ABOUT

• 32+ years as a professional music producer, mixer, arranger, engineer, programmer, composer, and writer, working with everyone from major label acts to underground unsigned artists. Some aliens, too, I think.

• Born in New York City, the son of a classical pianist and a nurse. I first wanted to play drums, but my Dad said we couldn’t have a drum kit in the apartment (as he sat down at the 7 foot Steinway grand piano taking up the entire living room). He said, “You’re playing something we can stick a mute in.” So my first instrument was trumpet.

• Interested in computers and electronics, too. This was the 80’s. Built a radio, calculator, and a TV, and then, after messing around with the school’s Commodore PET and Radio Shack TRS-80 computers, I got my own Apple II+, with 64k of RAM. Dangerous. Been an Alpha Geek ever since.

• Since I was a keyboard playing dork, too, I got the first MIDI production synth, the Sequential Circuits Prophet-600, into which I promptly spilled a 2-liter of Coke. Bonus.

• Played in bands all through high school, and then went to college for computer science and then music conservatory for classical composition. Built their MIDI lab. Fancy.

• Dropped out of conserve and moved to LA, played keyboards in a Top 40 / Latino / Oldies cover band, built & ran a MIDI production room, became a staff engineer at Hit City West (Andy Wallace), learned all-analog engineering, worked with a ton of cool people, became an independent music producer/remixer, worked with even more cool people in more cool studios, was in a band, moved to Chicago, worked with a bunch of cool bands there, then back to LA for more producing and mixing, plus scoring for picture and doing some sound design, built a studio or two, started a record label or two, went back in Chi to stir up trouble there again, and now  Covid got me quarantined in my bag in DTLA. Wear a mask, people.

• I’ve worked in many genres, including classical, prog rock, fusion, jazz, English invasion, new wave, goth, art rock, alternative, indie, metal, hip hop, rap, house, techno, Middle Eastern, Reggae, jungle, drum ’n’ bass, folk, electronica, EDM, and of course, pop music. There’s good and band in every genre. Except polka. Polka sucks.

• Usually hired as a music producer, mixer, recording engineer, programmer, arranger, performer, and/or writer. As producer, I am conceptual in approach. My role models, some of whom I’ve had the honor to work with and learn from directly, include Rick Rubin, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Malcolm McLaren, Richard Perry, Tchad Blake, David Bottrill, Jerry Harrison, and many others who won’t return my calls.

•My work is split roughly a third producing, a third mixing, a third writing and composing, and a third everything else (performing, mastering, sound design, consulting).

• I’ve lived in LA & Chicago most of my adult life, but still a New Yorker at heart. Some would say mouth, too.

• My artist work is released under the name AEROSOL (https://www.facebook.com/aerosoltunes). Been enjoying writing for other artists more, too. Better to get the songs and arrangements right before ever going into the studio. The rehearsal space is where all the real work happens. The studio has better snacks.

• I live to do only the best work – to bring 100% to every project. I am humbled and honored to work with the best in the business, and they deserve the best in return.