Its about time

Hello,
I'm Hal, I create Art made to order,
and some that is made with no particular order.

I work mainly in the auditory spectrum of the senses, as in, what people call "music" [although I did paint my way out of College with a B.F.A]

My music productions and contributions can be found in feature films, network television, terrestrial radio, garage boomboxes, 5 year old laptops..as well as Apple's latest gadget: "iBall"

I've been involved with developing and producing a few artists from the ground up, which is very exciting. One such artist Alison Sudol has gone on to international reknown since, under the band name "A Fine Frenzy"

A great new artist on the rise is called Lindsey Mae. I have had the pleasure of working with her since she was in highschool.

Also after playing with music legend Iggy Pop for a few albums I've had the priveledge of producing and writing his last few records

As a writer/producer its my job to try to make music as engaging and emotional as the mobile hanging over your first crib

I have been contributing music for moving images "Talkies" for over a decade, be it in Fictional Film, Documentary Film, Commercials or the latest Network Tribal Community fireside story telling, such as,.... "Greys Anatomy" [how we dissected the mastodon],..."House" [where we gathered a great many sticks together to protect us].." One Tree Hill" [the place that we go to hunt,..]. "How I met your Mother" [How our tribe became many]...."Men in Trees" [the enemy tribe across the river]...And a perennial favorite at fire story time: "So You Think You Can Dance"

Where are we at, time-wise

I divide my time between the Hamlet of Silverlake in the Los Angeles county of California. The Ile of Manhattan on the North Atlantic coast, and Woodstock village of the county Ulster, New York state.
Like the mercurial nature of our technological interconnectivity, I have used the cancer inducing interweb as well as ozone depleting air travel to sew up these disparate locations in which to create Music.

A musician with a unwavering zealot like relationship toward the Electric Bass Guitar, I finally diverged into "Contrabass" or "Upright" bass as well. Eventually I drifted back to my first forced instrument Piano, or Keyboards as we credit now, [note, did Beethoven say he played "keys"] and of course, the other engine of a century of musical change.. the 6 string guitar [Rhythm and Lead].

However that first Bass pursuit brought me to be in various Major label inked rock styled groups, as well as nominated for a Grammy award, I went on to studio session work which led me to play with numerous well known artists, like:

They Might be Giants, Sarah Maclachlan, Rufus, Martha Wainwright, Marianne Faithfull, Frank Black, The The, Freedy Johnston, Beth Orton, Iggy Pop, Malcom in the Middle, Vic Chestnut, Ruth Brown, M Ward, Eddie Kirkland, Ric Ocasek, The Office, Victoria Williams to name just a few...

 

Time to make the "Deliverables"

After countess studios, and tape machines, the current studio is fully equipped Protools HD system with Neve and API preamps, SSL compressors, as well as more boutique tube outboard gear and microphones than any renegade Biped should be allowed to plug in....And of course vintage instruments a plenty.

 

Times Up... Well almost

Hal Cragin Producer by SilverLakeSoundSystem