Staff profile

Matt Paul

When not doing remixes on the likes of Golden Silvers and that band, U2, you can find Matt Paul doing anything from collecting percussion in Bolivia to mastering the ins-and-outs of all those mouth-watering toys at Alpha Centauri. Such is the broad interests and talents of the man. Just don't keep him up til dawn if you're planning on one of those all-night China Whites shindigs...

A) A few important starters:

MILC: First of all, how did you start out in the music industry?

Matt: Well I went to recording college as I really didn't have a clue where to start, or how to get into the industry. Then from there on the internal notice board a note went up saying Metropolis Studios needed someone for night reception, which was basically a 14 hour shift booking cabs and answering calls from people in LA who don't understand time zones! So I had an interview which essentially consisted of them saying what an awful job it was, and generally trying to put me off it as much as possible, I guess just to check I would stick it out really. So I got the job, and from there made a very traditional rise though, going into the tape library after that and gradually being put on more and more sessions until my personal life became a distant memory! I was really lucky to get a job there, and leaned so much from so many different people there, Tom Elmhirst, Bill Price and Chris Potter to name a few, on very varied sessions from recording bands, to string sessions to mixing live shows. So I spent six years there before going freelance and bumping into Miloco in a seedy late night bar, where we hit it off immediately!

MILC: You've been hooking up with some pretty cool bands and artists of late. Would you care to let us know who you've been working with?

Matt: I've been spending a lot of time this year doing some different remix projects. Myself and fellow producer Declan Gaffney have started a remix/production project under the name 'Fish Out of Water'. We've done three U2 remixes, as well as a few other projects, and it's a nice dynamic. It's great way of working to be bouncing ideas back and forth, and picking up where the other has left off. So we're currently looking to develop this, and find more production and remix projects that interest us.

I've also been working on some other stuff under the name 'Rat Scallion', and recently did a remix for a band called Golden Silvers who are really good. I think my approach for remixing is to keep a few elements of a track and kind of turn it upside down, almost write a new track to completely change the context of those original parts. I'm not really into the approach of just putting a house beat or whatever underneath the track, I used to hate that when I was growing up and buying singles!

MILC: You've been doing a fair bit of work recently in Miloco's Garden studio in Shoreditch. What do you like about working in this room?

Matt: Well the live room sounds great. And it's brilliant to have all the different amps down there. There's nothing more frustrating than a band turning up with knackered amps, and with The Garden you don't have to worry about that, because you already have a number of choices. My new favourite is the little old Mesa Mark1 amp that's recently been added.


Favourite music section:

MILC: Which albums of 2009 (so far) has your MP3 player been paying the most attention to?

Matt: Two I've really enjoyed have been by Animal Collective and The Wave Machines. Also recently in the quest to become a 'not bad' guitar player I've become quite obsessed with finger-picked stuff, John Fahey, Nick Drake and some acoustic blues.

MILC: If there was such a thing as the 'Matt Paul Hall of Fame', featuring producers and engineers who you personally think are worthy of membership, who would be the first three people you'd induct?

Matt: Trevor Horn, Phil Spector, and 'the' Bruce Dickinson, for developing the role of the cowbell in modern productions.

MILC: Which album would you class as the biggest masterpiece in music production and why?

Matt: I think its impossible to say unless you've worked on it. Obviously some producers put their own style stamp onto a record, but some of the best producers just pull an amazing album out of a band and leave no obvious sonic trace, and you only realize when you see them live and you go 'how did they manage to pull that album off?'


Technical stuff:

MILC: What piece(s) of gear have you come across recently which you'd recommend to fellow engineers and producers, and why?

Matt: Studio gear wise, there's a few bits up at Alpha Centauri that I think are amazing, for instance the Bricasti reverb and the STA level comp. Oh and the Demeter Spring. Perhaps they should be standard in all the Miloco rooms!

MILC: Staff knob of the month. Of all the switches, buttons, effects and tools at your disposal during recent Miloco sessions, which single one has given you most satisfaction?

Matt: The buttons on the phone that take me to Kadiri's Indian restaurant up near Battery!!

MILC: Besides knobs and your previous recommendations, what other pieces of Miloco gear are floating your boat currently???

Matt: My Dave Smith Mopho, and the Sunsyn synth at Musikbox. You just can't beat analogue synths!!


Less serious questions:

MILC: If your presence on planet earth was to come to a permanent end this afternoon (through untimely demise, intergalactical emigration, or otherwise), what would you hope to be remembered for the most?

Matt: When I was starting off a few years ago on night reception, I asked a guy who came in for his name so I could ring up to the studio to check that he was expected for the Led Zep session.. 'Jimmy Page' the guy answered. Doh!

MILC: We know you're a keen traveler - stumbled across anywhere on any recent globe-trots that you'd care to recommend to us... ?

Matt: South America for the first time this year. I bought a charango in Bolivia. It's like a 10 string ukeleIe type instrument, a beautiful sound. I haven't quite mastered it yet unfortunately! I love picking up random musical bits and bobs when traveling. My percussion bag grows a lot when I go away!

MILC: If you could choose what year you were born in, which would it be?

Matt: I think definitely sometime in the future, so as to see what music will be like in one hundred years or so from now. I just hope it wont be the 12th Britpop revival, and that music will keep progressing!


Final music section:

MILC: What's your fondest memory of your career so far ?

Matt: Working on Scott Walker's most recent album when I started assisting. I was a big fan before that, some of his music I think falls into the absolute genius category, so it was an amazing experience to be working with him.

MILC: What's the longest studio time you've ever spent on an ultimately pointless, task (any tongue in cheek remarks on MILC staff profiles are strictly forbidden!)?

Matt: A few years ago I used to assist on quite a few American Hip Hop artists who would base themselves in London while on their European tour. They would book night sessions to come in and lay down tracks after their gigs. Fairly often, you would wait and wait, and then get a call at 4am to say they wouldn't be coming down that night, sidetracked by China Whites or wherever the cool party was.

MILC: Any future projects in the pipeline you can tell us about ?

Matt: I've just started producing a couple of tracks for a very talented songwriter who goes by the name of Morning Star. Catchy and melodically interesting tunes, a little bit folky I guess, really great!


The end bit:

Thank you very much, Matt, for opening up to Milc Magazine. We hope you have got some issues off your chest, and more-importantly enjoyed your brief but very worthwhile interview. Your time, effort and patience is very much appreciated.



Matt Paul was talking to MILC in September 2009.

Matt's CV can be viewed here: www.miloco.co.uk/management/mattpaul.php


© MILC@Miloco 2009