It’s always good when a client that I really rate starts getting the recognition that they deserve. So I would like to draw all music lovers’ attentions to a singer called Josephine from Manchester. 
Her new single A Freak A was track of the day on Q online last week. I highly recommend that you click here to listen to the song on Q. It’s also had glowing reviews – “love at first listen” from the Sunday Times and “a timeless, distinctive, soulful voice” from Music Week. And perhaps the biggest achievement is that it’s record of the week on 6 Music this week.
I mastered the majority of the album around a year ago for Ark Recordings in London. Though not quite finished, it’s excellent on many levels – the songs are haunting and captivating, the arrangements are innovative, the production is immaculate and, perhaps most importantly, Josephine’s voice is beautiful and has a really distinctive character.
It was produced by Leo Abrahams, a successful recording artist in his own right, an accomplished producer, and he also plays guitar and produces with Brian Eno. Top marks to him!
From a mastering perspective, it’s always a pleasure to work on material that’s of a very high professional standard. The EQing, compressing and limiting become an exercise in subtleties – a touch of EQ here, a gentle push through the limiters there. The mark of a good recording is when most things I try in mastering barely help. And when I finally do find the subtle tweak that really works then it just lifts the track and gives it that last 5% that it needed.
Jamie Davis, the label manager at Ark, has been taking his time with the build-up to the release. He’s been methodical with building the buzz and getting it heard by the right people, and his patience is starting to reap rewards.
So my hat’s off to Josephine! It’s great to be a part of a team that’s breaking quality new artists.
http://www.myspace.com/thisisjosephine
Tags: A Freak A, Ark Recordings, Brian Eno, Jamie Davis, Josephine, Leo Abrahams
