Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyonce & TradeMark!
Hey All.
This month I had the pleasure of working for Jay-Z, Kanye West & Beyonce.
Jay-Z was in town on tour with U2 and they were working on collaborative tracks for Kanye & Jay’s new album. I was contacted by Kanye’s producer, Mike Dean to help them set up a recording studio in the mansion that they were staying in while they were in Sydney. It was a great experience working with such talented musicians!
Jay-Z performs in Sydney supporting U2 on their 360 Tour
Hope to work with them again when they are back in town!
Talk Soon!
TM!
Studio Session: Guy Sebastian – Perfection
Hey All.
Also forgot to mention that while Victor Row was in the studio we recorded a very special tune for Guy. The song is called “Perfection” and it was a tune that Guy had written for his wife Jules.
It is an amazing song and Victor absolutely smashed the piano performance, I was seriously getting goose bumps in the studio while we tracked this one.
You can check out the song, it is on Guys’ fifth studio album Like It Like That
TM!
Studio Session: Victor Row Band – Vocals for new Album
Hey All.
I had the absolute pleasure of hanging in the studio for a couple of days earlier this week with the extremely talented Victor Row & Brett Faggotter from the “Victor Row Band“.
- The Victor Row Band
Victor is a monster pianist and has a brilliant set of lungs on him as well. Brett had done an amazing job on the circles (Drums) when they were recorded up at The Grove the previous month. The music was a sonic feast of great tunes, big production value and extremely talented musicians!
- Victor Row
I have to say, I had a blast hanging in the studio with Vic & Brett and I am really looking forward to hearing the final mixed product.
I hope the Victor Row Band come back to Cooper Lane soon!
TM!
Studio Session: Guy Sebastian – YouTube Sessions
Hey All.
Been really busy lately but I thought I’d let you know that I have been in the studio today with Guy Sebastian, Carl Dimataga & Sally Cooper laying down some amazing acoustic tracks that will be soon uploaded onto YouTube.
Guy & Carl relaxed in the studio.
As always the creativity and energy in the studio was off the charts and it was an amazing session to be a part of.
As soon as the footage is edited and it is posted on YouTube I will let you all know.
TM!
A little about VegasMusic & TradeMark…
A little information about VegasMusic. Established back in 1998 by a young ambitious Audiophile that had a passion for music, but more importantly, how music was created.
Xander working on a Mix on a Neve VR
Mark Wellards’ love for production I guess you could say was seeded in his later years in High School when they decided to run an “untitled” musical production. Knowing that he had the musical chops to be a part of this, his real desire was to be a part of the “Backstage Crew”. Before he knew it, he was playing with profile spots, smoke machines and mixing consoles.
He found in his local newsagents a magazine called “Sound on Sound” from the UK, a great magazine full of useful musical gear reviews & production tips. After reading an article on live sound & tuning PA Systems, he decided to go to school the next day, sneak into the hall where they schools PA was and give it ago. He recalls the head teacher rubbing his head at the next rehearsal saying “I don’t know what has happened, but the PA has stopped feeding back – It sounds great!”
He knew from that point on, that he was a “Sound Guy”
After finishing school, he went onto study at one of the many “Audio Schools” that seamed to be popping up around town. Two years later, he was head of his class and fully qualified, or so he thought. During his time studying and recording bands, Mark also attacked the “Live” music scene working for peanuts in local pubs and clubs doing what he loved. He had also got involved with what he calls the “Largest Live Pub Gig” of his career, getting on one of the many crews for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. This time was a steep learning curve for him.
Fast forward a over a decade and he is now much the wiser in the audio game and between running VegasMusic he is also the Manager and Head Engineer of one of Sydney’s most exclusive boutique recording facilities, Cooper Lane Studio. This facility is privately owned by Australian singing sensation, Guy Sebastian. Guy also being a lover of all things audio, he has an extensive collection of rare gear that he has accumulated though-out his life. With labels such as Neve, Urei, Neumann, Teletronix, RCA, AEA, Manley, Avalon – just to name a few - Cooper Lane Studio is a heaven on earth for all Musicians.
Mark (also known as ‘TradeMark’, due to his ‘TradeMark Production Sound’) has already signed on to be working in late 2010 with some of Australia’s premier artists and is due to launch is own Record Company in mid 2012.
Stay tuned for more information.
Words By: Cam Davey