OC Music Magazine

Star Christian Aherns

 

The California city of Indio is not a music hot spot, but the Palm Springs suburb sprung a musical giant named Ronnie King. The super producer/engineer was privy to being raised in a musical home where he was surrounded by his supportive family of classical musicians. Growing up alongside virtuosos coupled with his appreciation for music at an early age led him to be the only family member to enter the record business; not to mention tackle any musical genre he wanted to experiment with. He has come a long way from the suburbs of Palm Springs, taking the South American music world: “I am fond of new artists who are where I was fifteen years ago. I'm working with a great company in Buenos Aires bringing South American music to America and taking great music from America to Tommy Gun as an ambassador of music as well as putting my touring life on hold as a musician with Rancid and The Offspring.” He is a U.S. citizen delving into an entirely different market where he is making great strides by spending half his time in Orange County then traveling to Peru and Venezuela.

Working out of the California Sound Studios as an independent producer while living in Orange County for fifteen years has allowed him to go into the studio to record groups. Being able to understand Spanish more and more everyday has been a great deal since he works with groups such as In Ferno [off of Sony Latino] being nominated for an MTV Latino Award this October. Language is an important tool in any business and music opens even more opportunities for anyone interested in discovering other cultures. “I have been forming a marriage between studio and groups as a home base and working out of Tommy Gun Records Affiliated with Universal records in Buenos Aires, Mr. King humbly toted.

The most inspirational artist Mr. King has conversed with over the years has been Tupac Shakur who he was privileged enough to work with and Jonny J. as a producer. Spending five years as a staff writer for Death Row records was highly influential for him not to mention all the years he spent with Epitaph setting the punk rock life into full swing for the reason that the music business has changed a great deal since he launched his career. “Everything is independent now. When I started record companies controlled all of music and there were not a lot of independent record labels. We are in a free world of distributing music where I can be a president of a record company with the right people behind me,” Mr. King acknowledged. Artists select Ronnie King to develop their craft because his experience speaks volumes concerning his myriad of abilities.

He has worked with everyone from Mariah Carey, Snoop Dog, involved with NOFX and accredits his ability in music to be able to play anything from hip-hop to punk rock music due his diverse musical journey. Mr. King revealed, “I think a lot of it kind of had to with the organization I came with. I was really fortune to come through the rap scene with Jerry Heller, owner of Ruthless Records and manager of NWA; fortunate to get involved with a higher end of people helping hip-hop and rap careers.” He currently is allocating most of his time and resources to produce albums at the California Sound Studios producing young artist, second and third tier artist, and in particular Megan Henry who is a fourteen-year-old standout musician. Partnering with Kaleo Wafman from the South American group called Pepper and working within the confines of Christian music with the rap ensemble named Priesthood is how he balances out his time.

He agrees being a musician on the other side of the sound booth has helped his skills as a producer and an engineer, “I have got to work with the best record producers in the business: Fred Reck, Battle Tap on the hip-hop side, Tom Wilson, Ryan Green, and Fat Mike from NOFX allowing a natural progression as an artist.” The duel roles he has taken on were easily explained by Mr. King, “The producer is the guy who hires the engineer, the gentleman who gets the studio, and the overseer of the entire project. The engineer is the person you hire to work on the sonic side, the technical side of making records. Both of those positions are really important, but they usually do not intertwine.” Knowing the magnitude of his own professional abilities encourages him to delegate each part of the equation for a record. “The producer deals with the band, how they want to make the band, relaying that back to the engineer, overseeing all aspects of the band, and engineers have to have great people around you,” Mr. King clarifies.

The decision of which tracks are cut once the artist has recorded the album depends on time period for of the year example if the song is right for the summertime as everything is taken into contemplation. What song is clearly best for the album and at the same time the group is equally weighed. He offers various outlets of distribution from his own company, through the California Sound Studios; there is also Fontana as an option for artist, and naturally internet distribution. Mr. King brings in gentleman like Bobby Road who knows the industry and other professional radio experts for promoting bands he has signed. He affirms he has made the acquaintance of many people responsible for getting songs on the radio and they are the best in the industry to work worth ensuring an artist gets on a stations rotation. When asked about which types of special events best promote a band he said, “Any events that are promoted properly are the best where you get a promoter, event coordinator, the one that has sponsors, those are usually the best concerts I have been involved with.” Bringing in great sponsors, promoters, and ensuring people fill in the room is often missed by artist at the beginning of their careers.

After working with some of the greatest in the business if he was given another great prospect to collaborate with right now he would choose Aubrey O’Day from Danity Kane. Mr. King enthusiastically held the position, “I am just intrigued with her right now because I think that would be fun. That would be something out of the norm, certainty awesome; synergy. She is a new artist on the scene who is very experimental in her development which is outside of the box.” Ronnie King affirms regardless of where you come form you go anywhere from here to Peru with an open mind on your own musical journey. His ability to play and work on both sides of the sound both allows him to naturally be drawn to artist willing to be experiment such as Ms. O’Day who he feels excited about the mere idea of being able to work with her due to her extraordinary sense of experimental music. Mr. King is sonic synergy and everyone who is promising enough to work with him gets to feel the jolt of the years of diverse experience he has harvested.