What goes into music-making? You could easily say it is an artist and their instrument expressing emotions or narrating stories through rhythm and melody, and at the core that may very well be the case, but there are additional layers of complexity involved when we talk about recording music or taking ideas for songs and executing them, and this is where Mixing/Mastering Engineer and Ellis Tucker comes in.

Part mad scientist, part craftsman, all artist. The job of a Mixing engineer is one that most listeners simply don't consider or think about, after all, as we only ever get the final product once it's been refined and perfected; lucky for us, we got the chance to talk to Ellis and ask him for some of the key insights regarding his role as both a creative and technical bonding agent that makes all the elements in a recording come together into a clean and comprehensive unity.

Ellis went to the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where he studied the theory that he puts into practice today when he works closely with musicians such as Sabrina Claudio, Kali Claire, Duckwrth, Gavin Haley. And though he's a musician himself first and foremost, he realized he truly had a gift when it came to helping other artists articulate their own muse into concrete songs.

Get ready for this fascinating opportunity to learn quite a bit about one of the least-understood processes behind the creation of a song or album, as well as Ellis' own artistry and his take on some of the developments in the music industry -and culture- in recent years.

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I think most people have a pretty basic understanding of what Mix Engineers do, so they don't fully appreciate its importance. Tell us a little bit about what your work really is.

Ya, mixing can be a pretty mysterious part of the production process. At its core mixing takes the individual elements of a song (drums, vocals, synths etc), and brings everything together in a way that should realize the vision of the artist. I manage a pretty intensive workflow through hardware and software, but to approach mixing as a technical gig is wrong. The magic lies in connecting with the artist, understanding the feelings of the song, and then bringing out that emotion by whatever means necessary. With a few moves, I can make a sad song happy, or make you miss your ex on the dancefloor. There’s a lot of creative brainpower at work in finding the balance between what the artist hears, their goals, your own tastes and experiences, label needs, etc. and that's before I even put a hand on the dials. Then you add deadlines, production styles, quality control, changing trends, evolving technology, industry competition, and you’ve got a lot motivating you. I’m biased, but mix engineers are one of the key heroes in keeping that song on repeat, so hire a good one.

Beyond the technical aspect, how would you define your work in its subjective contribution to music-making?

It’s a dream job for sure. I work with artists all day, and learn new points of view and how people express themselves. I receive all this input, and then sit down at the desk and do my thing. It’s a constant creative boot camp in how to collaborate and make art within an industry. I meet artists as they’re on the rise, and work really intensively to shape the sounds that will define them. Sometimes I work with people I grew up listening to, or alongside my idols. I’m trying to respect both my role in the process and this seat I’m earning. I’ve learned a lot from other busy mix engineers, and there’s definitely an honor in how you do this successfully. I get to be a key player in a long creative process that sets a song up for huge commercial success. Putting my sonic stamp on something that’s going out in the world to live on forever is something I take seriously.

For a lot of artists -especially those who are just getting started- it can be challenging to open themselves up and show an unfinished piece of work to someone, let alone a seasoned veteran like yourself. How do you work within that sensitive framework where they're so exposed and vulnerable?

It’s all about establishing trust. The total production process can take months, with lots of ups and downs, and now a week before the deadline they’re handing this baby off to me to mess with. I want artists to know I’m going to dive in like I’ve been here since day 1. I try to get to know every artist I work with as a person, with their own creative viewpoint that deserves support. When conversations come up, the best thing I can do is listen. Let’s talk. I want to understand what’s going on in your life and music. The more I connect with what an artist is going through or going for, the more emotional data points I can pull out of their music.

Do you find yourself having to balance your artistic vision of the raw track to that of the artists you work with? If so, how is that balance achieved?

Finding that balance is my only goal. I’m hired to provide technical skills, but more so my taste. Sometimes I need to flex that and say ‘this is what I think is best for your song,’ but ultimately I’m not happy until the artist is. I approach the process from a place of respect and understanding, check my ego, and stretch my ears. The demo mix an artist sends you is hugely important. Throughout the process I’m constantly scanning the rough searching for the defining moments I want to pull through to my mix. Music is intangible and subjective, so I’m not going to tell an artist what they’re doing is right/wrong, good or bad. I’m going to work to understand it and showcase it in a way that makes the listener understand.

Is there a particular technique or element you feel is a "signature" of your work? if so, how can we listen out for it?

‘The Sound’ is ever-evolving. I pay a lot of attention to the producers and artists to learn where that sound is heading next. My sound is influenced by all these musical connection moments I’ve had throughout my life, so I follow my instinct to find the right emotion in every mix. Make it sound alive, physical, modern, expensive like it’s jumping out of the speakers and into the room in front of you. Keep the vocals clear, find depth, and don’t fuck up the drums.

Do you find yourself more comfortable, challenged, or engaged when working with some musical genres over others?

You hear a lot that we’re in this genre-less period in pop music. And now producers are so good at breaking genres down and recombining them into some new vibe. For me, the most important thing is to understand the emotional connection a genre can create. I’m just always trying to listen to new music and build up my mental Rolodex of genres and moods. In any given week what I’m working on can jump between pop, r&b, hip-hop, indie rock, dance, hyper-pop, folk, acoustic, etc. After a while, the genre boundaries drop off, and I mix towards a feeling.

With all the music you get to work with, you must have your "hand on the pulse" of the creative trends all over. It seems a lot of artists are adopting a minimalistic or a beat-centric approach to music, why do you feel that is and where do you feel things are headed in general?

It’s a crazy time in sound. You have pop and indie hits, club bangers, tik-tok audio, soundbites, immersive audio, lo-fi sampling, slowed and reverbed remixes, streaming algorithms et al. The boundaries of sound are being pushed from iPhones and bedrooms. Producers and artists are so good at honing in on sounds that cut through towards that emotional connection. Minimalism and genre-bending will continue. Right now you hear pop-punk elements coming back, in a few months it will be something new. The one thing that will never go away is good songwriting. A great song will always make you feel something, even if it’s recorded in the worst way. Sometimes all you need is a few sounds and a vocal to make that song connect.

Thanks to a technological and cultural momentum, there seems to be a shift occurring in the industry right now, where the focus is changing from the demands of labels to the needs of artists in terms of creative freedom, fair finances, and even mental wellbeing. How do you see your role shaping up to this ongoing process?

My goal has always been to support the artist. There’s a lot of pressure on these artists, way beyond what I might see during the mix process. The industry is constantly shifting, for any artist trying to do this seriously, building an experienced team that shares your vision is key. Major labels supply great resources, but you also see artists getting pretty far by assembling their own teams.

I'll make an assumption here and say you're probably an audiophile like most people in your line of work. What's your take on the resurgence of Vinyl? As physical mediums go, others are much more practical, but they may not have the same staying power, why is that? Do you think there's some market hype-trend at play or do you feel like there are real benefits that people are getting out of it?

Buy more music! I’m glad to see people grabbing Vinyl for any reason. I don’t know if the majority of people approach record buying as an audiophile pursuit, but it is cool to compare versions of your favorite music across the platforms they’re available. YouTube sounds different from iTunes, maybe there was a different mastering engineer for the Vinyl release. How do these changes affect your experience? Sound quality across streaming platforms is a moving target; I keep a turntable in my studio as an additional reference point. That’s not to say vinyl is the correct or favored reference, but it’s sound won’t change when lines of code get updated.

Just for the sake of enjoying music alone and no other considerations: Speakers or headphones? When is one preferable to the other if at all?

I’m a big headphone user, but you can’t beat a good pair of speakers in a well-treated room. You get width, depth, height. You can hear placement choices and dynamics. You can physically feel the air moving through the room.

Can you tell us some valuable lessons or insights you've gotten over the years in your craft? Anything to encourage budding creatives in the field?

Tough love only. Get involved, seek all the best resources you can access, learn from every experience, work harder than the people around you, and put the time in. Pay attention to your mental health and physical needs. A creative career is a marathon, so settle in and focus on the work.

www.ellistucker.com

PHOTO CREDITS: MADDY PEASE

Amazing Interview with Mixing engineer Ellis Tucker

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