We here at PensEyeView.com have been uber-pumped for this latest feature - he's the first of his kind to be featured on our little e-magazine. That's right. You probably guessed it. We're featuring Void. And he's a friggin' ninja.

Seriously, is there anything more badass than featuring a ninja named Void?? No. There isn't. But truth be told, this isn't the real reason we got in touch with Void. He's also an amazing music producer with over 21 years experience in the industry working with a who's who list of artists, from Peter Gabriel and Patti Labelle to Run DMC and Public Enemy. And while he does have his official ninja certificate from Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi (the only man alive to master all 18 disciplines of ninjutsu), he is world renowned for some of the best studio work in the business.

You may have never heard of Void before, but you've definitely heard his stuff. He's everywhere. He's been going about his business before most of the technology today was even close to available, spending tireless hours with artists to make sure their visions were perfected. He's still doing it today with all of the toys that a modern studio has to offer, but still takes his time to find the right atmosphere and mood in order to make a song really pop. Void himself talks about the music he works with, saying to expect "to hear a finished project that sounds fully fleshed-out and complete, along with having a professional ‘air’ about it."

Void isn't slowing down anytime soon and plans to continue working with new and emerging artists everywhere to give them their best chance at success. Good news for the hundreds of musicians we've had on here. He's looking to open a new studio in New York City, so keep your eyes open. Get into the XXQ's for a whole lot more.

XXQs: Void

PensEyeView.com (PEV): A twenty-one year veteran of recording & production, how you first got involved with music and the music industry? Was this something you always aspired to do?

VOID: I first got involved with music by listening to records constantly and that drove me to want be in music as a career. From the age of about 12 or 13 I knew I wanted to be a producer/engineer so that made my direction clear and I oriented everything in my life towards it. I got a job in a studio right after HS and just went on from there.

PEV: Tell us what kind of music were you listening to growing up?

VOID: As a very young child I listened to what my folks had on which was mostly folk singer/songwriter stuff like John Denver and Jim Croce. Later, as I developed my own taste I was really into the British new wave of the 80s, lots of Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie and the Banshees, stuff like that.
 
PEV: Constantly being surrounded by great artists and music, tell us, what is on your iPod or in your CD player right now.

VOID: I always have demos of potential clients on my iPod but in addition to that I have a lot of old 80s stuff and also more modern, alternative bands like Muse, Angels & Airwaves and Keane.

PEV: What was it like for you when you were first breaking into the music business?

VOID: When I started out it was still the old days of big studios and big, major-label budgets so it was a very different scene then it is now. It was intimidating and tougher since it was a more specialized job back then and there weren’t as many recording schools like there are now. Records took more time so we spent lots and lots of hours in the studio. I got very little sleep back then and had to work very hard for very little money. I remember running around trying to get as much done as possible but the education I got in making real records was invaluable.

PEV: What can people expect from a work that comes from Void?

VOID: I work towards making sure that every project I work on ends up sounding as good as anything you’d hear on the radio, whether it was a big or small budget. So people can expect to hear a finished project that sounds fully fleshed-out and complete, along with having a professional ‘air’ about it.

PEV: How have you evolved from when you first started out?

VOID: Well, besides learning more of the technical side of things I have grown in my musical repertoire so I can now work even more closely with my artists to attain their goal. I’m a lot more humble. So much of this business is non-technical so your music and people skills have to be top notch to get a good reputation as a producer. I’ve also learned to limit how much time I spend in the studio to prevent burnout which can be a big problem when you’re working on the same thing day after day.
 
PEV: We get to see the final product but rarely do people get to know about the time and energy that goes into the product.  What is it like behind the scenes in a studio?

VOID: In actuality it can be quite boring to watch a record get made in the studio since there is so much repetition as the artist performs take after take to get the right feeling. Though for me and hopefully the artist as well, its not boring since we’re working towards achieving a certain vision and it usually gets exciting as we get closer to that goal. You’re right that people rarely see how much time and effort goes into making any decent recording. In addition to the time it takes for the band or artist to perform their takes there is also the time taken to get the right sounds from the instruments and microphones. There is also mix time which can be significant. There is usually a good amount of experimentation going on behind the scenes to get just the right mood for a song and that can also be very time consuming.
PEV: You have worked with some of the largest acts in music history! Acts like, Carly Simon, Peter Gabriel, Patti LaBelle, Art Garfunkel, Live, Ce Ce Winans, Megadeath, Busta Rhymes, Run DMC and Public Enemy to name a very few. If you could collaborate with one artist out today, who would it be and why?

VOID: I would like to collaborate with Duran Duran since I grew up listening to them and they are one of the biggest reasons I wanted to be a producer/engineer. I think I could help them reclaim some of their former glory since I feel their more recent choices for producers are a bit off the track for them. If I were to choose a more modern artist it would probably be Muse because they are obviously not afraid to take a risk and experiment with their songs.

PEV: As well, is there an up and coming artist right now that you think we should all be looking out for?

VOID: There are two bands I have worked with recently that I hope to see make a big splash and they are ‘Push Play’ and ‘The Reserve.’
 
PEV: Tell us, what can fans expect from your latest project? How is this different from other music you've worked with?

VOID: My latest project, The Reserve, is very cool, almost retro-sounding rock with a new wave edge to it. Fans can expect some really well written songs and some very innovative arrangements with them. Most of the stuff I have been working on recently has been straight-up pop music so The Reserve is different in that they are a bit more aggressive sounding and more experimental.

PEV: How is this work different from other music out today?

VOID: To me, a lot of records out today don’t sound fresh or innovative in any way. There are of course a few exceptions but for the most part a lot of what I hear on the radio is just plain boring. Seems a lot of people are content to just rehash something that was successful years ago but really isn’t timely in a modern sense. What I like about the Reserve is that they are not afraid to take risks and that can lead to some exciting stuff.

PEV: Describe to us the feeling when you are working with an artist and your work, combined with their talent, just "clicks". Is there a moment that you know that this is going to be a real hit?

VOID: Yes, there are often moments when the creative juices are flowing and everyone starts to hear where the song is taking us. Everyone will look in each other’s eyes and you can easily see it. When that happens I often get goose bumps and I then know that we’re on to something special. I find I’ll often work even harder at that point and that energy becomes palpable and contagious. It’s very exciting and rewarding to hear a song develop and to know that it was partly your influence that made it happen.
 
PEV: When you sit down to compose a piece for an artist, what kind of environment do you surround yourself in?

VOID: I usually try to shut out the outside world as much as possible so I turn off the phones and close all the doors. I like to have a bit of incense going and maybe some funky lighting like string lights and lava lamps, just for the mood. It’s surprising how different you can feel when you’re in an environment like that, it just seems to activate different parts of my brain so I think differently, more musically.

PEV: What's one thing we'd be surprised to hear about Void?

VOID: Hmm… I’m very ticklish.

PEV: How have your friends and family reacted to all your success?

VOID: It’s funny but a lot of my friends to this day still don’t really understand what I do but they always think it’s cool when I tell them I’m working with someone famous. My family has always been very supportive and encouraging so they’re all happy that I’ve achieved a certain level of success.

PEV: When you are not working, what can we find you doing in your spare time?

VOID: I try to spend a good amount of quality time with my wife who is my biggest supporter and my best friend. We like to go out to eat and travel whenever we can. On my own I play and watch a lot of hockey.

PEV: In our 335 plus interviews on PensEyeView, we have never had a Ninja as a feature. In addition to black belts in Kenpo and Aikido, you currently hold a 5th level brown belt in Ninjutsu. How do you become a Ninja and is there some kind of "license" or certificate? I am sure people are always asking you about really being a Ninja, right? (NOTE: PEV loves Ninjas!)

VOID: To become a Ninja you simply have to start training at an associated Bujinkan dojo. There is only one true Ninja discipline remaining in the world and that is under Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi. He is the only person in the world to have mastered all the eighteen disciplines of ninjutsu. When you begin acquiring rankings within the Bujinkan you will then get a hand-written certificate from Dr. Hatsumi certifying your true Ninja status. It is very cool.

PEV:  In your opinion, is there a certain city (US or International) that you find to be the best city for music?

VOID: I don’t think there is any one city that is best, each has it’s own qualities that make it special. New York has always been a great city for music with all its record labels, studios and performance venues in such close proximity. You can do business and see music from all over the globe within a few blocks of each other. Los Angeles still has a lot of great studios and venues as well as a huge pool of talented musicians. Nashville has some great venues as well and an obviously strong music background but in recent years has sadly fallen to the economic hardships so pervasive today.

PEV: If this weren’t your career, what would you most likely be doing?

VOID: I would hopefully be a pro hockey player.

PEV: So, what's next for Void?

VOID: More of the same! I hope to just keep working and making cool records. Together with my manager Stu Rabin, I am hoping to develop more talented acts and provide them with the means to be successful musicians. I am also working towards building my own studio again. I ran my own place called “Interzone” for many years in Nashville and now that I’m back in NY I’d like to get that going again.

For more information on VOID, check out: www.interzonestudios.com