Jon Gray
Jon Gray has continued to build on his reputation as one of the most sought after engineers in the UK, while developing his skills as a producer over the last few years. His reputation was forged working amongst some of the most alternative and exciting new UK talent, and this continues unabated in 2011.
Jon has spent a large part of the last few years doing what he does so well, mixing records. In 2010 He mixed the debut album from Wilder, whose first single “Sky Full Of Rainbows” was a recent “Hottest Record In the World Right Now” for Huw Stephens on Radio 1. Prior to this he mixed the debut album from Italian band The Crawl and the last album for Poly Styrene, shortly before she tragically died.
2011 sees Jon in the studio with London band the Penguins, featuring the talents of Zak Starky. The band have started getting a reputation for their rawkus love show fresh from their recent support on the Beady Eye tour. Jon is also hard at work in preproduction with Sheffield’s finest rock band “The Violet May” who he will produce and mix early in 2012.
Jon spent the summer of 2009 Jon producing a great band from Belgium called The Van Jets. Already established as an important rock band in their own territory, under Jon’s watchful eyes (and ears!) they made a big impact on the global stage with their album “Cat Fit Fury”. He had a further successful session in Belgium later that year, when he recorded an album for Mintzkov, with Jagz Kooner at the production helm.
Also in 2009 Jon mixed the debut album from ex-Longwave guitarist Mikey And The Electricity and mixed tracks for the hotly tipped Swedish act the Sound Of Arrows. He has also been dipping his toes in the out-and-out pop arena by mixing tracks from the outrageously cute Pop Sock Divas.
In 2008 Jon was in big demand as a mix engineer and with the resurgence in exciting dance / pop material around, he has been in his element! He's been mixing tracks for Mancini's debut album, fantastic electro tracks from the new Performance LP, and built up a strong relationship with dance producers Kid Gloves and so far mixed for them this year tracks for Ladyhawke, The Clik Clik and Roisin Murphy. Also on a more dance tip, Jon has recently finished mixing the debut album for Dirty Stop Out. Produced by the legend that is Mick Jones, DSO are a unique musical experiment birthed by the fashion giant Agent Provocateur, and featuring vocals by some truly unique artists - Bobby Gillespie, Nina Hagen, Sienna Miller amongst others.
Jon has not abandoned his indie rock credentials though and over the summer of 2008 he not only mixed the new Subways live albums, as well as tracks for the debut album for 679's The Rifles, but produced and mixed the debut album for Norwich’s The Brownies. The album “Our Knife Your Back” was released to rave reviews, Q Magazing giving it 4/5 and saying… “Such umbridled sensuality is glued to hugely energetic, lethally, catchy, punk-pop…. Coming on like a rrriot girl Ramones.” “
Jon has had an incredibly busy 2007. He began the year teaming up with Jacknife Lee, recording The Editors at Grouse Lodge Studios in Dublin. The resulting album "An End Has A Start" was a Number 1 entry in the UK charts on release.
After this, Jon continued his creative partnership with Jagz Kooner, recording the debut album from hotly tipped newcomers Reverend And The Makers in Parr Street Studios and at Rollover Studios. The album spawned the monster hit "Heavyweight Champion Of The World" and the beautiful single "Open Your Window".
Jon is renowned for his mix abilities, having mixed many Top 5 singles in the past. In 2007 he mixed the latest album from Universal signing's Milburn. The resulting album with its strong melodic sensibility and powerful guitar sound, has seen the band develop a strong local following and many friends in the media.
During 2007, Jon spent a highly creative period working with newcomers on the indie scene, Milk Teeth. The album was recorded at Air Studios and mixed at Jon's own studio throughout the year and we are looking forward to watching the band develop throughout 2008. Jon also produced tracks for The Grams, including a forthcoming single.
In 2006, Jon produced and mixing the much hyped London four piece Easykill and also prouced and mixed one of Spain's leading indie talents We Are Balboa. The album called "Space Between Bodies" continues to establish them in their own country as well as exciting music fans abroad. Jon finished the year mixing the debut album from Manchester based band Performance.
It was during 2005 that Jon teamed up with Jagz Kooner. Their first creative collaboration saw Jon record and mix the latest Radio 4 album for Astralwerkz. Recorded in New York and mixed in London, the record bristles with layers of dense guitars and yet it's big melodies and dance floor friendly grooves, made this the most successful Radio 4 album to date. He also mixed the Eastern Lane LP for Rough trade that year.
Jon and Jagz the went on to work with bands such as The Music, recorded new tracks with The Broken Dolls and the debut album for The Infadels. In 2005, Jon also mixed singles from Devendra Banhart and a series of Futureheads B-sides. He also continued his work with The Subways, producing and mixing a series of B-sides for the band.
In 2005, he kept his reputation firing in the dance arena with mixes for the Bodyrockers and by mixing the critically acclaimed album from DJ Hyper.
Prior to this, working alongside producer Ian Broudie, Jon and Ian forged a unique sound that contributed to the success of a number of the UK's most exciting bands.
Jon recorded and mixed the platinum selling eponymous debut for The Coral, as well as their acclaimed follow-ups "Medicine And Magic" and "Nightfreak And The Sons Of Becker". Jon also recorded and mixed the Mercury nominated Zutons debut "Who Killed The Zutons". His collaboration with Ian has also extended to engineering and mixing Ian Broudie's own artist album, Mad Action for Polydor, I Am Kloot for Echo and album tracks for Texas.
Jon's career has also seen him work extensively in the dance arena, where as mix engineer for Bedrock, he contributed to classic remixes for New Order, The Music, Underworld, Danny Tenaglia as well as Bedrock's own anthemic releases.
When he has time, Jon also works on his own material for Kilowatt Records whom he is signed to under the moniker of Fatliners.
Discography
| Title | Artist | Label | Credit |
| Forthcoming LP | Wilder | Rough Trade | Mixed |
| Forthcoming LP | The Crawl | TBC | Mixed |
| Forthcoming LP | The Pengiuns | TBC | Mixed |
| Cat Fit Fury | The Van Jets | PIAS | Produced |
| An End Has A Start | Editors | Sony/Kitchenware | Recorded |
| Rising Sun, Setting Sun | Mintzcov | Roccoco | Recorded |
| Our Knife Your Back | The Brownies | Nrone Records | Produced/Mixed |
| Great Escape | The Rifles | 679/Warner | Mixed |
| Live | The Subways | Infectious | Mixed |
| Dirty Stop Out | Cuntro Classics | Agent Provocateur | Mixed |
| State Of Things | Reverend And The Makers | Wall Of Sound/PIAS | Recorded |
| Signal Fire | Snow Patrol | Fiction/Universal | Recorded |
| These Are The Facts | Milburn | Mercury/Universal | Mixed |
| Enemies Like This | Radio 4 | Astralwerkz | Recorded/Mixed |
| The Coral | The Coral | Deltasonic/Sony | Recorded/Mixed |
| Magic & Medicine | The Coral | Deltasonic/Sony | Recorded/Mixed |
| Who Killed The Zutons? | The Zutons | Deltasonic/Sony | Recorded/Mixed |
| Young For Eternity | The Subways | WEA | Recorded/Mixed |
| With You | The Subways | WEA | Produced/Mixed |
| Lost To You | The Subways | WEA | Produced/Mixed |
| Plane Above | The Subways | WEA | Produced/Mixed |
| Tales Told | Ian Broudie | Deltasonic/Sony | Recorded/Mixed |
| Hunting Whales | The Checks | Full Time Hobby | Recorded |
| Tilt/Dizzy | The Lightning Seeds | Epic | Recorded |
| DJ Hyper | DJ Hyper | Killowatt | Mixed |
| The Article | Eastern Lane | Rough Trade | Mixed |
| I Said Pig On Friday | Eastern Lane | Rough Trade | Mixed |
| I Feel Like A Child | Devandra Benhart | XL | Mixed |
| Bullets | Editors | Kitchenware | Recorded |
| Local Boy | The Rifles | Recorded/Mixed | |
| Jagger 67 | Infadels | Wall Of Sound | Recorded/Mixed |
| Space Between Bodies | We Are Balboa | Flair Records | Produced/Recorded/Mixed |
| TBC | Easykill | Sony BMG | Produced/Recorded/Engineered/Mixed |
| Milk Teeth | Milk Teeth | TBC | Produced/Recorded/Mixed |
| Appreciate The Effort | The Futureheads | 679/Warner | Mixed |
| Boring Children | The Futureheads | 679/Warner | Mixed |
| Rosses | The Futureheads | 679/Warner | Mixed |
| Stuck In A Rut | Bodyrockers | Mercury/Universal | Mixed |
| Round & Round | Bodyrockers | Mercury/Universal | Mixed |
| I Wanna Live | Bodyrockers | Mercury/Universal | Mixed |
| Recover | The Automatic | B-Unique | Recorded/Mixed |
| Echo | I Am Kloot | Recorded/Mixed | |
| The Kooks EP | The Kooks | Virgin | Recorded/Mixed |
| Careful What You Wish For | Texas | Mercury | Recorded/Mixed |
| The Only Mr Lonely | The Basement | Deltasonic/Sony | Recorded/Mixed |
| Heaven Scent | Bedrock | Bedrock | Mixed |
| Set In Stone | Bedrock | Bedrock | Mixed |
| Crystal | New Order | London | Mixed |
| Underworld Cow Girl | Junior Boys | Mixed | |
| Walking On Fire | Evolution | Bedrock | Mixed |
| Weekend Warriors | Terminalhead | Kilowatt | Mixed |
| Turn Me On | Danny Tenaglia | MCA | Mixed |
▶ The Coral | Dreaming Of You