The Art of Mixing Hip Hop Records, with Koen Heldens [XXXTentacion, Dr. Dre, Timbaland]

Koen Heldens is a mixer for some of the most unconventional and cutting edge hip hop and R&B artists of today. Perhaps best known for his work with XXXTentaction, Koen has worked with the likes of Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Whiz Khalifa, Sizzla, Thutmose, Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, Dreezy and so many more. Koen tells Justin Colletti about the philosophy he learned from working with Dr. Dre, which emphasizes making things "feel" right, rather than looking to achieve pristine sounds—something that took a lot of adjustment for this classically-trained musician and conventionally-schooled audio engineer. Thanks to Sonarworks, Soundtoys and Focusrite for sponsoring this episode.