In my many years of writing music reviews, I have forgotten to acknowledge an element in all the music I have reviewed, and that is the role of the Record Producer.
A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performer’s music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many, varying roles during the recording process. They may gather musical ideas for the project, collaborate with the artists to select cover tunes or original songs by the artist/group, work with artists and help them to improve their songs, lyrics or arrangements.
Today I would like to acknowledge Gary Tanin. Gary Tanin is a veteran Milwaukee musician, producer, and engineer with a career spanning decades and reflecting two central themes: music and technology.
Gary has produced recordings for Sam Llanas, Daryl Stuermer, and Roger Powell while mastering releases for the likes of ex-Violent Femmes drummer Victor DeLorenzo and Daryl Stuermer (of Phil Collins and Genesis fame).
As a musician, at age 16, Tanin had already laid the foundation for his calling when he landed a record deal with Odessa Records, recording his original material and then in 1972 he started releasing albums on the Vera Records label with two amazing albums Love Changes All in 1972 and Otto & The Elevators in 1975.
In the later years between recording solo albums, he spent most of his time as a producer for such bands and artists such as Xpensive Dogs, Absinthe, Sam Llanas, Roger Powell, Jack Spann, and many others.
When you hear the work of these artists, you can see the love he put into every single release.
When he was not producing all these amazing artists he still released such albums as a solo artist as Sublime Nation (1995), Natural Selection (2009), Love Changes (2012), and then re-released his earlier work which he called Otto & The Elevators 40th Anniversary Edition.
In my time as a music reviewer, I have reviewed eight albums of where he was a solo performer or producer for other artists in which I was impressed with his work. Long ago, he mastered the integration of technology and music. This synergetic marriage of art and science has resulted in a personal body of works that have garnered international critical acclaim and earned him a worldwide reputation as a consummate innovator.
On a couple of them, he even sent me the vinyl version of the album, which few labels do and wish more would do since I am a collector of signed vinyl. Gary continues to garner nominations for WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Award Producer/Engineer of the year categories. Winning 2003 – 2005 and 2010, Tanin is nominated for this year’s 40th Anniversary WAMI (2020) award. He is a voting member of The Recording Academy (NARAS), has won numerous WAMI Awards for Producer of The Year and owns Daystorm Music specializing in record production & mastering for all audio formats.
I am looking forward to hearing more of his solo work and his work with other artists as a producer.
In closing, I want to thank Gary Tanin for his friendship and support for what I do for independent artists and for the vinyl and CDs he has sent me in the past and what he will be sending me in the future.
