I had an interest in sound at an early age. One day, my father explained the rudiments of stereophonic sound while we listened to the Beach Boy’s “Endless Summer.” A few years later, I bought an inexpensive Moog synthesizer sold by Radio Shack. I loved fiddling with it all the parameters, but I really couldn’t play at all! After recording at an eight-track studio in Colorado, I sat back and watched the engineer manipulate our recording and heard the music start to change. I thought to myself, “Now that’s what I really want to do!”
In 1986, I landed an internship at the then white-hot Bearsville Studios in near Woodstock, New York. At the time, they had one of two SSL’s in all of New York, but I was relegated to making midi cables and getting Chinese food for the Pretenders—I LOVED IT.
In 1988, I got an entry-level position at Water Music Recorders in Hoboken, NJ. (Yes, there is such a place…) There I worked with Chris Stamey, Freedy Johnston, Yo La Tengo, Peter Holsapple, Rob Grenoble, Sweet Lizard Illtet, Alex Chilton, Andrew Loog-Oldham and many, many other great musical personalities. After a few years, I got curious as to, “How they were doing it…” over across the Hudson in Manhattan. I was fortunate to get an assistant’s job at Sound On Sound on West 45th Street. There I got to work on many jingles, tons of jazz sessions (live to two-track!) and various other types of music (Fela Kuti!) that I had no previous exposure to.
One day, Butch Vig (hot off of “Nevermind” and “Siamese Dream”) came to see the studio. I single-handedly convinced him that he HAD to mix his project (Sonic Youth) at our studio! This turned into a working relationship (Freedy Johnston, Soul Asylum, Helmet, Sonic Youth) and a friendship that’s lasted ever since. Later, I was asked by Steve Lillywhite to engineer Dave Matthew’s “Crash” album. This led to several other great albums by Ours, Guster, Phish, Travis, etc.
Lately, I have engineered Peter Murphy’s latest, produced for Matisyahu and am producing the great up and coming artist Jeff Taylor for Rockwood/Atlantic! Also, I am teaching a “Mixing” class at SAE’s New York City campus.
Thanks.
ArtistMatisyahu
ReleaseLouisville Light Session
CreditPR, EN, MX
LabelEpic
NotesPart of upcoming August ’09 release: “Light: Deluxe Edition”
ArtistPeter Murphy
ReleaseSecret Covers
CreditEN, MX
LabelLive Nation
NotesUpcoming release
ArtistDave Matthews Band
ReleaseCrash
CreditEN
LabelRCA
NotesRIAA certified 7x platinum, Grammy winner, #2 on US Billboard chart
ArtistPhish
ReleaseBilly Breathes
CreditEN, MX
LabelElektra
NotesRIAA certified gold, #7 on US album chart
ArtistPhish
ReleaseSlip, Stich and Pass
CreditMX
LabelElektra
Notes#17 on US album charts
ArtistPhish
ReleaseFarmhouse
CreditEN, MX
LabelElektra
Notes#12 on US album charts
ArtistPhish
ReleaseThe Siket Disc
CreditEN, MX
LabelElektra
NotesThat’s right...
ArtistGuster
ReleaseLost and Gone Forever
CreditEN, MX
LabelSire
Notes“Fa Fa” feature on “Life As A House” soundtrack
ArtistSonic Youth
ReleaseWashing Machine
CreditPR, EN, MX
LabelGeffen
Notes#58 on US album charts
ArtistSonic Youth
ReleaseExperimental Jet set Trash and No Star
CreditEN, MX
LabelGeffen
Notes#34 on US album charts
ArtistSonic Youth
ReleaseDirty
CreditEN, AE
LabelGeffen
Notes#6 on UK album charts
ArtistFreedy Johnston
ReleaseCan You Fly
CreditEN
LabelBar None
NotesVillage Voice album of the year
ArtistFreedy Johnston
ReleaseThis Perfect World
CreditEN, MX
LabelElektra
NotesUS radio hit, “Bad Reputation” featured on “Kingpin” soundtrack
ArtistFreedy Johnston
ReleaseRight Between The Promises
CreditEN, MX
LabelElektra
Notesfeatured on “Me, Myself and Irene”
ArtistPete Francis
ReleaseUntold
CreditPR, EN, MX
LabelHollywood
ArtistVertical Horizon
ReleaseEverything You Want
CreditEN
LabelRCA
NotesRIAA certified 2x platinum, #40 US album chart
ArtistHelmet
ReleaseBetty
CreditEN
LabelInterscope
Notesfeatured on “Crow” soundtrack
ArtistSoul Asylum
ReleaseLet Your Dim Light Shine
CreditEN
LabelColumbia
NotesRIAA certified platinum, #6 on US album charts
ArtistTravis
ReleaseGood Feeling
CreditEN
LabelEpic/Independiente
Notescertified gold status in UK, #9 on UK charts
ArtistOurs
ReleaseDistorted Lullabies
CreditEN
LabelDreamworks
ArtistYo La Tengo
ReleaseFakebook
CreditEN, MX
LabelMatador
ArtistYo La Tengo
ReleaseMay I Sing With Me
CreditMX
LabelMatador
ArtistPaul Westerberg
ReleaseSuicaine Gratification
CreditEN, MX
LabelCapitol
ArtistThe Replacements
ReleaseAll For Nothing
CreditMX
LabelSire
Artistmoe.
ReleaseDither
CreditPR, EN, MX
LabelFatboy
Artistmoe.
ReleaseTin Cans and Car Tires
CreditEN, MX
Label550/Sony
Artistmoe.
ReleaseL
CreditPR, MX
LabelFatboy
ArtistVida Blue
ReleaseVida Blue
CreditEN, MX
LabelElektra
ArtistThe Smithereens
ReleaseGod Save The Smithereens
CreditEN
LabelKoch
ArtistBlonde Redhead
ReleaseBlonde Redhead
CreditMX
LabelSmells Like Records
ArtistBlonde Redhead
ReleaseMia Vita Violenta
CreditMX
LabelSmells Like Records
ArtistBlonde Redhead
ReleaseFake Can be Just As Good
CreditMX
LabelSmells Like Records
ArtistFountains Of Wayne
ReleaseUtopia Parkway
CreditEN
LabelAtlantic
ArtistJazz Mandolin Project
ReleaseJungle Tango
CreditEN, MX
LabelLenapee
ArtistMedeski, Martin and Wood
ReleaseNotes From The Underground
CreditMX
LabelAccurate Jazz
ArtistMedeski, Martin and Wood
ReleaseLast Chance To Dance
CreditMX
LabelAccurate Jazz
ArtistEylsian Fields
ReleaseEylsian Fields
CreditEN
LabelMCA
ArtistM2M
ReleaseShades Of Purple
CreditEN
LabelAtlantic
NotesPokemon soundtrack
ArtistThurston Moore
ReleasePsychic Hearts
CreditEN, MX
LabelGeffen
ArtistPork Tornado
ReleasePork Tornado
CreditEN, MX
LabelRycodisc
ArtistEd Schuller
ReleaseEleventh Hour
CreditEN, MX
LabelTutu
ArtistEd Schuller
ReleaseMu-Point
CreditEN, MX
LabelTutu
ArtistEd Schuller
ReleaseTo Know Where One Is
CreditEN, MX
LabelGM
ArtistEd Schuller
ReleaseForce
CreditEN, MX
LabelTutu
ArtistNo Safety
ReleaseSpill
CreditEN, MX
LabelKnitting Factory
ArtistNo Safety
ReleaseLive At The Knitting Factory
CreditPR, EN, MX
LabelKnitting Factory
ArtistCell
ReleaseSlo*Blo
CreditPR, EN
LabelGeffen
ArtistYou Am I
ReleaseHi Fi Way
CreditEN
LabelWarner Bros.
NotesDebuted at #1 on Australian album chart
ArtistTindersticks
ReleaseCurtains
CreditEN
LabelLondon
Notesfeaturing Isabela Rossellini on vocals
ArtistJonathan Fire-Eater
ReleaseTremble Under Boom Lights
CreditEN, MX
LabelMedicine
Interested in more information or pursuing a project? Contact me at johnsiket@yahoo.com