We sat down with the iconic and world class producer, Kenny Riley and discussed his life long career in sound. When you sit down with him, you feel the years of time he has invested, his sage wisdom and his kindness. He operates from a beautiful studio in the heart of the ABQ Rio Grande.

What do you do…

“How do I define what I do? Thats a loaded question…”

He pauses.

“I stop time.”

An eruption of his hearty laughter bounced through the sound padded room.

“Well photography and recording audio are the only two things that stop time, I happen to be half of that. (Chuckle) but it’s a huge responsibility I think to make sure you stop time in the right place so that people can absorb the whole experience, not just part of it at its best.”

What part of time do you look to stop?

“Emotion… Absolutely. Emotion is Numero Uno.”

He held his finger up emphatically.

“it’s the thing that changes people hearts, it’s the things that people are attracted to when it comes to photography, video or audio. Without it, no one listens.”

He thought for moment as the lights in his studio swing dim and rustic and the guitars hang like battle axes behind him.

“Here is the worst statement someone can make to their art… ‘Yeah, they are pretty good.’ Someone should either hate you or love which means you have created an emotion either way. Hate is a negative emotion but it’s still an emotion. (Laughing).”

How did you get started…

“That’s a funny thing. I was tiny, my mom was intrigued by my ability hear things. She told me that we were driving and I heard a song on the radio, I think it was (The Rapper by the Jaggerz). I told my mom that the Cowbell was too loud.

He chuckles again but this time it tampered off into a quiet thought.

She remembers the story, I don’t remember but I guess that’s where It began for me. I was always intrigued. I bought two cassette decks and a little mixer, Just trying to understand. I have the same amount of love for electronics as I do for music. I was born this way. I don’t have a choice to whether I could do it or not do it. If i’m not doing it, I’m super unhappy.

What was your most fulfilling album or project?

He sat back again, his leg bouncing.

“That’s a tough one. Umm..”

He laughs as he takes me to another room and pulls out a photo of his early space he worked in.

“Probably my first record that I recorded when I was an artist. Doug Doyle who has passed, my first mentor help me. It was 1982, maybe 81 and we went out, he said I want to do a record for you. I was an engineer at the time. We decided we would use synthesizers and drum machines which is archaic now. I found a guy who was selling an Oberheim DMX drum machine. It was super pricey and barely coming out. Drum machines were not a things at that point. I remember we got in a car and drove to LAX. It was in the parking lot of a strip club that we met the guy. It was in the back of his car. We payed like 1800 dollars for it. Alot of money. Super weird and shady but we got this drum machine and called a guy name Rob Watson. He did the Simpson and a ton of TV stuff. An Icon of doing funny shows. He was a keyboard payer who lived down the street from the studio. We brought him in, he had a prophet 5. Nowadays everyone is doing the synthesizers. This was the original. Squarewave ribbon keyboard. We used that, the drum machine and the prophet 5. Did Bass with sub synth. We had a mini Moog. We did the whole record, first record with that. I’m totally opposed to any of that now, but at the time it was new and we didn’t know. We did a record that has some cult following now. it’s called ‘The Common Bond, White Album’ When people find them they spend a bunch of money on it that I wouldn’t spend on it. It was my favorite project because I was th artist, engineer and production. All of it at once.”

Although we couldn’t find “The White Album” There are some tracks from his early music available here.

“Let me show you this!”

We both stood as he walked me into another room showing his tapes, decks and tools of the early trade of music production now lost if not for people like Kenny and Rio Grande Studios.

What was one of the most challenging things…

Before we could finish asking the question, he interjected…

“Mixing, I’ve mixed thousands of songs but every time it’s different. It’s brand new. Like I just walked up to a console and I kind of know how to run it and I’m going to just start turning faders. There is some science involved but emotionally I’m always looking for that sweet spot. When I mix I have to stop at a certain point. it’s magical. Knowing when to stop I guess is the scariest part. Someone once said ‘The beauty of digital is you can fix it, the curse of digital is you can fix it’.

The ones who don’t succeed quit. I tell people you want to be unsuccessful then quit. If these words come out of your mouth you need to stop, ‘Well I’m going to give it one last shot’. Nobody has that choice. like I’m going to go with plan B. Plan B is I want you to live like shit and be really unhappy so go with plan B. (Laughing)

There should be no Plan B. That’s the worst advice you can give to someone. Fuck, that there is plan A and failure. That it, that’s the only choices I have. Plan A has to work becuase man in general will go to it because he’s fucking lazy. I hate it when people say that. You think God says I’m going to have a plan B for you?”

How do you cope with nerves…
”I’ve never really been nervous in this Job. I feel like I was born to do it, it’s my sweet spot. Like when a piece of software has a default, it’s like this is it, this is what I do. This is my default, It just is. it’s what I was designed to do and I know it and I tried to not do it and I realized that I can’t now do it. The software breaks and I end up blue screening and defaulting. I’m capable of other things I’m just not happy doing them.”

What are some of your inspirations…

“Everything that I am, say, and do, is based out of the Bible. I’m a hardcore Jesus freak, non judgemental. I believe the Bible is an owners manual and if you live by it, you fall into the place you have to be. The biggest and only inspiration I have is Jesus. it’s not because I’m American but I really do have a relationship with Jesus Christ and everything stems from that, period. You can write that twice because it’s so true so people don’t miss that part.

He chuckled again

“I have zero other inspirations or heroes or whatever. I wish I did, like say I really like John Wayne, he taught me how to be a tough guy but that doesn’t make for a good life (laughing).”

What is something you want to remind yourself in ten years

“That’s a loaded questions, If I live ten more years. I am 63 and I did some damage in my earlier days. Been in sobriety for 26 years. Before that it was open game. If I’m still alive in ten years, I’m going to wake up and say ‘Dang, youre still alive’”

He erupted into a joyous laughter, a laugh you can only have after years of life.

“That’s all I can say. I’m lucky to be here now.”

What’s one thing you hadn’t done you wish you could…

“Fly in a F-16, Which could still happen, it might. Also go in a wind tunnel free falling. I’ve jumped out of airplanes and bungie jumped out of a hot air balloon, but maybe taking three laps in a real nascar would be cool too.”

What is something on the horizon for you…

“You never ask a old guy that. Horizon, holy crap. I want to record the best record ever recorded. I know I’ll never do it so it’s a goal i’ll have till I’m dead, but it’s still a goal. It is the goal. (Laughing) if you’re going to shoot, shoot as high as you can. I mean you get older and it’s like, uhhh just waking up tomorrow would be great.”

Last thoughts…

“I got nothing to say. I have less and less to say as I get older. You say things, I remember saying things in interviews many years ago saying why do I say that. I want to say less. I mean you know, if you were to read about my life in readers digest, that’s my life in the condensed version. I just want to leave behind the nuggets that will help.

His energy slowed down as he looked past me. His voice became soft as if he was listening and responding to something else.

“Yeah. We want to help.”

A deep pause passed over us.

“Unity gain is not what you want. In mixing, you make shit poke out when it causes emotion. When you mix my music, I’m not looking for unity, i’m trying shit out till emotions sound good. That song you wrote about my grandpa (Big Red), the guitars are really loud in that song. It’s creating a substation of emotion. If someone asks me how do you mix, I say every song is different. I’ll tell you, well this song I pushed the Tamborine. Let’s listen to some of the greats.”

He spun around to his console and pulled up some music.

Through his speakers…

The Tax Man. His foot paced with the kick drum. He panned the songs from the right to the left as he Pantomimed the Tamborine. The electric was over dubbed on a right panned track only.

He scrolled through a few more as the Rhythm kept us moving forward.

Next… Drive My Car. he panned left and then right. As the sound rumbled he spoke with a slight shout.

“The tamborine is the loudest thing in the mix. It is doing an emotional thing but you don’t notice at first. This is what I do and why I do it. What I’m listening to mostly is what is the loudest thing in the mix. No one pays attention to that.”

Next was You won’t see me and then Nowhere Man…

“Loudest thing in the mix is the acoustic and high hat. It brings out the emotion in the song. “

His hands swings as if a guitar was there.

“the high is louder then the snare, it’s keeping the rhythm.”

He pans to the right.

“Solo, Overdub”.

The electric echoed. His smile stretched across his face as the electric solo ended. His hand pops out as he pretends to hit a high hat.

Onces that finished, it was The Word…

“Maraca. the loudest thing in the mix, He doesn’t do it while it’s singing. But it’s loud as shit. What I’m showing you is what is sticking out in the song is the emotion. They were using the stereo imaging as a tool but what is it that people were listening too?”

He sat back, changing the song once more…

“This is my favorite Beatles song. “

We can work it out…began.

His head slowly bobs as he shakes a fake tambourine. He pans to the left and right.

Over the music…

“The tambourine is pushing it. It’s the loudest thing. It’s pushing it.”

He sings out out.

“Life is very short and there is no time, for fussing and fighting. The brain that can only listen to three things at once. The genius of ACDC is that the simple works.

Highway to hell…

His finger is raised as he shows when each beat comes in…

“The bass doesn’t come in till the chorus so you can keep on the three things.“

The Chorus breaks as his feet sway and his hands rumble.

“Now I want you to listen for something else, the drums.”

He pretends to play drums.

“The drums never leave, he’s my favorite drummer because he does nothing.”

We listened to “Temped” & then “Every Breathe You Take” as he shows the simplicity of the three sounds.

“I’m just saying, people bring in these complex parts, I go dude, stop, let’s listen to some emotional music, Even new emotional music. Pop radio is so stripped down. Even in the box stuff is a kick drum. Let’s listen to top 40 and listen to what they are doing. Every song dude, Top forty has three things.”

He stops and then looks at me very serious.

“Singer-songwriters are different. They can get away with more but they won’t be top forty. Like Prime, He had one of my favorite lines every.

He starts “When I get to Heaven”. He sings every word along with Prime.

“When I get to heaven, I’m shake God’s hand, thanks him for blessings.”

We sing through together until Kenny’s eyes sparkled as the last verse began.

“Yeah I'm gonna smoke a cigarette that's nine miles long
I'm gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl
Yeah this old man is goin' to town
Yeah this old man is goin' to town”

Kenny erupted in laughter as we sat there together smiling.

You can visit http://riograndestudios.com to schedule a time in studio or contact for any music needs whether that is film, television or records.