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Drummer/engineer details the creative process behind Washington’s latest opus at Sunset Sound
Drummer/Engineer Tony Austin has toured and recorded with a compelling mix of major musical talent, including Lauryn Hill, Carlos Santana, Patti LaBelle, and Willow Smith among others. He is perhaps best known, however, for his ongoing collaboration with preeminent jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington as a member of the musical collective, West Coast Get Down. Austin sat down for an interview with Mojave Audio in Studio 2 of Sunset Sound to detail the creation of Washington’s latest album Fearless Movement, and how sonic inspiration from the Mojave MA-1000, MA-301FET, and MA-37 played a critical role in bringing forth the right creative atmosphere in the studio.
In conversation with Mojave Audio, Austin details the whirlwind creative process involved in the creation of Washington’s latest album, Fearless Movement. Spurred on by a chance at a critical performance on the Tonight Show, Washington, Austin, and the West Coast Get Down quickly assembled to put together ‘The Garden Path’, the award-winning single that would prove to be the springboard for the entire album. “We performed the single of this record that hadn’t even been made yet,” says Austin. “When we were done with Jimmy Fallon we were like ‘Dang, we’ve gotta make the rest of the record!’
Seeking suitably expressive sounds in the studio for an extremely large band led Austin, Washington, and their collaborators into Sunset Sound where Austin made use of his collection of Mojave Audio Microphones. Citing the brand’s ‘creative’ vibe, he details some of his favorites and how the sounds of Mojave helped pull together the various strands of the West Coast Get Down for one of Washington’s most sprawling artistic statements. “Having something sound inspirational is a big part of the process,” he said. “We’re not just playing parts, we’re tapping into our creativity. That’s one of the beautiful things about the Mojave Microphones, it sounds good but it’s also inspirational.”
“Mojave Microphones tie into the creative process and inspiration of creating a sound that is inspiring when you hear them,” he continued “Everything I put them in front of it sounds inspiring.”
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