Meet Gabe VanBenschoten | Audio Engineer and Record Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabe VanBenschoten and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabe, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from the San Fernando Valley. My father was a professional jazz bass player as well as a Chinese medicine practitioner. He always pushed me to submerse myself in my interests and to try and understand the nuances of my art. As well as coming from a musical family I spent my early years playing in the local hardcore/punk scene. These different influences have helped me stay focused on the quality and integrity of my work while nurturing my personal and professional relationships.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I started my recording career making demos and recording friends bands. After highschool I went to music school and focused on guitar composition. I was still recording bands at this time but had slowed down. I had a change of heart halfway through school and decide to focus on making records. I attended a recording school and started looking for an internship. I emailed a handful of producers and only one got back to me. Ken Andrews, he was the frontman of my favorite band ever – Failure – as well as a masterful engineer and producer. He told me to come by his home studio the next day. For the next year or so I assisted him in the studio.

In 2013 Failure decided to reunite after 20 years and make a new record. I was asked to guitar tech and I spent the following 2-3 years touring with them in the US and Europe. I continued to tour with them and numerous other bands until the end of 2016. All of this time I was still making records in my living room. At the end of 2016 I had a good chunk of money saved up and was ready to stop touring and build out a studio. The transition from full time tech to running my own recording business was stressful. I think what sets me apart from other recording engineers is my musicianship as well as my focus on creating sounds that are unique but still feel familiar. A lot of people making records just use the same tools over and over and things start to sound very formulaic. I’ve learned so much from so many people over the years.

Currently I’m very excited about a commercial I just scored and produced for Guitar Center, a record I just finished for Gale Forces, as well as the remote drum sessions Kellii Scott and I have been doing. I think we have tracked around 1500 songs since 2021.

My studio and approach to music production combines the textures and vibe of the classics with the technology and clarity of the future.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Too many options but…

Go get some lunch at Dune then ride bikes around Los Feliz for a bit. Get some hot wings and beers at Ye Old Rustic. Dinner at Chifa

See a show at Teregram, watch a movie at Alamo Drafthouse or The Arrow, check out a brewery in the Arts District.

There are so many great small neighborhoods in Los Angeles. I would tell them to pick an area and just walk
around and discover on their own.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my late father who supported me through all my endeavors as well as my mentor Ken Andrews who helped me at the beginning of my music career. So many others have pushed me to stray true to my craft throughout the years.

Website: www.akiraaudio.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/gabevanmusic

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/gabe-vanbenschoten-79582a5a

Image Credits
Priscilla Scott, Morgan Demeter, John Lake