Natalie is unique in that she was trained by all of Metropolis’s mastering engineers. She therefore has a varied breadth of mastering knowledge, ability and experience that is rare for such a young engineer. Bringing a fresh mindset to the field and with a skill level beyond her years, Natalie is already making waves within the music industry.

Proving herself early on, she picked up prestigious credits assisting on live, direct to vinyl cuts. These highlights include Lewis Capaldi, Jimmy Eat World, Shura, Portico Quartet, The Vaccines and Poppy Ajudha.

Coming from an extensive background of mixing and as a self-producing artist, Natalie is both intuitive and technically minded. She inherently understands the methods and tools artists use to craft, edit and present their music; and is able to advise how they can get their mixes right before she masters them. Natalie makes herself accessible to her clients and believes collaboration is how to achieve a master that isn’t clinical and remains true to the artist’s feel and vision.

Recently, Natalie has taken a special interest in remastering projects. She has become highly skilled in restoring, repairing and improving audio no matter the source and original quality. Therein lies her ‘quality control’ title; she offers an additional unique skill-set and service of bringing new life to old material.

Above all, Natalie’s focus and passion is helping musical artists bring their songs to the world at the highest level of sonic excellence, whilst maintaining the fullness, clarity of detail and creative integrity of the artist’s expression and intent.

Discography

Bimini / Ciinderella Balthazar / Howard Lee — 真心話 / 163 braces / Ollie West & The Wildflowers / Sylvette / Also Joe / Ellen Winter / Kindelan / Aderyn / LanCinator / The Love-In / Idle Fire / Ereskigal / Raw Sienna / Ghaliaa / 3FIVE3 / Drew Thomas

Matt began his mastering career in 1997 and has mastered records for an array of the world’s most renowned artists including Arctic Monkeys, Thom Yorke, Shania Twain, George Michael, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, Ellie Goulding and the Rolling Stones.

Other notable releases include Mercury Prize-winning albums for James Blake, Sampha, Michael Kiwanuka, Arlo Parks, and Little Simz. Plus Christine & The Queen’s multi-platinum selling debut “Chaleur Humaine”, Flume’s Grammy-winning album “Skin”, the double Grammy-winning “Patient Number 9” by Ozzy Osbourne, and the double Grammy-winning eponymous debut album by Wet Leg.

Matt masters all stereo formats including half-speed and pure analogue vinyl, as well as mixing and mastering in the Dolby Atmos format.

Discography

The Rolling Stones / Arctic Monkeys / Depeche Mode / Dua Lipa / Ellie Goulding / James Blake / Michael Kiwanuka / George Michael / Christine & The Queens / Little Simz / Thom Yorke / Arlo Parks / Wet Leg / Blur / Noel Gallagher

Felix Davis first knew he wanted to be a mastering engineer when he was 13 years old.

Felix joined Metropolis in 2012 and has since become an essential member of the Mastering team, quickly earning a reputation for working with a wide range of exciting up-and-coming indie artists, labels and producers. In 2020 this manifested in the critically acclaimed Porridge Radio album “Every Bad” receiving a Mercury Music Prize nomination.
His love for and experience of all parts of the music-making process, from writing to mastering, enables Felix to put himself in his client’s shoes. As a result, his empathy and enthusiasm for an artist’s vision means Felix is one of the most exciting young engineers working today.

Discography

Sickick / Easy life / HMLTD / Shura / Public Access TV / Lana Del Rey / Fake Laugh / Youngr / Porridge Radio / Crake / Gently Tender / Stonebwoy

Mike Hillier is a world-class mastering engineer and vinyl mastering expert. He works with local and international music artists and lends his expertise to a wide range of musical styles. Mike takes the time to listen to his clients, understand their music, and bring vibrancy and emotion to the forefront of each track.

Mike returned to Metropolis in 2018, the studio where he began his career as an apprentice to Crispin Murray in 2006. In the interim, Mike worked freelance on all aspects of music production: recording, mixing, mastering, and live production (touring with Ed Harcourt and Mary Epworth; working in venues all across London). As a freelance mastering engineer, Mike was a go-to for the London folk scene, mastering albums for Sophie Jamieson, Patch & The Giant, Ringlefinch, and many others.

From 2004 to 2020, Mike was the Mastering Editor at MusicTech Magazine and was often the first person in the UK to get his hands on new audio equipment. He also teaches new generations of engineers through MusicTech tutorials and guest lectures in audio programs at colleges including SAE and ACM.

Mike brings this educative element to his work and often mentors artists and mixing engineers alongside whom he works.

In addition to being one of Metropolis’s best mastering engineers, he is also the on-site tech genius for the mastering department. He curates the studio’s equipment, tests and reviews new tools for music production, and develops innovative techniques for his clients and colleagues. This technical proficiency maintains the studio’s position at the pinnacle of the world of music mastering.

Discography

Bastille / Dead Or Alive / Ezra Collective / Faithless / George Ezra / Gabriels / Jockstrap / LP Giobbi / Pip Millett / Raye / Sam Smith / Nathan Evans / Bonobo / Disclosure / Kasabian / Maribou State / Poppy Ajudha / The Cinematic Orchestra / Rag'n'Bone Man / Melanie C / The Streets / Alfa Mist / Genesis / Josienne Clarke

Tony Cousins started his career as a musician. He became a cutting engineer in 1980 at the Townhouse before becoming a fully-fledged audio mastering engineer when he, Ian and Tim started Metropolis Mastering.

Tony feels that the prime objective of audio mastering is to retain the integrity of the music while enhancing it to some degree.

Often the excitement and atmosphere created whilst mixing won’t travel to another location, and Mastering can help restore these elements (assuming they were there in the first place!)

This is why attended sessions are preferable, because working with the people originally involved can often help unravel any difficulties encountered.

Tony enjoys many different types of music. Just concentrating on one area would reduce the variety and richness of his work and would, in his own words, put him in a creative straitjacket.

Discography

Adele / George Michael / Bat For Lashes / Robbie Williams / Seal / Suede / Massive Attack / The Verve / Alfie Boe / The Stone Roses / Peter Gabriel / Amadou & Mariam / Elton John / Fatoumata Diawara / John Williams

Stuart Hawkes has been in audio mastering for over 25 years, and the skills and knowledge he’s learned in that time put him in great demand from many music producers, recording artists and record labels worldwide.

Stuart’s approach in the mastering studio involves developing a deep understanding of the result each artist and producer wants to achieve. For this reason, Stuart likes to be involved in the early stages of his projects.

Stuart interprets their needs during the mastering process using primarily analogue audio equipment, as he believes it offers enhanced creative flexibility and enables him to deliver the best possible results for his many clients, some of whom have been Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran, Becky Hill, Stormzy, Charli XCX, Disclosure and Lianne La Havas.

Discography

Amy Winehouse / Ed Sheeran / Becky Hill / Stormzy / Craig David / Mabel / Ezra Collective / Anne-Marie / Kojey Radical / Charli XCX / J Hus / Disclosure / Lianne La Havas / Chase & Status

Andy Baldwin started at Metropolis in 1996 and honed his craft under the most renowned Mastering Engineers in Europe; Tim Young, Tony Cousins and Ian Cooper.

The 3 engineers passed on to Andy an exceptionally high benchmark to master and instilled an uncompromising work ethic that belies his affectionate nickname of ‘Hippy’. Upon Tim Young’s retirement in 2019, Andy moved into Tim’s studio, taking on a number of his clients and projects such as Oasis and Pet Shop Boys.

Having grown up on the underground music scene, Andy loves working with up-and-coming independent artists. Often mastering projects that prove instrumental in taking the artist to the next level of their career, Andy has worked on pivotal releases for Sea Girls, The Lottery Winners, Stormzy, Jacob Banks, Wretch 32, Hidden Orchestra and Sundara Karma.

As well as working with many new acts such as A.A Williams, Nadeem Din-Gabisi, Gnarlah, Saint Joshua and Mouth Culture, Andy has worked with a number of his musical influences including The Who, Blur, The Orb and UB40.

Discography

Pet Shop Boys / Sea Girls / Oasis / The Who / Wretch 32 / Blur / Deacon Blue / Ben Howard / Geko / Not3s / Sundara Karma / UB40 / Stormzy / Interpol / Black Foxxes