TFN Talks with Robert Carranza
TFN Talks sat down with Grammy and Latin Grammy - winning engineer, mixer & producer Robert Carranza to talk about his life and career. Carranza has worked as an engineer/mixer on albums by artists such as Beck, Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, The Mars Volta and Los Lobos, among others.
Robert, where did you grow up and when did you first start fostering a dream of working in the music business and becoming a record producer?
I grew up in Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to have older brothers and sister who loved a variety of music. It Really came from my mother though she would play music while doing things around the house. My earliest memories are all music. It wasn’t very long until I was in a band around 12 years old. We went into a studio not long after to record a demo and that was it I had found my calling. I needed to know everything about making records. It was like water for me no matter how much I learned, it couldn’t quench my thirst, even to this day I feel the same way.
What is your favorite part of the creative process when you are working with an artist?
Anytime you work with someone, there is a period of getting to know each other. I look forward to that every time. It fundamentally leads you to that first step of a journey together. I can’t be useful to anyone if we can’t fully share our honest feelings about the sonic story we need to tell. I have friends all over the world. We may not see each other as much as we should but that bond we’ve shared is long lasting. So when we do see each other we pick up right where we left off.
Do you have any specific genres preferences when it comes to the records you work on?
Not at all. I love all music from the Heaviest of Metal to the gentle acoustic love song. It’s all emotions. Story telling is one of our greatest gifts to mankind. From Bukowski to Shakespeare. Variety keeps things fresh and challenging.
What is your DAW of choice and why? Any studio gadgets you are a particular fan of, and why?
Mostly use Protools only because it’s was the first DAW I used. I started as an assistant engineer and back then all we had was tape. Old habits, but i use Logic and Ableton as well. Gadgets - nothing in particular but I am a fan of Microphones more then anything. They are the lens into a sonic landscape, without a microphone the story can’t be told. It’s like getting into a car that has no gas.
Can you talk about some of the biggest challenges you have faced professionally and personally and what has helped you overcome them?
Professionally it has been my own shortcomings as a person. It took a long time for me to feel satisfied with my work. Even now I struggle with it. Trying to challenge your self not to feel like an imposter. To this very day when I hear songs I’ve worked on, I can hear things I would change. What can I say, I’m still learning. Personally. Well that’s a book to be written. In the beginning of my career not being the husband, father, uncle, son to my family. This job takes focus and a certain amount of selfishness that everyone around you pays the tax for. I’m still learning how to manage my time and the fine balance of work and family. The amount of latitude my family has given me is not taken for granted.
In 2004 you won a Grammy for the BEST LATIN ROCK/ALTERNATIVE ALBUM Street Signs . Was this expected? How did you feel, winning your very first nomination?
Expected, not at all I think they need to count those ballots again! I have never done anything for accolades. I try to keep my ego in check and my desires in this business low. I’m ok being the shadow that nobody sees. I have the most respect for this art form and most of the people who contribute to it. Birds will sing if they have an audience or not. They just do what they do. With that being said I appreciate the nod from my peers and I’m not belittling the awards I’ve been bestowed. I just don’t think about it.
You have been in the music industry for over 30 years and have worked with artists like Beck, The Mars Volta, Jack Johnson and Marilyn Manson. What were some of your favorite records to work on and why?
I love them all. They are snapshots of a time in my life. I have fond memories and sad memories. Tragedy, Happiness, and everything in between. A life’s worth of emotions. For someone to trust me with that it means the world to me and I honor it.
How do you feel about the music industry today, having shifted from cassette and LP to CD to now streaming music off services like Spotify and Apple? Almost gone are the days where you’d walk into a record store and buy a physical album. Where do you think we are heading when it comes to the way we experience music and what does it mean for producers and artists?
It’s a very complicated topic to even wrap my head around but I will try. On one had the internet has given artists the freedom to self publish and be completely independent. On the other hand, streaming services are taking advantage of that very independence. The decimal point has been moved. We are in a new era, its the Wild West again. Everyone needs to figure out their worth. I think we are in the growing pain stage of this new reality we find ourselves in. I buy most of my music to support artist. HD Tracks Band Camp etc. Doesn’t mean I don’t pay for streaming. I have a Sirius XM account and I stream from Apple. I buy records period, but that’s just me.
What advice would you give someone who wants to eventually end up in your shoes? Where do young producers start?
I grew out of a system. Like a tree with great roots. That system doesn’t exist exactly anymore, but it doesn’t mean you can’t clear your own path. Many before me cleared a path that many traveled, but eventually you need to head down the unfamiliar pathway that you create. There is no magic answer here. Work hard and be humbled when some cares about your opinion. They are trusting you with more then you know sometimes.
When you are not in the studio what are some of your favorite ways to spend your time?
Home with the Family and the animals.
Traveling.
Listening to old and new music. I keep it real simple.
What are the three greatest albums of all time according to Robert Carranza?
Neil Young’s - Harvest
Los Lobos - Colossal Head
Back Sabbath - Black Sabbath
‘TFN Talks’ In Partnership with Tropical Nomad Coworking Space