Ramin Sakurai of Supreme Beings of Leisure
Like a creative melting pot, the Supreme Beings of Leisure collectively represent a mixing of cultures and good music. To know SBL is to love every bit of what created that whole for the band's self-titled Palm debut in 2000. For that well-received disc, they mixed one part Indian with equal parts Irish-Puerto Rican, Japanese-Iranian and Dominican Republican and blended it to sonic perfection; For Divine Operating System, the latter two ingredients are carrying on the cool trip-pop 'n' bass SBL vibe with a new collection of "Big Bond" and funky disco tracks. [read on]

John Oates
Phunk Shui (John Oates new CD) was recorded and mixed using Pro Tools|HD systems in three studios: Hall & Oates' own A. Pauling Studio in upstate New York (basic tracking), Great Divide Studios in Aspen, Colorado, near Oates' home in Woody Creek (for overdubs), and The Studio (editing, mixing) in the basement of the legendary Sunset Marquis Hotel in Hollywood, California. Thriving on the live vibe and minimalist edits, Oates' solid band cut an amazing 13 tracks in just four days. [read on]

Cortez Farris
Starting out in 1998 as an assistant engineer at The Hit Factory in New York, Cortez Farris is now managed by SOS Management and does most of his Manhattan audio work on projects at Sound On Sound Recording. Farris, who has worked with Mary J. Blige, Eve, Beres Hammond, and The X-Cutioners, recently found lots of opportunities to spread out the low end on some recent projects with his favorite basso profundo plug-in. [read on]