Flavio Ferri – Full Member

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

I define myself as a music producer but I have to say that nowadays a producer is a recording, mixing and mastering engineer, a musician, an arranger and a psychologist.

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?

I started as a member of a punk band in the early ’80s and I began to learn how to play various instruments. Then after very little musical education I started to work as an assistant in a recording studio in Milan. In the early ’90s me and a very good friend of mine opened our own little studio and began working as music composers for commercials and got a contract with MCA music. We made a huge amount of commercials (the best way to learn to be quick and effective) and then we went back to our dream of playing in a band. We formed this band called Delta V, signed with BMG and we had a few years of success in Italy. Then I got into music production. At the moment my studio is based in Barcelona, Spain but I travel a lot to work everywhere.

What or who inspired you to follow this path?

I always had a big passion for music and I tried my best to survive in the business. Nothing else.

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

Every production I do is my favourite job. I’m lucky that I can choose the artists who I work with and I’m proud of establishing a relationship with them. My highlights? With Delta V we topped the charts in Italy, As Delta V we collaborated with great composers (John Barry above all) and I had the great opportunity to collaborate with Gianni Maroccolo and Antonio Aiazzi (the godfathers of Italian New Wave) and with one of my idols (Tricky). At the moment I’m part of a band called Jean Paul Agambi Quartet and we are releasing our stuff with False Idols. But I repeat: every artist I’ve worked with is important and I learn a lot from all of them.

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

Everyone has their own way of working. I talk a lot with the artist; I try not to repeat myself both in the technical and musical way.

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

There are so many! I would sit beside every producer and engineer watching everything they do and say without saying a single word.

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

Don’t believe the hype, study polyrhythms, listen to the music you do not know and remember that music is not worrying about which compressor you would like to put n your drum buss.