards).\u00a0 Go listen, kiddies!<\/span> <\/p>\n Ellie Dixon is, frankly, annoyingly talented.\u00a0 She can sing, write, perform, produce, mix and her home masters are pretty decent (for an amatuer).\u00a0 I was sold when I watched her DIY cover of Justin \u201cwhat\u2019s his face\u201d (can\u2019t remember his name) track \u201cYummy\u201d using only samples from her fridge.\u00a0 Check it out!<\/span> <\/p>\n And Faultress, of course, who inspires, surprises, challenges with every release.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just reviewed \u201cShrew\u201d so I\u2019m all out of words to describe just how special this Artist is; so I\u2019ll just repeat myself, I\u2019ve been listening to independent\/alternative music for the best part of 30 years, I love that Artist can still surprise me.\u00a0 Her new album is out now.<\/span> <\/p>\n Lockdown has affected the creative industry heavily, what have you been up to to keep yourself motivated?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Total 100% fear of getting a real job.\u00a0 I work 7 days a week, 12 – 14 hours a day.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t had a day off since\u2026 Christmas 2018, I think.\u00a0 When I had a real job, I worked regular hours 5 days a week, but it was so much more like hard work.\u00a0 A person\u2019s sense of their life is determined by whether or not it is worth it, not by how hard it is.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n My experience of Lockdown is probably different from most.\u00a0 Having chronic depression\/anxiety means I used to handling myself when life starts to drag.\u00a0 I know which warning signs in my own behaviour to spot and what to do when I spot them.\u00a0 Plus I have a physiatrist I can book an extra appointment with, if needs be\u2026 I\u2019m so lucky I live in a country with an exceptional standard of Mental Healthcare.\u00a0 I doubt I\u2019d still be here if I\u2019d stayed in the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What are you looking forward to most next?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m content (or not) in the moment.\u00a0 I don\u2019t tend to look forward to things.\u00a0 And I try not to look back too much either.\u00a0 I have a Tobisonics collab in the works which I might try to release the first week of December, if we can get it right.\u00a0 …which reminds me, I need to touch base with the artist and see how the vocals are coming on. \u00a0<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tobisonics\/<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tobisonics<\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>https:\/\/youtu.be\/odrT61cjqX8<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>https:\/\/songwhip.com\/pynch\/somebody-else<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>https:\/\/youtu.be\/LWiAUIff5eY<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>https:\/\/songwhip.com\/faultress\/creatures<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n