Massive congratulations to all of the BRIT Awards 2018 nominees. We’re delighted to have worked with so many of the nominated artists over the past year…

Dua Lipa – nominated for British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act, British Single, British Album Of The Year & British Artist Video Of The Year. #DuaLipa was mastered by John Davis.

Ed Sheeran – nominated for British Male Solo Artist, British Single, British Album Of The Year & British Artist Video Of The Year. ÷ was mastered by Stuart Hawkes.

Gorillaz – nominated for British Group. Humanz was mastered by John Davis.

Jessie Ware – nominated for British Female Solo Artist. Glasshouse was mastered by Stuart Hawkes.

The xx – nominated for British Group. I See You was mastered by John Davis.

J Hus – nominated for British Breakthrough Act, British Single & British Album Of The Year. Common Sense was mastered by Stuart Hawkes.

The Killers – nominated for International Group. Wonderful Wonderful was mastered by John Davis.

Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson – nominated for British Single & British Artist Video Of The Year. Symphony was worked on by Liam Nolan and mastered by Stuart Hawkes.

Jax Jones ft. RAYE – nominated for British Single & British Artist Video Of The Year. You Don’t Know Me was mastered by Stuart Hawkes.

Anne-Marie – nominated for British Artist Video Of The Year. Ciao Adios was mastered by Stuart Hawkes.

Rag’n’Bone Man – nominated for British Male Solo Artist, British Single & British Album Of The Year. Mixed in Studio C by Dan Parry.

Paloma Faith – nominated for British Female Solo Artist. Tracks from the album were mixed in Studio C.

Loyle Carner – nominated for British Male Solo Artist & British Breakthrough Act. Yesterday’s Gone was mixed in Studio C.

…and breathe.

To find out more and book our Mastering team, click here…
To find out more and book with our Studios team, click here…

Never one to miss the opportunity to combine reading the future and espousing passionate music recommendations here is The Playback’s Sound of 2018.

Featuring a wide variety of artists, some of which will already be on your radar, we give you eight acts to keep an eye on in the months ahead…

Not3s – My Lover

East-Londoner Not3s has been winning over critics and celebrities such as Louis Theroux, Raheem Sterling and Stormzy with his cheeky rhymes and party ready rhythms. After the viral hit of “Addison Lee” Not3s has kept up the strong output of bangers. “My Lover” bobs up and down on the powerful kick drum and funky guitar licks. Not3s’ slick delivery is both confident and laid back and the young man’s charm shines through clearly.

Rex Orange County – Untitled

We tipped you off to Rex’s talents way back in April and since then he has released his album “Apricot Princess” to overwhelmingly positive reviews. A lot has been written about young Rex (Alex O’Connor) since then, with the majority of it rather unfairly focussing on his star studded and glamorous collaborations with the likes of Tyler the Creator instead of the work he has created on his own. It’s all here on tracks like “Untitled” with the uniquely soft crooning vocal that will surely get even better with age. You can catch Rex when he embarks on his UK and European tour in the New Year.

Nabihah Iqbal – Something More

Having previously worked under the moniker “Throwing Shade”, this year Nabihah Iqbal released her debut album “Weighing of the Heart” under her own name. On the track “Something More” you can feel her dance music oriented past blending smoothly with post punk guitars à la New Order and The Chameleons. Warm pads and sharp synth strings glide over a pounding robotic beat and her breathy vocals will have fans of The XX salivating throughout this retro sounding single.

Easy Life – Pockets

“Pockets” is the first taste of Easy Life’s soon to be released debut EP on Chess Club Records and it has rightly so whipped up plenty of interest in what the Leicester based 5-piece also have up their collective sleeve. Relevant tastemakers also deemed the track worthy of the New Music Friday UK Spotify playlist which would have introduced the boys to over half a million subscribers. The group are already selling out local venues as well as their first ever London show so if you want to catch them live there is no time to stall.

Alma – Chasing Highs

With a Top Twenty hit already to her name at just twenty one years of age, Finnish singer-songwriter Alma has made an exciting start to her career. “Chasing Highs” is pure pop brilliance with its staccato keys, massive house beat (with accompanying hand claps) and at its centre a tough and assertive vocal performance. There is surely much more to come from the young and bold singer who has seriously progressed from her days on the Finnish singing competition “Idols” back in 2013.

Benny Mails – Aware, The Mixtape

Benny Mails is a hot new MC from South London with an elegantly rhythmic flow naturally developed during his formative years break dancing and listening to Hip Hop, Funk and Jazz records. “Aware, The Mixtape” is made up of eight wildly different tracks that excellently demonstrates the young talents abilities. Benny vocally spars with the listener delivering fast and phonetically fatal jabs yet with “Aware” he shows he can slow things down and come up with Connan Mockasin style make out music.

Dama Scout – Sugar

The Playback has been flying the flag for Dama Scout ever since we saw them supporting one of our other favourite bands Our Girl at the Shacklewell Arms in Dalston. Their kinetic energy combined with a discernible ear for a melody results in something very interesting indeed. Much like bands such as experimental rockers Deerhoof, Dama Scout effortlessly combine harsh and dissonant moments with sublime and sweet ones.

Pink Kink – Munchie Magic

Liverpudlian band Pink Kink make us think “why can’t more acts be this wild and fun?” With “Munchie Magic” it sounds like Pink Kink are the stars of a Tarantino film about Punk surfers from the 1980’s that have time travelled back to the Wild West… in the best way possible. Anarchic, sharp and rude the track and the band are accessible without playing down their politics and intellect.

To keep up to date with all things Metropolis Mastering related check out our website…

Check out our Spotify playlist which we will be adding to as the year goes on with all our tips and recommendations…

The Playback

We’re back with five more artists to satiate your new music consumption needs. Welcome to The Playback. These hot new releases come forged from deep within the chilly months of October and November and we present them to you for your aural pleasure. Bon Appétit!

Easy Life – Pockets

Easy Life are five young chaps from the East Midlands making music that has plenty of fun mixing genres and styles. Clean jazzy guitars chime with Hip-Hop rhythms and spoken word vocals collide in this chilled choon. “Pockets” is just the first offering from an upcoming EP picked up by the super “down with the kids” label Chess Club Records (also home to the achingly cool MØ and Hinds) and it’s a very promising launch pad for the group who next play The Bodega in Nottingham on the 8th of December.

Totally – Moonlit Memory

“Moonlit Memory” is the new single from London based group Totally. Harking back to the 60’s with their tight four part vocal harmonies, jangly guitars and haunting organ sound, Totally have produced a sweet tear-jerker of a pop song. Confessional lyrics are given life by lead singer Jade’s vulnerable and introspective delivery. You can catch them playing at The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington on the 13th of December ahead of the physical single release on Wild Horse Records.

Melissa Whiskey – Billin Remix ft Inch

The UK R&B scene has a new voice to take notice of. Having signed her first publishing deal before even releasing a track Melissa Whiskey’s musical journey has been a story of relentless progression so far. It’s easy to hear why as she has some seriously soulful chops, showcased excellently on this new track. Packed with hooks and earworm worthy vocals, “Billin” is a hot and heavy banger perfectly crafted for dancing up close to. As a taster for her upcoming debut EP “Moon + The Sky” this track sets the bar high.

Abattoir Blues – Blinded

Brighton based Nick Cave enthusiasts Abattoir Blues share the title track from their debut EP “Blinded”. Hit play and be hit by an instant wall of wailing guitars before being built up by the post punk equivalent of a good old fashioned drum roll. Front man Harry is full of beans as he howls and snarls with exacerbation whilst the rest of the band keep ramping up the energy levels. The EP is out now, released via the Telharmonium label.

Sands – Let’s Run

Sands is the moniker of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Sands. With “Let’s Run” Andrew serves us up a satisfying slice of Badly Drawn Boy inspired Brit-Pop nostalgia. Medleys of melodies play amongst melancholic verses and echoing voices. The descending piano hook will burrow itself deep inside your head and the dueling lead guitars at the end will have you nodding along triumphantly.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds announce third studio album…

Noel Gallagher has announced the new Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds album, ‘Who Built The Moon?’, alongside details of a giant UK & Ireland arena tour.

Hit the video link to watch the official album trailer. We love what we’ve heard so far. In-fact, we’ve had a sneak listen to the album already (which features Johnny Marr and Paul Weller!) as the record was mastered by John Davis up in Metropolis Mastering. Prepare yourselves.

Tracklist:

The full tracklist for ‘Who Built The Moon?’ is:
1. Fort Knox
2. Holy Mountain (Featuring Paul Weller on organ)
3. Keep On Reaching
4. It’s A Beautiful World
5. She Taught Me How To Fly
6. Be Careful What You Wish For
7. Black & White Sunshine
8. Interlude (Wednesday Part 1)
9. If Love Is The Law (Featuring Johnny Marr on harmonica)
10. The Man Who Built The Moon
11. End Credits (Wednesday Part 2)
Bonus track:
Dead In The Water (Live at RTÉ 2FM Studios, Dublin)

Noel Gallagher’s tour dates:

Gallagher’s full upcoming UK and Ireland tour dates are below. Tickets are on sale from 9am on Friday September 29…

• Sun 22 April 2018 Brighton, Brighton Centre
• Tue 24 April 2018 Glasgow, The SSE Hydro
• Wed 25 April 2018 Aberdeen, BHGE Arena
• Fri 27 April 2018 London, The SSE Arena Wembley
• Mon 30 April 2018 Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
• Tue 1 May 2018 Birmingham, Birmingham Arena
• Thu 3 May 2018 Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
• Fri 4 May 2018 Manchester, Manchester Arena
• Sun 6 May 2018 Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
• Mon 7 May 2018 Leeds, First Direct Arena
• Wed 9 May 2018 Belfast, The SSE Arena
• Thu 10 May 2018 Dublin, 3Arena

Head over to the Metropolis Mastering website to find out more about our Mastering team and to book your next project…

Mixing engineer and plugin developer Yoad Nevo reveals how the Fazioli grand piano in Metropolis’s Studio A was sampled to create the Waves Grand Rhapsody piano.

Watch the video and learn about the sampling process, the function of every mic chosen, how they were positioned, and which preamps and convertors were used to capture the sound.

From Waves….

Like a sleek Italian sports car, the Fazioli F228 model was engineered from the finest Italian parts and craftsmanship, taking its wood from the same red spruce forest where Antonio Stradivari cultivated his rare and celebrated violins. The deep bass, rich resonance and crystal clear tonal qualities produced by the wood have made the Fazioli a highly coveted instrument for the most discerning ears in music.

Recorded at Metropolis with 8 different pairs of state-of-the-art microphones and the highest-quality preamps and converters, Waves’ Grand Rhapsody virtual piano delivers the same majestic sound as the studios’ original Fazioli piano, with added features that only a plugin can provide.

From pop/rock songwriting to electronic production to intimate jazz and classical piano, Grand Rhapsody offers a wide range of tonality for musicians and producers. You can blend up to 3 mic pairs of your choice and choose their position; control how much of the pedal, key up and sympathetic resonance you mix into the overall sound; and apply Waves’ award-winning effects including EQ, compressor, limiter, delay, and reverb based on Waves’ state-of-the-art H-Reverb.

Whether you prefer to load one of the expertly programmed presets or create your own sounds from scratch, Grand Rhapsody furnishes you with all the warmth and richness you’d expect from one of the most luxurious pianos in the world – plus a little extra, from Waves.

Mics used to sample the original Fazioli:

B&K 4007
Shure SM57
Neumann U87
Royer R121
SE RN17
Neumann KM84
Coles 4038
AKG C451

Neo-folk group Daughter have a reputation for experimenting beyond normal conventions…

On their latest project, they are expanding their repertoire to include video game compositions. Life is Strange: Before The Storm from Square Enix, the publishers behind a host of groundbreaking series including Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider, will consist of an original score from the London-based trio.

In an exclusive behind-the-scenes look of the score’s development, Daughter members Elena Tonra and Igor Haefeli discuss the challenges of approaching a video game score and seeking inspiration from the game’s 16-year old protagonist. 

“Feeling slightly under qualified but incredibly excited we learned as we went,” singer Elena Tonra tells Billboard. ”For our own albums it can take a couple of years to finish a record, so we had to be very instinctive and decisive with these songs whilst being open to adapting to fit with the script and the game as it was developing.”

Read the full article in Billboard here…