I had worked with producer Stan Kybert quite a few times before; he happens to be close friends with my manager and so has used Dean St. for various projects in the past. As a result we had developed a strong relationship both in and out of the studio over the years and so when he was assigned the task of mixing the 11th solo studio album of his good friend, Paul Weller, he asked if I would assist him.
Stan and I would spend the day getting a track to about 90% completion, before Paul would join us for a civilised pot of tea and a listen through. He would then give critiques on various elements of the mix, which were always well prescribed and showed his keen ear for detail, before we set about adding the final touches.
After a nights rest and returning with fresh ears, the mix would be finalised before beginning the process again with the next track.
Paul and Stan have worked together for a number of years so it was fun to be part of this close dynamic, and led to my involvement in further projects. For instance, when Stan produced 2 tracks for Miles Kane’s a ‘First of My Kind’ EP, he invited me to engineer and mix for him at Paul’s Black Barn Studio.
This image is of Stan’s ’Inside Track’ editorial feature in Sound On Sound, discussing our mix process for Sonik Kicks.