Today's guest is Henning Svoren of Ocean Sound Recording in Giske, Norway.

https://www.oceansound.no

Henning is a Norwegian music producer and engineer, who has been part of running the recording studio Ocean Sound on the island of Giske in Norway since 2009.

He says, “My responsibilities are pretty wide from developing the business and studio itself to working on the songs and actual music through mixing, recording and producing. In my spare time I like to go hiking or skiing in the mountains and fjords around here.”

Here are some of the key topics we discuss:

·     Henning believes that the natural surroundings of an island contribute to the creative process. For example, he learned Peter Gabriel's studio was designed with creativity in mind, as the flowing water outside provides inspiration.

·     As the owner of the studio, he explains how the studio was built and how it is different from other studios in New York and London.

·     Why the artists are drawn to the studio's setting and equipment. They have kept up with the latest technology by installing a Dolby Atmos system in their studio.

·     Henning describes how their music is influenced by the environment, ranging in styles which include sixties pop, German hip-hop, jazz, and even meditation sounds.

·     “We had one of my favorite Norwegian bands called Motorcycle which I've been a fan of since I was a kid. I was finally asked to work with them as an engineer a couple of years ago. Their guitar player lives in Trondheim, a Norwegian city. He decided that he is not going to bring any guitars or any pedals or anything. He's just going to use what's in the studio because the different instruments will inspire him to play something different than a normal would. So we also try to have a few weird instruments lying around, like strategically placed around the studio. So if you get stuck with a song you're working on, why don't you try this weird Indian thing?”

·     The role of the Engineer. Musicians need an engineer to do more than push the buttons and make them sound great. They need someone who is not close to the project with fresh ears to help contribute to the creative process. The studio and engineer can help the band capture their musical vision.

·     The challenge of finding the balance between wanting to be popular and wanting to be unique. Ocean Sound wants to help create new tastes in music and that helps decide what sort of projects they would like to work on.

As we closed, Henning added, “I'm touched by your enthusiasm, both for the music-making process and for our studio.”

Copyright 2025 Mark Stinson