Record Producer Felix Fung of Little Red Sounds
Katy Krassner interviews Vancouver-based producer, mixer, recording engineer, and musician Felix Fung. Read on to hear how he got his start in music and went on to run a recording studio and produce loads of stellar records! Take it away.
From the Beginning
I grew up in Richmond, BC. I have been interested in music since as far back as I can remember. AM radio hits really hooked me, mainly 60’s/70’s …I first thought about making music myself when I got into the Velvet Underground. At the same time, I was marinating in shoegaze, Brit pop and all the American underground bands like Guided by Voices. Oh – and soul music!
When I was about 17, I got into old guitars. The man who sold me this amazing old Gibson FORCED me to buy a 4-track cassette recorder. That’s as many tracks as the Beatles! Because of that, both producing and playing happened in tandem. As I learned how to play and write, I was teaching myself how to record and produce. I also had this insane work ethic. I gave myself 4 years of intense music making. No parties. no girls.
Welcome to the Jungle
I made an album and got signed to Teenbeat Records out of Washington, DC. I just felt I had a knack for this but had no clue how to make a living at it, or even be a producer. That never crossed my mind.
Eventually I was faced with having to get a job, which I did, then quit 4 years later and came back to Vancouver. I didn’t know anyone anymore, but decided that I wanted to produce, so I borrowed a bit of money and opened a studio. At this point, I had never made a record for anyone else. I felt that I knew the culture and what was cool, and if I could offer something different to someone, then I’d have a chance.
There was no one in town that had a studio for people like me, so I built one and modeled it after old 60’s type studios… That was the start, making garage rock in a garage. The truth is people just let me produce.
We have a date
I go to a lot of shows and if I want to work with someone, I let them know I like their music. I hang out a lot and make friends. I tend to want to get to know the artists and have some history before we get romantic. If I really like a band, I’ll message them first. Nowadays it’s more word of mouth. It’s a lot like trying to talk to a girl at a party.
If someone sees me out, and they are interested in working with me, I hope they come up and say “Hello.” I’m always down to talk about their projects. I love talking to you about your art.
I am always honest when it comes to working with an artist. I don’t ever want to set anybody up for failure. I find that, most times, it’s about showing the artist how much more it can be! I like to inspire them to push beyond a little bit. Help them see their possibilities. Rarely do I find myself having to temper an artist’s expectations about their music. Can you imagine working with someone who has
no clue how bad they are? Yikes!
You see red
I currently own a studio called Little Red Sounds in New Westminster, BC. It’s a studio built to record people playing live together in a room. It can do everything,
but its focus is recording in a classic way, inspired by studios such as Muscle Shoals, Black Ark and Hansa Ton Studios. It has become a real hub for bands and artists from many different scenes. There’s something special about the place. Every band has contributed to the insane vibe. I’m very lucky.
Chalcedony and Never Plenty are amazing, and we’re almost finished with an ep for both those bands. I love La Lune even though I don’t work with them, and same for Computer who I also don’t work with but would love to! I feel like the bands I’m working with now or talking to are the ones I want to work with. Seriously. Also Oasis.
Parting words
The biggest changes I’ve seen in the music industry is that there is less and less money for the bands. People have to work so hard just to make rent and food.
Better said – it’s the devaluation of music. Most listeners think music should be free.
Some positive changes have been the computer and anyone being able to make
amazing music, like using Apple’s GarageBand. Social media has been great for bands and allowed them to find and cultivate an audience. Not needing the big labels to make music is also huge! Not a fan of Spotify or AI. Beware of TECH BROS!
Remember, the music is still the most important part. Be selfish with your vision. Do as much as you can without a label. You’ll make more by making your own records to sell. Make friends and go to shows. Be cool AF.