Nevins: This guy helped me and he didn’t do the greatest job so it was one of the worst remixes I’ve ever done because I was unable to really grasp the digital audio capabilities. It was something where I couldn’t use loops in the sampler and use the digital audio in the computer at the time because I really wasn’t too well-versed in how to use it. So, it was really a screw-up if you ask me, and it was unfortunate because they used that mix on their Greatest Hits album. It was Kool And The Gang Greatest Hits, which upset me because to have such a cool album of their greatest hits, which a lot of people actually buy, to have such a screwy mix, it didn’t thrill me. But to be honest with you, with the average listener that’s buying Kool And The Gang Greatest Hits, they may not think it’s as bad as I do.
RS: We’re always our worst critics, we listen…
Nevins: Without a doubt. I know when I do something that’s really good and I know when I do something that’s really bad. Fortunately I’ve made some bad mistakes in the past and I don’t make them again and I watch what I do now. So all the stuff that you’re going to hear coming from me now, I think should get pretty good reviews.
RS: One of these new mixes coming, I assume the Widelife “All Things” is going to be one of the good ones.
Nevins: Yes, I just finished, actually there’s two things for the Queer Eye For the Straight Guy sound track. The first one was the theme which was done by Widelife “All Things” and the second thing is the Duran Duran record we mentioned earlier. The Duran Duran record is going to be on the soundtrack but the mixes that I did for the Widelife record will be released on vinyl. I met Rachid from Widelife in New York at the Billboard Dance Music Summit and we started talking, then two days later I get a phone call from Capitol on doing a mix on this. I spoke to him again and they got me the parts and I did it, and it’s a really cool mix actually.
RS: Awesome, look forward to hearing that. Also I read that you’re working with Giles of Galleon?
Nevins: We met in New York at the Billboard Dance Music Summit also and we hooked up and did a record together. It’s kind of like a top secret project that’s going be really, really cool and we’re just trying to work out all the nitty-gritty with that. But that should be out sometime hopefully after the New Year.
RS: The Galleon really fits your style, because their music has an 80s pop rock feel to it.
Nevins: Oh yes, I absolutely love the Galleon stuff. He actually told me his secret how to get it about fifty percent. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that they do, but they sample an 80s band, and that’s where they get their sounds from, and all their songs come from that band.
RS: Are you going to say which band that is?
Nevins: No, can’t say it, he told me but I’m not allowed to say it and I promised him I wouldn’t. But he said there’s an 80s band that they basically take these samples from, you can’t believe it, and they’re able to tweak it and they make every song from those sounds. Plus it’s also the compression they’re using, the EQing and the way they’re producing it., because if you look into their stuff, I mean it sounds like a Daft Punk records, the way it’s EQed and compressed and the sound quality of it. We hooked up and we came up with a new song, but the song that I did with them doesn’t sound like their stuff, it sounds more like mine.
RS: You’ve remixed everyone from Elvis to Madonna, are there any artists that you’d like to remix that you haven’t?
Nevins: There are a million people I’d love to remix. I say it in every interview and I’ll say it again, Kiss is one of my all-time favorite bands. I have seen some really poor bootlegs floating around of Kiss, but when I do something it’s going to be awesome. I saw them in concert with Aerosmith at The Garden in New York, and they are one of my favorite bands of all time. I also recently got to work with Fleetwood Mac, another favorite of mine, for a song on the new Jason Nevins album. I’ve really been very fortunate to work with some of the biggest names and there are so many more that I would like to work with, it’s more of just the opportunity and when the time is right I guess.
RS: What’s in your CD player right now, what are you listening to?
Nevins: I am listening to the new Jason Nevins album. I am also listening to Jason Mraz, Rah Digga, Jet, and Mark Ronson.
RS: So your music tastes are as varied as your production tastes?
Nevins: Without a doubt. I listen to everything from Fleetwood Mac to the Beatles to Kiss to AC/DC, wow, you name it. I listen to anything and everything.
RS: To end with, what advice do you have for the next generation of producers and remixers?
Nevins: I don’t know if I have advice for them but I have advice for the entire music community. Everyone should join together and not be so separated in their thought processes and in their different styles of the music.
