DibS Bio

I hate bio’s…

When I was a wee small lad, I was apparently quite a pain in the ass. One of the tricks my mother used to shut me up was to strap me into the back seat of the Ford Pinto and drive around with the radio blasting. I’m not sure if the purpose for this was to lull me or tune me out, but whatever.

From that poor quality stock radio (I’m not even sure it was stereophonic) I learned everything I ever needed to know about making records. These were great songs being played in vast playlists of great songs programmed by veteran DJs on veteran free-format radio stations. Every song, from the huge Elton John hits to one hit wonders had one thing in common: a unique sonic point of view. I’m sure I didn’t pick up on this as a kid, but I was affected by it certainly.

Later in life I went to audio school and college. In the early 90′s I interned and assisted and made coffee and cleaned toilets. I carried a Neve console down four flights of stairs. I slept in sleeping bags in various alcoves of various studios. I failed and then subsequently passed the “Alignment Test” at Unique Recording. I was a “Studio Rat.”

Then for six years I was a working stiff. I had a real job. I worked for Ric Wake, Richie Cannata and Denise Rich. Cove City Sound Studios and the Dream Factory were my homes. We had the distinct pleasures of working with Celine Dion, Taylor Dayne, Lighthouse Family, Laura Brannigan, Dee Snyder, etc. I was apprenticed to such talented engineers as Bob Cadway, Rick Kerr, Steve Peck and Bassy Bob Brockman. I worked my way up, learned my craft and achieved the titles of Staff Engineer and Chief Midi Tech. I oversaw the design and completion of Cove City Studio B. It consisted of a Neve 8068 and Studer A 820 in one of the sickest midi rooms of it’s time. It also featured a new studio novelty… Pro Tools…

By 1998 I felt I was ready to start the transition into being a freelance engineer. I gave up my 5 room house in Long Island and moved into a 12×8 bedroom in the Gramercy area of Manhattan. I recconnected with some other ex-patriots of the Cove City/W&R Group camp and started drumming up some business. Peter Zizzo was working with a young female singer songwriter named Vanessa Carlton and we went on to work on Avril Lavigne’s first album. I worked with Andy Marvel on a track for Vitamin C called “Dangerous Girl” and on an album with Diana King. With Joe Franco I delved into the world of music for children’s television on shows like “Between The Lions” for PBS. I did sessions with Producers like Billy Mann, Shane Keister and Ahmet Ertegun. I was making a living making music.

During this time I was also learning that there was another side to the music business. Seems once we make the records someone has to sell them. Who knew? My two roommates were radio promo guys. Suddenly I was witnessing the business side of the music business. One of these guys even had an electronic music label he ran with some friends called Derailed. They would hold their monthly meetings in our apartment. My love for electronic music found a new food source.

I first started finishing tracks I had started and left for a rainy day. Then I bought some turntables and learned how to use them effectively. I went to my friends Redboy and Gabe (aka Johnny Massif) and forced them into letting me hijack the decks at Drinkland where they did their weekly Oxygen party. I had the dj bug.

Redboy and I wrote and released two tracks on Bikiniwax Records called “Grinder” and “Regressive”. Corbin Dooley, Bikiniwax’s mastermind, recruited us to play our special brand of breaks and techno at Open Air Bar when Drinkland became a ratty East Village kareoki bar.

My next release was “I’m The Mack” with Vinylholic Records. I started spinning semi regularly at B3 with Powder, the keeper of that label.

Continuing to make pop records with artists like Toby Lightman and Jamie Lynn Sigler to keep the lights on, I started trying to hone my skills as a writer/composer. Advertising became another source of income. I wrote for JSM, Russo Grantham, Eric Kay Music and the Lodge.

During this time I met my wife Rebekah, married her and had an adorable baby boy named Orry. We now live in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Thank you for taking the time to read this whole bio. I know it was a bit longwinded but it’s hard to express where you are in life without first descibing where you’ve been. Rick Kerr once told me that the difference between a good record and a great one is the producer/engineer/mixer’s ability to aproach each song with a point of view. That is what I try to do. All events in life, art and the universe are nothing more than reactions to other events/stimuli. That’s why I named my company The DibS Reaction.