My Introduction into the MUSIC Industry

Hello, my name is Elliott

I genuinely care about my clients, their projects and the music I write.

Throughout my time as a composer I have worked with a number of film makers, advertisers and brands who have had unprofessional experiences with composers; usually stemming from a lack of understanding by the composer of what is important to the client. I enjoy talking about my experiences within music industry and over the next few weeks I will be discussing tips and tricks on working with professional composers, the importance of music in media and how to create an audio identity that is memorable.

As an introduction, here is a bit of history about myself and how I found myself in the music industry.

Where are you based?

I have a recording and composition studio in West London (my creative space), and I have an office space in Central London for meetings and other administrative duties.

When did you start making music, releasing music and/or playing shows?

I started playing guitar in 2007, I formed and played in a few bands before recording at Limehouse Studio in London in 2010 - this was my first experience of a professional music environment and I couldn’t get enough of it. I continued to study Music Technology through to Masters Degree level. During this time I joined a band called Pure Youth, we released our first EP in 2015 and started playing shows at the same time.

What was the ‘aha’ moment that made you start making music?

My parents are polar opposite in musical taste, so I’ve grown up with an appreciation for an eclectic mix of music. I started to experiment soon after I started playing guitar. I can remember picking up a copy of Guitarist Magazine that had a book of ‘alternative’ chords in it and trying out almost every different combination - it felt like I was trying to solve a puzzle and I fell in love with writing music.

What genre can people expect to hear?

A modern twist on 80’s Pop/Rock, gritty Indie, Synthpop, or Epic Orchestral are my most common genres, but I don’t limit myself to these alone. I like to experiment in my spare time and bring techniques and styles that I’ve learned into my musical pallet; this helps keep things fresh.

How would you specifically describe your sound?

It can be dark, moody and brooding - like something you’d hear in a Stranger Things episode or in a sci-fi/thriller film like Ex Machina (a favourite movie of mine).

It can be raw, gritty, and anthemic - like something you’d want to hear at a World Cup game to get the crowd full of energy.

I pride myself in the use of analog synthesizers, they have a premium, organic quality to them that helps to create a detailed and nuanced soundscape; unlike their digital counterparts.

What are your influences?

In no particular order: Trent Reznor, Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury, Jack White, John Mayer, Herbie Hancock and Joe Hisaishi, to name a few.

What have you worked on recently?

I finished a composition for Liam Hodges where I created the music for the models to walk down the catwalk to. It was based on some work by a friend of mine Toni Castells. You can read more about it here.

What other projects are you involved in?

I’m an electronics hardware designer at Really Nice Audio. We develop visceral interfaces for electronic music creation and performance. We’re currently in the development phase of an exciting product for Eurorack Modular that I can’t talk about - so check out our website for updates.

I’m always open to meeting people with interesting ideas or projects, so you have any questions or need some advice then please feel free to contact me.