Today we’d like to introduce you to Raul Cuellar.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am the son of two immigrant parents that came from nothing, my mother and father worked their asses off to get my family to the US from a city called Juarez in Mexico. I moved to the US I was 12 and started playing in punk bands in west Texas, a city called El Paso. The most exciting thing to do there was throw rocks at bigger rocks or play in a band, I chose the latter.
When I was 13, I started touring with band around the US. The first time I set foot in a recording studio with my band I was so intrigued by the process I needed more. The second I finished High School, I made my way west to Phoenix, Arizona. I went to a recording school called CRAS were I learned how to work on large format consoles and learn basic Pro Tools chops and technical aspects of recording. To graduate, we need to intern and I chose to do my internship out in LA. CRAS fucked me and didn’t get me a proper internship.
I started working at a studio in Santa Monica called 4th Street Recording were I worked under Chris Mullings were we worked on bands like The Neighborhood, Daniel Merriweather, and more. I then got a job at Blue Microphones were my technical skills really started to develop, I learned how to hand tune capsules and build microphones. I then left Blue to work for Eric Palmquist at Palmquist Studios in Alhambra. I got to work on so many incredible band records like Bad Suns, CHON, Never Shout Never, Mutemath and more. After working with Eric for a while I decided it was time to go on my own and Riff Audio was created. Working from my apartment, my friends shed next to chicken coops, I did everything I could to get my hands on any band that would allow me to record their music. I eventually ended up camping in a studio called Spot 8816 in Whittier, CA. I ran so many sessions out of a tiny little box not properly built but there were so many crazy records I recorded there, it was my passion juggling a full-time job, a touring band, and doing audio full time.
In 2016 I joined a local punk band called Corrupted Youth. I produced their first LP at Spot 8816 and eventually was asked to join the band as their permanent drummer. After endless touring all over the world, we started to develop a unique sound and were asked to do a documentary for Vans Off The Wall called “Los Punks: We Are All We Have” and a Netflix movie with Will Smith called “Bright”.
In 2019 I got a half year contract with Beats1 / Apple Music to be an assistant producer. The caliber of artistry was just insane. I worked on a lot of the shows such as – Best Of the Week – Queen Radio (Nicki Minaj) – Soulection (Joe Kay) – The Alligator Hour (Josh Homme – Queens of the Stone Age) – – The Candy Shop (Charli XCX) – Time Crisis (Vampire Weekend) and Zane Lowe New Music Daily. Some of my days would be insane clocking in 16 hour days was not out of the normal but getting to work with artists such as Dave Grohl, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and more it was life-changing.
Eventually, I became friends with one of my idols in the industry Kyle Black, owner of West Alley Recording in Van Nuys, CA. A little over a year of working out of West Alley Recording after shutting Spot 8816 down we decided that Riff Audio should be setup in Studio B of the incredible West Alley Recording facility. Now Riff Audio is a proud partner of West Alley Recording some of my favorite records have been produced. I love working with artist who are willing to be vulnerable and real with their music. I’m excited to be releasing some really great records in 2020 and beyond.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The struggle never stopped. I remember getting to LA and not one fucking soul would allow me to rent an apt because I had never experience renting directly from a company. When I first moved to LA there were 3 of us living in a hotel room for a couple of months then we finally found an apt we could afford and I remember buying rotisserie chicken from Ralphs and trying to figure out how to make the one chicken last me a week while I worked for free to hone in on my craft. I remember getting my electricity shut off because I couldn’t afford it.
With my bands I remember driving endless hours driving in a tin can with my friends to play a show to 15 people and leave unpaid and empty-handed.
At every studio I worked endless hours and agonize over every detail and not get credit on records I worked my ass off on.
I currently run Riff Audio as a full-time operation and I also work full time for a large tech company.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Riff Audio – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Riff Audio is my baby. Riff Audio is a company who does professional recordings for any and every artist. Though I grew up on punk and hardcore my love for pop music never stopped. I love building bridges I love giving punk bands those big sing a long choruses from my favorite pop songs and I love building that raw emotion from punk and hardcore into pop records that I do. West Alley Recording is known for their amazing drum room now that the two have partnered up the incredible mic collection of Riff Audio and West Alley Recordings room have made a force to be recon with. I am most proud of “the text” – the text I get from the artist after a session that say “we’ve never had anyone capture us the way you did”, “Thank you for holding a mirror up to us and showing us who we really are”. That moment is life-changing because I care about music and if they care even a little as much as I do about their project that moment and time where you hit play and hear your life coming out of the speakers… There’s just nothing like it…
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
West Alley Recording and Riff Audio will be launching a YouTube channel in 2020 where we will be releasing drum play-through showcasing the drum tones you can get at West Alley Recording.
I am excited to release a record with Hellratz from Germany, in 2020/2021, a record with GFY, and my friends in Dream Racer.
There is some big things coming up that we can not talk about yet but follow my journey @riff.audio to find out more as this journey unfolds.
Contact Info:
- Website: riffaudio.com
- Phone: (915) 383-1188
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @riff.audio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raul.cuellar.52
Image Credit:
Anthony Bueno (@anthony_bueno_imaging), Albert Licano (@jerryskid1), Silver & Cold Photography (silverandcold666)
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