Kurt engineers part in platinum hit recording
MUSIC CAREER BEGAN IN HUCKNALL AND ROCK CITY
FROM performing amateur gigs in Nottingham in his early 20s, one music engineer has described his journey to helping record a platinum single with Aitch and AJ Tracey.
Kurt Martinez, a music engineer who grew up in Hucknall, is now celebrating major industry success after the hit single ‘Rain’ recorded more than 600,000 sales, according to awarding body The British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
The song featuring Aitch from Manchester and AJ Tracey from West London was released in March 2020 and Kurt was responsible for ensuring it was recorded to the highest possible standard at a London studio.
He performed as a solo act at
Rock City in 2011 before deciding to embark on career behind the scenes in the music industry.
Kurt, who is now 31 and a graduate of the London School of Music, said: “I’ve been living in London permanently for around five years and before that I was living in Hucknall.
“I’ve always had a passion for music since I was at school. In 2012 I was lucky enough to perform at Rock City as part of the Future Sound of Nottingham project.
“I’ve also played a gig in the basement there when I was thinking of a career as a solo performer.
“Music felt like the only thing I was remotely good at in school and I used to go to Confetti to learn more about the industry.
“I spent a lot of time recording and mixing for bands for free to build a portfolio once I realised that this was what I wanted to do.
“I didn’t know anyone else into recording at that time so taught myself software and after a while I found the creative process much more rewarding.
“Getting my first job wasn’t easy, I’d go out day to day knocking on doors, handing out CVS and sending emails.”
Kurt was in the studio with AJ Tracey and Aitch while they wrote and recorded their verses for ‘Rain’ back in January 2020. The single also features production credits by Tennessee producer Tay Keith.
He landed his first industry job as a runner in a post-production studio designing sound for adverts after graduating with a DIPHE in Music Technology.
Now his job is to record music for artists as they envisage it before it is sent onto a mixer in the next step of the process.
Kurt, who has also worked with artists including Ina Wroldsen, Fleur East, and comedian Jack Whitehall, added: “I’d met Aitch on a previous session, but not worked with him, then I had a call from a studio asking if I could take a lastminute session.
“I don’t know if it was the atmosphere in the room that night, but I remember leaving the studio in the early hours thinking we might have just recorded a hit. It was great to see the hype around it once it was announced and hearing it on the radio for the first time.
“Aitch and AJ are two of the most genuine and nice people I’ve been able to work with.
“I’d say this was the first big
record I worked on. there’s plenty to come.”
On November 20, 2020, The BRIT Awards tweeted: “’Rain’ the huge 2020 single from AJ Tracey and Aitch featuring Tay Keith is now
Hopefully
Brit-certified Platinum.”
To achieve this certification, a single must sell singles that sell more than 600,000 copies.
‘Rain’ features on Aitch’s album Polaris, released in May 2020.