vocal-yells

Moxi‘s second EP, “Through The Dark”, “offers an intoxicating mix of wobbling synths and danceable beats.” -Kevin Bronson at Buzzbands LA.

We asked Through The Dark’s two producers, Andy Toy and Bobby Hartry to tell us about their experience co-producing this project.

These guys love dressing up to work in the studio…

Andy: To me, co-producing is all about trust, and there’s probably nobody I trust more than Bobby Hartry to make my song better than I could on my own.  This comes from years of working together but also from a personal relationship I have with Bobby that makes it OK for one of us to say, “hey, that could be better” or “that sound’s not really working for me”.  One of my favorite moments of making “Through The Dark” was at Bobby’s studio when we decided to re-amp a few of my keyboard tracks through Bobby’s pedalboard into his vintage AC30.  The floor was covered in a mess of pedals, patch cables and batteries, but the sounds we got are some of my favorites on the record.

Bobby: Echoing what Andy said, co-producing is definitely about trust.  Building that trust and personal relationship creates an environment that can really foster risk taking, stepping out and trying stuff that maybe you haven’t done before.  For me, that’s what keeps things interesting, and that’s where your best work usually happens.
Another result of that personal relationship is a camaraderie that develops.  I definitely have this with Andy.  Not only is the record making process more fun because of our friendship and mutual trust, but there’s also an intangible quality that I think people can hear or feel in the music as a result.  I think it’s a freshness, or energy that’s evident in the crafting of the tracks as a result of working together.  Andy’s story of reamping the keyboards is and example of that I think.   Another moment like that for me was on the vocal session for “Save Me.”  We had this idea of layering several of Anna’s vocals in the second verse to create some tension and energy.  Some of the the layers were sung, some yelled, she’s starts on one note and bends up to another.  We tried different mic placements to create a variety of roomy textures.  I think at one point she stood in the door way of the studio bathroom with the mic several feet away.   The end result is a brief moment in the song, but it’s exactly what we needed for the second verse.
I love tracking guitars with Andy.  He’s up for trying anything.   I may have a passing thought of a sound or part that is unorthodox, and without any hesitation Andy is on board helping me make it happen.  And because I can trust his ear I’m freed up to really get lost in the guitar in those moments.  This is a huge thing for me.