Following #1 UK album chart success with his work on the latest 'The View' album, SAE London 2004 Audio Engineering Diploma graduate Guy Katsav has returned to undertake the BA (Hons) Recording Arts Degree offered by SAE Institute. Guy's credits include Groove Armada, The View, Ronnie Scott, The Gossip, Sandy Rivera, The Streets, Paulo Nutini, Seed, Owen Morris, Liberty X, Ms Dynamite, Old Man River, Felix Da House Cat, Akala, Jay Sean, Tony Allen, Adrian Sherwood, Estelle.
Guy mixed four tracks on The View's latest album "Hats Off to the Buskers" which recently went to number 1 of the UK Album Charts. One of the tracks he mixed peaked at number 3 of the UK single charts.
He is currently working at Soho Recording Studios whilst studying for a BA (Hons) Recording Arts at SAE London.
We asked him a couple of questions for this profile:
1. Which course at SAE did you do and when did you finish it ?
I've done the diploma and I finished it in July 2004.
now I'm doing the Recording Arts Degree and I'm due to finish in September 2007.
2. Where you are working now ?
All over the place. But I am mainly the House engineer for Soho Recording Studios and Engineer, Producer Re-mixer for Schwartz music (Destint).
3. What did you do after finishing the course?
I've started working for Soho Recording Studios.
4. What experience did you have before beginning the course?
I was heavily into music... and I was making some beats at home with my little setup.
5. How did you go about getting your first job after finishing the course?
It was love at first sight... I went to check Soho out with a friend, and a couple of days later i heard from another friend that they're looking for some one for some work. I ran over there with my CV and they invited me to assist on a recording session for Lemar. It was cool! A couple of days later I've found myself engineering a recording session for Liberty X and then i "moved-in"...
6. What is a typical day in your present job?
It's very different every day... it can be recording, mixing, remixing, producing, composing... thats what I love about it! For example this week i was mixing a live gig that I've also recorded for a band called the Gossip. The next day i was in a recording session with an up and coming band called The Skies... the day after i was recording a rapper called Sway and on the weekend i was working on a house remix for ministry...
7. What projects have you been part of / what are your credits ?
The view - mix engineer , The Gossip- recording/mix, Groove Armada - recording, Ronnie Scotts mixing. Old man River - recording, mixing, producing, Miss Dynamite - recording,mixing. Paolo Nutini - recording. The Streets - recording. Sway - recording. Manu Dibango - mixing. Felix Da House Cat - programming, recording and more... I probably have forgotten some...
8. How do you feel about the industry in general?
I think the industry is blooming at present time. I felt a shift since I've started because at that time there was less work. But now it feels like it can go for long. The internet has forced everything to change and I think it is going in the right direction. Today any one can do it themselves! It's beautiful! bright future.
9. What do you expect or hope to be doing/working on in five years' time?
Keep having as much fun!!
10. Your final word?
SAE put everything in the right place in my head in terms of engineering. And that's what makes the difference between semi-pro and pro.