Each summer season air brings forth its anthems, and 2024 was no exception. From the sleek vibes of Espresso to the rebellious vitality of Brat, music fanatics had been handled to a wealthy array of sounds. But, one observe has not solely captured consideration however continues to dominate social media, making waves far past the same old circles. Hanumankind’s “Massive Dawgs” has emerged as a worldwide sensation, resonating deeply with audiences.
The observe, marked by its defiance and dominance, has change into greater than only a hit; it’s a cultural phenomenon. On Spotify, Massive Dawgs has amassed over 65 million streams, whereas on Apple Music, it comfortably sits inside the prime 50 of worldwide charts. Billboard displays its widespread enchantment, rating it #11 on the International 200 and #29 on the Sizzling 100. The music has additionally set new requirements for Indian impartial releases, cementing Hanumankind’s place within the music business.
With Massive Dawgs ruling the playlists and charts, I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of many key figures behind this hit: Akash Shravan, the blending and mastering engineer chargeable for its polished sound. Our dialog coated his collaboration with Hanumankind, his life as an audio engineer, and his journey via the music business. Akash additionally affords perception into the vital function of post-production in music, explaining how mixing and mastering are as very important because the composition itself and gives steerage for these aspiring to pursue this profession path.
Concocting the Excellent Composition: Mixing and Mastering in Publish-Manufacturing
Akash Shravan, a Chennai-based file producer and audio engineer, has quietly constructed a reputation within the music business over the previous decade. Beginning with piano covers on Fb and producing tracks in his spare time, Akash lately made his Bollywood debut with the music Khwabida from the movie Crew, which he blended and mastered. His portfolio additionally contains collaborations with distinguished indie artists corresponding to Char Diwari, Yashraj, Child Jean and Dabzee.
Central to Akash’s work—and the music manufacturing course of at massive—are the often-overlooked steps of blending and mastering. Mixing includes mixing the person parts of a music, like vocals, devices, and results, right into a cohesive entire, guaranteeing no factor dominates the sound. Mastering, the ultimate stage earlier than distribution, refines the observe by adjusting ranges, enhancing readability, and guaranteeing consistency throughout playback units, making it polished and prepared for launch. These vital processes outline the sonic high quality of the music listeners hear, setting professionals like Akash aside in an more and more aggressive business.
“It is my job to ensure all the things is on level, whereas additionally following the worldwide requirements. You may have the most effective music on the planet, but when the combo shouldn’t be good, it is gonna sound like ****. However you could possibly have a really mediocre music, but when it has good mixing, it is gonna shine,” explains Akash. “On the subject of mixing a music, it will likely be naked bones initially. It is going to be very dry. Nothing could have that emotion and that is principally my half: All that contributes to how the music is sounding,” he mentioned.