Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alberto De Icaza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alberto, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In general I have to believe in the project for me to be emotionally and intellectually invested in it. There has a been a couple that feel more personal to me, for example working with the Crobot guys is always a great experience, we are close friends and work great together. When we did the Ratchild EP together, we had guest features by Howard Jones (Light the Torch / Killswitch Engage) and Frank Bello (Anthrax). Two bands I grew up listening to. Another big one was mastering the soundtrack for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. It is a big movie and the soundtrack is beautiful. It is exciting and interesting. Mark Isham called me after he got the first master and said he loved it, he was so nice and passionate, it immediately made me love the project even more. Having someone I have so much respect for compliment my work just blew me away.
Also last year i mastered a record that Psycho Fest put together that had Motorhead covers called Löve Me Förever: A Tribute to Motörhead by some incredible artists (HIGH ON FIRE, MIDNIGHT, EXHORDER, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, EYEHATEGOD, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, MOTHERSHIP, FOIE GRAS, HOWLING GIANT, CREEPING DEATH and more, plus an all-star collaborative take on “Ace of Spades” featuring Phil Anselmo, Gary Holt, Chuck Garric, Nick Oliveri and Dwid Hellion, among others). These were all bands i have so much respect for, it was a such an amazing experience to be a part of it.

Alberto, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a mixing and mastering engineer based in Austin, Texas. I started working on records under producers Machine (Fall Out Boy, Lamb of God, Suicide Silence) and Will Putney (Body Count, End, Fit for an Autopsy) in NJ in 2010. They took me under their wing at the Machine Shop and really taught me what it was like to be an engineer and how to listen in a completely different way. This was a badass experience and i look back on those years very fondly.

I mix and master records for all sorts of bands, helping them to make their records sound killer and be the best version of themselves for their fans. I do work with in all sorts of genres and I’ve also done a lot of soundtracks for TV shows and movies.

Some of the artists I’ve worked with are: Megan Thee Stallion, Ne-yo, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Saint Bodhi, Enchanting, Pap Chanel, Jucee Froot, Naya Rivera, Clutch, Crobot, King Crimson, Four Year Strong, Miss May I, UABB, We Came As Romans, Duel, Mark Isham , Luna Luna, Gracie & Rachel, Yoke Lore, Cape Francis, etc.

I also worked on the soundtracks for: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (Nominated for an Emmy for Original Music), P-Valley, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Chaos Walking, RUN, Heels, Run the World, Acapulco, Blindspotting, Raising Kanan, Love Life, Manhunt Deadly Games, Step Up: Highwater, Santa INC, etc.

I learned from my mentors that musicians have to be better artists by the time they finish a record with me. I push musicians to play better, i care about how their ideas translate to their fans and help guide them make the songs as good as can be. I love to tinker with sounds until everything feels good together.

Have you ever had to pivot?

After 5 years in the studio I was burnt out and needed some time to rethink how I was operating. I wanted to experience other things so I joined an independent label for a couple years. This job taught me a lot about how the industry works. I saw the other side of the business and that helped me tremendously for when I came back into working at my own studio. It provided me with so much insight and I met people that have helped me grow my career so much.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Meeting great people and creating records that will outlast us. I am not a religious person, I don’t believe in an afterlife. I think if you want to outlast your existence, you need to leave something that will keep your name alive. That is what art is. An immortal piece of an artist that they shared with the world. Artists have this innate need to create and I absolutely love it. I feel like my calling is being a conduct for those artists to present the best version of their creation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.albertomixes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albertomixes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adeicaza