Robin Hunt (1984) is an award-winning mixer, engineer and producer from the Netherlands, working both in the Netherlands as in Berlin. His decision to pursue a career in music was unexpected: ‘I didn’t grow up in a particular musical family, but I realised that there was nothing else I loved more than making music on my computer. I decided to give it go, and I auditioned successfully at the the Dutch Minerva Academy for Popular Culture’. During his final year, Robin worked as an intern with Dutch hardcore and gabber legend DJ Promo: ‘I learned a lot that year, especially about minimalism in production and sound-design. Sebastian (DJ Promo) was running his own label, so I got to know a bit about the business side of music for the first time’. After a year with DJ Promo, Robin decided to make a bold move to Berlin and built a new studio by hand in an old casting-factory from DDR times.
Within half a year, Robin found himself working on Thomas Azier’ critically acclaimed debut album ‘Hylas’. The succes of the album in France brought new opportunities. Always eager to for new experiences, Robin decided to jump in the deep again and moved to Paris to work as an ‘engineering producer’ for the freshly founded Universal Africa department in studio Ferber, owned by French legendary producer and mixing-engineer Renaud Letang (Feist, Jean-Michel Jarre, Manu Chao). ‘I spent three years in Paris, doing sessions with French and African pop stars in the afternoon and hang out in Renaud’s studio in the evening. I saw him mix and produce incredible records. I just soaked everything up, as I realised it was a once in a lifetime opportunity’.
After three years in Paris, Robin decided to move back to Berlin: ‘I founded a production and artist development team called Atlas with two longtime friends. After years of working together we decided to make it official, combining our experience for songwriting and A&R, studio and live. The timing was perfect. I got to expand my old factory studio and I’m working with special artists every day, always looking for authenticity before genre’.
Nowadays Robin spends his time between mixing, engineering and (co-)producing: ‘I absolutely love finishing songs and help the artist to amplify their sonic vision. Sometimes a song is on 80%, and it’s a lot of fun to finish the track; the vision is almost there and I can come in with fresh ears and suggestions. Other times there are multiple versions of a track that I have to blend together, cherrypick the best ingredients of a song. I’m captivated by details: sometimes it takes me 3 hours to mix a song, but it can also take a couple of days. It doesn’t matter really, I always feel it when a song clicks’.
A small selection of artists Robin works or has worked with: Thomas Azier, Stromae, Roxy Dekker, Stevie Bill, The Indien, Blaudzun, Remme, Aloe Blacc, Gary Go, Mdou Moctar, Woodkid, Cracker Mallo (Tiwa Savage), Peter Fox (SEEED), Anouk, Bonaparte, Bela B. (die Ärtzte), Gary Go, Dan Levy (the Dø), Kovacs, Doc Gyneco, Kiff No Beat, Bizzey, Michael Patrick Kelly, DJ Promo.
Co-produced and/or mixed music for brands / feature films: Yves Saint Laurent (La Nuit de L’Homme campaign), Netflix series, Passage (Short movie by Victor D. Ponten), Ikea, Divine (2020), Jerks Season 3 & 4