William Jacobs

(Glimpse: Full Instrumental, mixing & mastering)

(Gasoline: Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Mixing & Mastering)

(Runways: Full Instrumental, Mixing and Mastering)

The Confederation are a new kind of pop group: every song of theirs is a total departure from the last, and their eclectic discography therefore ranges from retro disco bangers to head-banging rock. I've been lucky enough to produce a few of their newest tracks, resulting in some truly exciting new music. Glimpse is pure hypnagogic dance-pop, with layers of smooth and irresistible vocals floating atop a hypnotic, nocturnal beat. Gasoline, meanwhile, is almost the total opposite: it's simply raging hard-rock, featuring some life-affirming guitar passages from actual real-life Aerosmith collaborator Paul Santo. Finally, Runways is abstract and elusive, twisting and turning through layers of heady electronica before collapsing into chaos.

(RECORDING, EDITING, MIXING & MASTERING)

Following the full-hearted folk of Journey Songs Pt. 1, Robin Torbitt and I returned to the studio to record an equally thoughtful follow-up. The melodies flow just as beautifully, but the journey seems to grow darker: the solemn-but-anthemic Set Me Free gives way to the tense, dissonant Waiting. There are occasional gaps in the clouds though - mostly in the form of transcendent, seemingly effortless choruses. How Strange It Is is the perfect example of this; its intricate, knotty verses (whose time signature I'm still trying to understand) part ways to reveal a stunning, open stillness.

The strength of Torbitt's songwriting can't be overstated: once again, with just a guitar and three microphones, his rich imagery and gift for melody conjure a beautiful, expansive, naturalistic world. So gorgeous is his music that, even on Opaque - a fantastic song that is at once betrayed, perplexed and accusatory - it can't help but sound like a warm hug.

(Recording, Mixing & Mastering, Instrumental Arrangements & Performances)

Adam Clayton is a pop icon in every sense, and his debut EP, Anchor, was a pleasure to work on. This a detailed and varied set of five tracks, including neon-tinged highway anthems (Drive), kaleidoscopic implosions (For Real?) and delicate, closer-than-close acoustic confessionals (Anchor). On my personal favourite, I Don't Take Chemistry, Adam finally let me indulge my obsession for intricate, frenetic electronica - which, when mixed with his songwriting and gift for melody, results in a haunting and cerebral (yet impossibly catchy) track.

The influences for this EP's writing and production run across the entire modern pop canon, including Troye Sivan, Lauv, Phoebe Bridgers, and possibly every era of Taylor Swift. Within these dense and varied arrangements, keep an ear out for some auditory easter eggs including cassette tape snippets, Animal Crossing samples and percussive milk bags.

(Recording, editing, Mixing & mastering)

Robin Torbitt's music blends a beyond-his-years wisdom with a seemingly effortless grasp on folk songwriting: his work is beautiful, insightful and immediately likeable. It was therefore an absolute honour to record and produce the first of a series of acoustic EPs, Journey Songs Pt. 1, which juxtaposes the anthemic, hope-filled Journey Song with Stand, an earnest plea for change. Wise Old Oak is fiery and vital, while Solid Ground serves as a delicate (and quite simply stunning) closing vignette.

The production here is minimalist and stripped-back, inspired by the skeletal sound of Nick Drake's haunting 1972 album Pink Moon. Armed with a trusty Neumann U87 and a pair of TLM-103s, we entered one of the University of York's studios and emerged with this deep-yet-humble collection of four tracks. Such a minimal approach results in a vulnerable, human record that leaves no distractions between the listener and Robin's worldly performances. That's the way it should be: these songs, excellent at their core, simply don't need to hide behind complex production tricks.