PRODUCED AND MIXED AT NASA LABS: I had the urge to hear this track again tonight that I Produced and Mixed at Nasa Labs.  It’s a remix of “Slums” from The Reavers.  Dates back to about 2007 ish.  This particular track features Akir, Privledge, Golden Child, Billy Woods and Vordul Mega.  It was on the “New York Times Mixtape” that came out right around when “Terror Firma” came out.  Always really liked how it ended up and the fact that Vordul was on one of my beats.  Only problem was I couldn’t find the CD and it essentially doesn’t exist online besides at my man Elmattic’s Tumblr and that was shown to me by my man Dali the Goat aka When Giants Meet.  Thanks to both of those cats.

dalithegoat:

This one @UncommonNasa?

elmattic:

Slums (Nasa Remix) - The Reavers (Akir, Priviledge, Goldenchild & Billy Woods)

MASTERED AT NASA LABS, Malta (LESANDS Remix) by Superhumanoids - Check out this remix of the Superhumanoids’ track “Malta” by LESANDS.  Really cool 80s synth feel here, but still really fresh and unique for 2012.  You can grab it for free right here at LESANDS’ Bandcamp page http://lesands.bandcamp.com/track/superhumanoids-malta-lesands-remix

MASTERED AT NASA LABS: Human Story by Hired Gun from the Hits & Pieces EP.  I recently got the opportunity to mix and master a full EP from Hired Gun called the Hits & Pieces EP.  It features 6 tracks.  I’m always really happy when I can guide a projects sound from the mix to the mastering stage and am eager to share what I can do in such situations.  On this particular mix I was able to do some cool stuff with automated panning and some distorted vocal effects to add contrast to the chorus vocal among other things.  The album is full of treats, The Pressure is another of my favorites on here.  Go and support Hired Gun at http://freshroots.bandcamp.com/

FRESH OUT THE LABS: Bombs Not Rations (Nasa Remix - feat ADAM) by DCK VNNGT.  Nasa Produced this track, Mixed it and Mastered it at Nasa Labs.  Also jumped on it as ADAM too.  Check out more from DCK VNNGT on December 10th when they drop MRDR DTH KLL on Uncommon Records.

MASTERED AT NASA LABS - Open Mike Eagle’s New EP, “Extended Nightmares Getdown: The Dark Blue Door” has just been released by Hellfyre Club and premiered at LATimes.com.  The EP features production from Busdriver, Blockhead, Awkward and more.  Check out this track from it called “Experimental Dream FLCL” which was produced by Awkward.  

Mike is a really talented emcee and musician, it was great working on a project of his, this one is free so definitely go and check it out.  He will be performing at Yule Prog in NYC at Southpaw on December 8th as well, so if you are in the area, go to that show!

Professor Glyph has arrived at Nasa Labs!

MASTERED AT NASA LABS - “Slum Dog Millionaire” by Black Panther feat. Nine & Vanessa Liftig.  I just mastered Black Panther’s new LP called “Soul Eater”, it was released last Tuesday.  I had the pleasure of mastering this track featuring one of my High School heroes, Nine (best known for Whutcha Want?, Make or Take and other classics).  It was great to hear him still at top form these years later.  The album also features Masai Bey, Respect Da God, Shabaam Shadeeq, Oktober Zero, Mr. Metaphor and many more.  It’s entirely produced by Black Panther.  Grab it right now at Itunes.  Find out more about Black Panther here: DJBlackPanther.com.

Recently got a great chance to listen to some of my recent work at MSR Studios in NYC.  I stopped by since a friend of mine works there and we met up to head out someplace that night.  I believe I was shown “Studio C” where some of the high rollers that want to be someplace private go for sessions.  Some high profile folks had been there recently, but I won’t be that dude to name drop.  The studio itself sort of isn’t done justice by my pic here.  I love how the glass into the live room is so low and close to the floor.  It kind of makes the engineer be in a position where their in the live room too in a sense instead of look down or across at it.  The ceilings in the live room are super high too in what is a pretty cozy space.

The point of bringing it up is how helpful it was to monitor there.  A lot of people coming up in hip-hop say things like “monitor your music on the shittiest system, because if it sounds good, it will sound good anywhere”.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  This is why I mix and master on what I am most comfortable with that I think actually sounds good.

When you listen to your music through a set up like they have at MSR, my theory is only backed up.  As an engineer, I still feel great when my work sounds incredible through high quality systems in well built rooms.  Whether that’s a studio, a venue or even a great car stereo, you better hold up when quality equipment calls.  I was reminded of this lately there.

I played stuff from Adam Warlock’s “Dark Weapons” and Gajah’s “Man the Ship” (2 recent projects to come through the lab) and both sounded really great to me.  They responded great to the huge bass bottoms they had installed.  Then I played something that was released by a large indie label that I knew I didn’t like the sound of, just to get a reference and to confirm some of my own listening sources.  Yep, sounded like shit there.  That’s the bottom line. 

A good lesson, that you can never learn enough.  Mix and Master to the highest quality possible, let the people listening on a transistor radio from 1995 figure it out.