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Engineer In Focus: Andy ‘Hippy’ Baldwin

Andy ‘Hippy’ Baldwin was the first engineer at Metropolis Mastering to be taken on as an apprentice, learning his art from three of the most experienced engineers in the UK in Ian Cooper, Tony Cousins and Tim Young.

Over the course of the last twenty years, Hippy has evolved into one of our most trusted engineers. After his mentor Ian cooper retired, Hippy took over his mantle to finish the remastering of Oasis’ first three albums, featuring early demos from “Definitely Maybe” to lost recordings of “Be Here Now”. With a special talent for bringing out the best from a wide variety of mixes, Hippy really personifies the Metropolis Mastering ethos of supporting creativity and sonic excellency. 

Hidden Orchestra – Antiphon

Coming in at just over six minutes, ‘Antiphon’ from the 2010 debut album ‘Night Walks’ is sprightly, urgent and all too brief. Fusing ambient soundscapes with avant garde instrumentals and Hip Hop beats, Hidden Orchestra have a real talent for creating beautifully trippy and textural sound paintings. You can hear the precipitation throughout ‘Antiphon’, whilst the dripping wet backward guitars and pianos carry the soft and delicate tune until the drums kick in and elevate the track from pleasant background noise to cinematically dramatic hip hop beats.

“Joe Acheson is one of the most creative musicians I have ever worked with. His music is amazing but you need to listen really closely to his work to appreciate some of the more subtle details. The world is his recording studio, from raindrops hitting his living room window to a Bluebottle landing on an outdoor mic, it’s all in there in a twisted form for your listening pleasure.”

The Orb & Dave Gilmour – The Cult Of Youth Ambient Mix Parts 1 & 2 – Edit

Music geeks from across the globe rejoiced when Ambient House pioneers The Orb joined forces with Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour for 2010’s ‘Metallic Spheres’. This album represented a departure sonically from the more dub oriented material on previous albums such as ‘The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld’ and ‘U.F.Orb’. Otherworldly synths mesh with Gilmour’s effortless guitar noodlings to create a dramatically atmospheric piece

“LX Paterson, one of the purveyors of the UK’s ambient dance music, meets the King of Prog Rock! Having grown up listening to both these artists this record was a dream to work on, the listening experience is further enhanced with the binaural version on the two disc set. Get your headphones out and let Paterson and Gilmour seriously mess with your head!”

Blur – Under The Westway

Debuted live on Twitter by a reunited Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, ‘Under The Westway’ is a beautiful piano-led ballad and a strong return to form from a grown up sounding Blur. Shortly after winning the Outstanding Contribution to Music at the 2012 Brit Awards, Damon and Graham co-wrote the song for the Olympic Closing Celebration Ceremony Concert in Hyde Park. The sombre lyrics reflect on middle age and an ode to life in a modern Metropolis (‘Girls and Boys’ this is not).

“I remember telling my folks I was going to a friend’s house to revise for my A-Levels but ended up instead at Finsbury Park to see The Cure. Blur came on as a surprise act and blew me away with acoustic numbers from ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. Years later I found myself holding a half inch tape of ‘Under The Westway’, the first blur record to be released in years! I was blown away!”

Wretch 32 – Antwi

Wretch 32 is at his best when he’s spitting fire over an instrumental and with the track ‘Antwi’ Jermaine Scott Sinclair delivers a real gut punch of a track. The lyrics are hard hitting, calling out racism, familial loss and having to help his mum with the shopping. For those who are more familiar with Wretch’s work on chart-friendly tracks like ‘Don’t Go’ and ‘Unorthodox’, ‘Antwi’ and the other tracks on 2016’s ‘Growing Over Life’ album might come as a bit of a shock to you. As a Tottenham boy and nephew of equal rights campaigner Stafford Scott, Wretch 32 is here at his most reflective, raising concerns on important issues of race and class that became mainstream news during the London riots. Wretch 32 named the track ‘Antwi’ after losing his friend, mentor and former manager Richard Antwi in 2016.

“It’s a fantastic body of work, with its roots in the UK grime scene but accessible to a wider audience. I love the grime ethos and it’s great to see dedicated artists such as Wretch getting the recognition they deserve.”

I Can’t Explain (Live At Hull) – The Who

Legend has it that this live recording by The Who was always intended to be the definitive record of the band’s live talents. The show at Leeds the night before which eventually became “Live At Leeds” (now widely regarded as not just one of the best live albums of all time, but one of the best albums of all time FULL STOP) was actually meant to be the warm up for this show at Hull! Technical cock-ups during the initial recording however meant that the first seven tracks of the show were deemed unreleasable. It was only in 2012 when Bobby Pridden and Richard Whittaker realised they could save the project by splicing John Entwistle’s bass performance from “Live At Leeds” in place of the initial recording. Forty two years after the concert, “Live At Hull” was finally released..

“It’s hard to say anything about this band that hasn’t already been said. The live at hull gig was a piece of unheard history and working with Bob (The Who’s original sound engineer) was an experience I’ll never forget, it was simply a pleasure to be a small part of that historic event.”


To read more about Hippy’s work, head over to his bio on the mastering website by clicking here…

Book Andy ‘Hippy’ Baldwin  for your next mastering project by clicking here, or drop an email to mastering@https://www.thisismetropolis.com

3D Binaural Sessions at Metropolis Studios

3D Binaural Sessions at Metropolis Studios

Metropolis teamed up with London based producer Pierre O’Rielly to create a binaural 3D live performance and demonstrate a VR experience in music, supported by Metropolis’ sonic excellence. The recording session was engineered by Paul Norris.

To enhance sensitivity and the richness of 3D sound, we collaborated with Sennheiser who brought us the superb Dummy head mic – the Neumann KU 100 Dummy Head (with a retail price £7000!).
Performances from Goro Ito, Pierre O’Rielly and Malory Torr.

Make sure you’re wearing headphones when watching the video!!

Contact: Hitoshi Yoshioka for further inquiries.

The Playback – October and November

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 back!

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…

Sampling the Waves Grand Rhapsody Piano

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

Daughter x Life Is Strange

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…

The score project for Life Is Strange: Before The Storm was supervised by Feel For Music. Find out more about Feel For Music, who are based at Metropolis, by clicking here…

The Playback: August 2017

August may be silly season in the back pages but here at Metropolis Mastering we are not messing about. Here’s the next instalment of The Playback featuring another five artists that you may or may not know were worked on at Metropolis Studios.

Mabel – Finders Keepers

“Finders Keepers” is the prequel to Mabel’s upcoming single “Losers Weepers”. Well, actually that was just a joke but did you know according to international maritime law if you stumble across a shipwreck you can claim any surviving cargo as your own! Maybe this was Mabel’s inspiration for “Finders Keepers”, a slick 90’s style r’n’b banger with deep kick hits and airy minimal synths that float and glide around the listener. Mabel can clearly write and sing a memorable hook with conviction and all the people in the music video seem to having a fun (if a bit intense) time dancing, pouting and hanging out in warehouses. If you like Mabel’s sound she will be touring the UK in October.

Beachtape – Slow

Less than a year old, Beachtape seem to be cut from the same cloth as some other bands with strong seaside imagery like Beach House, Wavves and Best Coast. Maybe it’s all that fresh East Sussex air the guys are inhaling that helps them produce super blissed and laid back jams like “Slow”. Guitars with oodles of chorus chime with a beat full of satisfyingly synchronised stop start moments. It’s the kind of music that normally would be lazily described as slacker-rock but that label would be doing it a disservice. It’s actually pretty hard and takes a lot of work and practise to sound this chill. Their debut EP will be out on PNKSLM Recordings and they will play The Old Blue Last in East London on the 29th of September so check them out.

Crystal Bats feat. Whinnie Williams – Killing Me

Roll your suit jacket sleeves up past your elbows, unbutton your animal print shirt and don’t forget your aviator shades, Crystal Bat’s “Killing Me” is here. This song should be played in between All Night Long by Mary Jane Girls and Tempted by Squeeze on the radio in Grand Theft Auto Vice City. The track is a frictionless disco-ball bobbing gently along on an ocean of vaporwave and yacht-rock. Will Jones and Will Vaughn are both clearly in love with the decade of excessive reverb and slap bass and they successfully manage to pay a sincere and loving homage with “Killing Me”. The highlight is probably Whinnie Williams’ vocals, equally slick and sultry and provide the warmth and heart to an otherwise icey 80’s throwback.

Dead Pretties – Confidence

Angry, disaffected and raw, The Dead Pretties are at their best when making one hell of a racket. Guitar’s feedback, a bass line slinks menacingly and a razor blade gargling voice primitively howls and laments (in a good way). At a time when a large proportion of the most exciting young rock bands are from South London, this three piece stand out amongst their peers with their attitude, socially conscious lyrics and Confidence. You can catch them touring across the UK starting in Manchester on the 29th of September and finishing on the 12th of October in London.

Songaminute Man – Quando Quando Quando

Now something a little unusual for us over here at The Playback. Instead of writing about another hip teeny bopper or “so cool they don’t even have an instagram page” indie band, we would like to bring to your attention the Songaminute Man. Waaaaay back in 2016 this heartwarming video of father and son singing in the car went viral. In it 80-something Teddy Mac, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2013, sings along to “Quando, quando, quando” the track made famous by singers such as Pat Boone, Cliff Richard and Engelbert Humperdinck. Well now Teddy Mac is back and more swinging than ever with a successfully crowdfunded album full of classic songs, featuring accompaniment from The Guy Barker Orchestra. 25% of all royalties will go towards the amazing cause of funding research into Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The album #SONGAMINUTE is out on the 21st of September (World Alzheimer’s Day) with pre-orders available now through iTunes, Amazon and Google Play…


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

BlackWaters – Make It Music

BlackWaters feature as part of ellesse UK’s #MakeItMusic campaign.

The four-piece performed in Studio A earlier this year, with a sound reminiscent of the 70’s punk movement. Undeniably, their chaotic sound and bold lyrics are making the right kind of racket. BlackWaters have recently worked with the likes of Carl Barât, and have been on tour with both The Libertines and Marmozets.

Here’s the guys smashing their song ‘F*ck Yeah’ recorded live in Studio A. Head over to ellesse’s blog for more by clicking here…

The Playback: July 2017

July 2017. Whilst rain and thunder batter the UK the rest of Europe is bathing in sunlight, playing Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” on repeat, leading it to break the 3 billion views barrier on YouTube to become the most streamed video of all time.

The following 5 tracks haven’t quite gained the same amount of views, hits, shares, likes or dislikes as of yet but they definitely deserve your attention so please plug your headphones in, refrain from smashing the replay button on “Despacito” for just 15 minutes and enjoy…

Lao Ra – Body Bounce

Nothing says summer banger like a reggaeton drum beat. I don’t know why but there’s just something about the boom tic-tic-tic-boom rhythm that screams “PLAY ME INAPPROPRIATELY LOUD IN THE COCKTAIL BAR OF A EUROPEAN BEACH RESORT!” Lao Ra, born in Columbia but based in London, obviously is well aware of this secret to a smash summer success. On “Body Bounce” Lao Ra enlists the help of Konshen’s to share the duty of preaching how that the best way to get over a broken heart is to shake your body. This message is conveyed by her sweet chops over one of the fattest bass drums you will hear this year. You can catch Lao Ra play the Notting Hill Arts Club on the 25th of August.

Ghost Car – Woman In The Shadows

With squalling feedback and a Black Sabbath style riff, “Woman In The Shadows” grabs the listener’s attention right off the bat and refuses to relent until it has made its point. Ghost Car have arrived and are serving up precise jabs of socially conscious punk music. The tone of the guitar throughout “Women In The Shadows” is aggressive, powerful and punchy and the vocals have a menacing edge. “It’s time for us to speak” sing Maeve, Clara, Laura & Maria. If it sounds this good then there will be no shortage of people eager to listen. Judging by the strength of their songwriting and production alone these riot girls will be caught in no-one else’s shadow.

Blue Lab Beats – Freedom

Fusing together jazz, funk and soul, NK- OK and Mr D.M of Blue Lab Beats are creating Hip Hop that sounds fresh, modern and alive. Taken from the EP that shares its name, “Freedom” is a warm slice of mellow grooves. The jazz influence can be heard on the electric pianos that frame the bass and J-Dilla like snares. The bassline is funky and filled with pleasantly subby frequencies. Featured artist Louis IV also lends his vocal stylings to proceedings and he delivers his lines with a classy and laid-back style. This duo have delivered an EP which deserves to be heard turned up loud through a wicked sound system. If you liked the track you can hear the guys play live at the Dalston Curve Garden on August the 22nd.

CHAMPS – The Garden Is Overgrown

Having recently been selected by BBC 6 Music as one of the best tracks of 2017 so far, “The Garden Is Overgrown” by CHAMPS sounds like MGMT if they grew up on the Isle of Wight in the 1980’s listening to Echo & The Bunnymen. The track starts with an industrial yet musical alarm whilst a fluttering synth line fades up before the drums kick in. The chorus is made up of icy backing vocals and one of those easy to play but hard to write synth lines that New Order would applaud. You can catch the brothers playing the Ventnor International Festival with a heap of other good bands on the 11th of August before the release of their follow up to the 2015 album “Vamala” later this year.

Free Money – I Want In

“I Want In” is the latest cacophonous anthem brimming with attitude brought to us by Free Money. After garnering plenty of attention from their debut single “Headful”, whilst playing shows with other wild indie upstarts (and previous alumni of The Playback) Goat Girl. Free Money are back with another statement of intent. Fans of The Cribs and Palma Violets will be very impressed by how this very British sounding band can cram so much high octane energy into 2 and a half minutes. Guitars explode after palm muted verses. The drums up the ante in the choruses and drive the riffs and keys into an epic conclusion.


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

Engineer In Focus: Tony Cousins

With a career in music spanning over four decades, Tony Cousins has been there, done that and cut the lacquer for the original vinyl pressing.

Tony is the man responsible for the mastering of hundreds of your favourite albums, you just didn’t know it!

If you take a look at his discography you will see a wide variety of albums by artists from across the musical spectrum. From the Balkan Folk of Goran Bregović to the Modern Pop of Robbie Williams, Tony Cousins has leant his talents to some of the most popular and genre defining acts of the last 40 years. Here are just a few from a long list of our favourite songs to receive the Tony Cousins treatment.

The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony

A song that redefines the term “Anthem”. “Bittersweet Symphony” is synonymous with the very best that the Brit-Pop movement of the 90’s had to offer. The track is lush, dramatic and epic. Featuring a melody that once heard is not forgotten living on in the hearts of indie music fans as well as the general public. Richard Ashcroft’s voice never sounded better as he dwells on universal themes of beauty, pain and poverty. The album it was taken from “Urban Hymns” took the top spot in the UK, spawning several other hits for the band before going on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide. 20 years on from its initial release Tony got the chance to revisit the project for a deluxe reissue, featuring a six LP box set containing previously unreleased material. On the first of September 2017, loyal fans from all over the world will be able to hear the classic album like they’ve never heard it before. The reissue will also allow “Urban Hymns” and it’s signature song “Bittersweet Symphony” to be discovered and obsessed over by a new generation all over again.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra – Perpetuum Mobile

Tony has always had a great respect for Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s guitarist and band leader Simon Jeffes.

“He had a wonderful and original musical mind and it worked in unconventional ways.”

 

Simon’s unorthodox approach to songwriting was best demonstrated when listening to songs like “Telephone and Rubber Band”, where its inspiration occurred whilst trying to call a friend. Instead of his friend’s voice, what he heard down the line was the telephone’s busy signal and a dial tone mixed together making a curious rhythmic pattern, so he recorded it onto his Walkman. He then used this as a backing to play along with using a rubber band as a string instrument. The track featured in this list however is 1987’s “Perpetuum Mobile”, from the “Signs of Life” album. It’s a timeless piece full of raw abstract emotion. It’s rich and warm with detailed and crisp strings providing endless musical flourishes. “Perpetuum Mobile”’s beauty still resonates to this day and is consistently used as an easy shortcut for TV and Film producers to convey awe and majesty, whether it’s in lofty documentaries on the Large Hadron Collider or future dystopian dramas such as 2017’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

Songhoy Blues – Soubour

Songhoy Blues deal in funky, gritty and dirty guitar riffs. The desert blues band have been playing music together since 2012 when guitarist Garba Touré was displaced from his home of Diré, located in the North of Mali, by Ansar Dine a Militant extremist group which banned music. Songhoy Blues started with the aim to recreate the atmosphere and music of the North and were soon discovered by Marc Antoine, the manager of Grammy nominated musical duo Amadou & Mariam, who then introduced the band to Damon Albarn and Nick Zimmer of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s who helped produce their debut record “Music in Exile”. The song “Soubour” featuring passionate and angry solos and an attitude and confidence that demands the listener’s attention.

Adele – Hometown Glory

Once upon a time there was a young fresh faced Brit School graduate from Tottenham named Adele Adkins. The precocious teenager had just a few very demos on myspace to her name before she was snapped up by leading independent label XL Recordings. Work soon began on what was to become seven times platinum selling debut album “19”. The first song Adele had ever written, “Hometown Glory”, was about where she grew up and leaving home and although it was not a commercial success initially, upon re-release it showed the world just what to expect from the young star in the making. Twinkling pianos and muted strings make up the song’s minimal backing, allowing Adele’s voice to take centre stage, laying the foundation for her future world domination.

“I remember listening to the first mixes as they came through and thinking “wow, this is going to be very good”.

 

Tony’s previous life as a bass player was also reawakened and excited listening to the album track “Best For Last” with it’s simple and powerful acoustic bass guitar accompaniment.

George Michael – Faith

When compiling this list one simple thought entered my mind: “You gotta have faith, faith faith”. Taken from George Michael’s debut solo album of the same name, ‘Faith’, has surprisingly minimal production. Featuring not much more than a killer lead vocal, acoustic guitar, LinnDrum machine, tambourine, hand claps and finger clicks, it is a far cry from the overblown and overproduced Pop music of the late 80’s.

“George was such a perfectionist so I knew when he came into the studio to finish the record it would already sound amazing. I remember the album came in on a Mitsubishi 16 bit DASH machine, which was said to be indestructible due to its fantastic error correction. The thing I was most taken aback by was the sparseness and freshness of the record..”

 

The track was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic and with its music video helped secure his status as a musical icon.[vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

To read more about Tony’s work, head over to his bio on the mastering website by clicking here…

Book the founding father of Metropolis Mastering, Tony Cousins, for your next mastering project by clicking here, or drop an email to mastering@https://www.thisismetropolis.com