SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE
“Successful artists sometimes get treated in “quite a childlike way but to me they’re all grown-ups. They know what they’re doing,” says producer Ben Hillier, with a laugh, as he dissects the psychology of pop and rock music production. Ben is well placed to offer insight. Many idiosyncratic musical characters have ended up on his couch. “No-one has given these acts success,” he adds. “They’ve all worked really hard for it. So as a producer, your job is to work out where their heads are currently at and where they’re most confident, and then to play to these strengths. It’s a good job that I’m not easily starstruck.”
It’s a good job indeed – Ben’s career as a producer, engineer and songwriter has seen him recording, mixing and engineering the likes of Blur, Elbow, The Horrors, and even Depeche Mode. His innovative efforts have helped bring landmark records to life. “I find it exciting when songs are being created,” he says. “But I like everyone in the room to be a part of it. No-one should just be sitting there in awe. I want everyone involved and pushing towards the same goal.
DOWN TO EARTH
Ben’s assured studio skills and expertise stem from a lifetime immersed in music and the mechanics of its making. His initial flirtation with audio experimentation came from playing the drums and recording himself with mates on boombox-style tape machines before he joined a youth orchestra. “One of the pieces was picked up by Virgin Classics,” he says, “which gave me my first proper studio experience.”
