The Mixing Lab
Handel Tucker | Brian Gold | Andrea Davis | SiiM

In today’s world of drum tracks and synthesizers, Pro Tools and iTunes, how many regular people can say they have witnessed the making of music from SLIENCE? I can now say that I am one of those fortunate few, and it – is – magic!

I am no musician, but I like to think that I have a good ear, and I appreciate many different genres of music. I have been moved by my attendance at live performances by musicians from the legendary Sly and Robbie to Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, from the smooth Phil Collins to the tormented Slipknot. But I have never witnessed the creative process that pulls sound from air.

Diing, ding-ding, d’ding... Plink, pinkity-pling, pling  pliiiing.... Not impressive at all...at first. So to watch and listen, impatiently at first, then with curiosity, then awe and amazement as Handel Tucker composed, from nothing, the hauntingly beautiful strains of the five minute original score for our lowly Powerpoint presentation, well… I was floored.

I watched, skeptically while Handel sang what sounded, to my uninitiated ear, like soft, painful-sounding whale calls, while an attentive Brian Gold nodded in understanding. (What?? Have they lost their minds?) Then Brian entered the isolation room to voice the melancholy keening that is the heart of the soundtrack, which was then mixed with samples of Tarrus Riley’s ghostly cry of ‘listen to the call...’ over the heartbeat Binghi drums of Harry T. And this was just a small sampling of the work that had already started on this remarkable project.

As an artist myself I know what it takes to draw a painting from blank canvas, but sound is such an ethereal medium, capable of evoking strong emotions across borders and cultures. Its mastery is true genius.

Thank you Handel.

I am blessed.

[SiiM (Creative Director, Listen2TheCall)]