Eduardo De La Paz Full Member

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on at the moment?

Mixer/mix engineer.

Please tell us a bit about your musical background. How did you get started in the music industry? What was your pathway to your current role?

My family was very musical growing up. My dad loved singing & playing guitar. My mom played music at home all the time. This inevitably led to me being part of some bands during my teenage years & also part of a choir. I was always the band member that didn’t really enjoy playing live, but really enjoyed recording our demos and discovering how to make the sounds that were in our heads.Then, I moved to Liverpool to study Sound Technology at LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts). After uni, I moved down to London and worked as an assistant at various studios (mostly from the Miloco group). Through assisting I met Craig Silvey, for whom I then became his engineer & mix assistant for about 5 years. I worked on some great records alongside him, learned a lot and then – when I felt I was ready – I set up my own studio and as they say…. the rest is history.

What or who inspired you to follow this path?

Not one person in particular, but I guess when I was younger I obsessed about the sound of certain records and how they manage to create those recordings. I would read the credits inside the CD Booklets (gosh I feel old!) to find out who produced & mixed the record.The idea of becoming a mix engineer wasn’t a common one in Mexico, so I always saw the lack of representation in the field as more of a challenge rather than an inspiration. I loved the idea of being able to become a ‘world class mixer’ coming from Mexico. Still some work to do… but that’s the plan anyway.

Are there any highlights from your work that you are particularly proud of?

Every project is special, but it would be silly not to mention the Grammys won with Zoé and Jesse & Joy. I was very proud to work on those records and especially with artists from my home country of Mexico.

Also ‘Telluric’ by Matt Corby. It’s an album where I’m really proud of the sound of the mixes and through the years I’ve had people reference them for other projects. Love that record!

What’s one tip you can share with other MPG members that could help their workflow?

Do not overthink things & trust your gut! This seems to get easier with the passing of the years, but I’ve found that during mixing it is very important to keep moving forward and to not dwell on things for too long or you start ‘second guessing’ your decisions.

The mix always sounds better when you keep moving forward, enjoy the process and balance between making broad strokes & finessing details as you keep moving.

What’s one tip you would like an MPG member to share with you?

I would love to learn how to compose/arrange for film, and also how to mix for film. I feel like it’s such a different approach to music and I have always been fascinated by that medium.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people wanting to get into a similar music production role to yours?

Learn your craft, practice, work hard and be nice. No matter how big or little the project is, always stay humble and always stay hungry.