Studio Radicals is a new podcast series from dCS & Kate Hutchinson. It spotlights producers, composers and engineers who are creating distinctive sonic worlds and bringing a fresh approach to music production.

In series 1, we speak with eight creatives – Marta Salogni, Catherine Marks, Ebonie Smith, Hannah Peel, Ramera Abraham, Maria Elisa Ayerbe, Suzanne Ciani and Cicely Balston – about their inspiration and adventures in music. We also ask what it takes to make a hit record, and discuss the stories behind some of their most celebrated projects, from hit theatre soundtracks and haunting scores to multi-layered soundscapes and award-winning albums spanning genres from alt-rock to pop, jazz and punk. 

Our companion playlists showcase some of these recordings. For each episode we’ve curated a selection of tracks, highlighting some of the various recordings that our interviewees have helped craft and shape. 

Episode 1: Marta Salogni showcases collaborations with Ela Minus and Westerman as well as Björk, Kim Deal, Depeche Mode and more.

The London-based producer, mixer and engineer  has helped various alternative artists translate their ideas into sounds, and create multi-layered sonic worlds - listen to the episode here.

Episode 2: Catherine Marks includes music from St Vincent, Foals, Frank Turner and Alanis Morrisette as well boygenius.

Catherine has worked on several albums that have garnered both commercial success and critical acclaim, helping artists to find the emotional core of a song, and create records filled with imaginative details - listen to Episode 2 here.

Episode 3: Ebonie Smith features music from Cardi B, Janelle Monae, and Jason Mraz, as well as the Hamilton: An American Musical soundtrack, plus a recording featuring the late Roberta Flack.

A producer, artist and engineer, Ebonie has applied her talents to platinum-selling albums and celebrated theatre soundtracks as well as producing thought-provoking collaborations exploring collective power of music - listen to Episode 3 here.

Episode 4: Hannah Peel showcases film and TV scores alongside experimental solo projects and The Unfolding, a collaboration with Paraorchestra.

Musician, composer and artist Hannah takes a bold approach to composition, blending electronic and classical music with real world sounds to striking effect - listen to her conversation with Kate here.

Episode 5: Ramera Abraham features recordings from Victoria Monet, JADE, Chanel Yates and more.

A leading vocal producer and artist, Ramera has worked with various up-and-coming artists as well as some of the biggest singer-songwriters in pop - hear her discuss her process and the art of eliciting a great vocal performance here.

Episode 6: Maria Elisa Ayerbe spans numerous genres with tracks from Il Divo & Paula Arenas as well as Adriana Lucia, Petrona Martinez and NYA.

Miami-based Maria Elisa Ayerbe is a mixer, producer and songwritier who's worked across numerous genres, mixing everything from rock and punk to reggaeton, alongside supporting upcoming Latin artists through her South Mountain music label. Listen to Episode 6 here.

Episode 7: Suzanne Ciani features serene piano music, avant-garde electronic soundscapes and recordings of live performances crafted in real time with the beuchla modular synthesiser.

Composer and artist Suzanne Ciani was one of the first people to embrace the creative potential of electronic music back in the 1960s and 70s, exploring the possibilities of modular synthesis and quadrophonic sound alongside composing solo albums, writing film scores, and crafting pioneering musical effects for films, adverts  and Xenon’s pinball machine.

Listen to the episode here.

Episode 8: Cicely Balston is another multi-genre playlist, featuring music from David Gray, Clark, Witch Fever and Palace as well as Self Esteem’s score for acclaimed theatre show Prima Facie, and Sam Willis’ eerie, unsettling music for Saltburn

Based at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios, Cicely is one of London’s most sought after mastering engineers, with an approach that is rooted in creative intuition as much as technical expertise. Hear their conversation with Kate here.

Episodes 1-8 of Studio Radicals are available now - listen wherever you get your podcasts or discover all content from the series here.