Offbeat Global Sessions
Offbeat Music Productions work in many musical styles from dance, acoustic, indie rock, hip hop, jazz and folk and world music.
As well as producing for the Offbeat Scotland label - which has had many critically acclaimed worldwide releases - we also collaborate with many artists, singers, songwriters and bands to create world class broadcast standard recordings.
At Offbeat set formulas are never applied. Each piece of music or song is appraised on it's own merit and a production method is devised after discussion and collaboration with the artist or band.
Using this basic approach, Head producer Iain McKinna has achieved consistent results since starting out in 1976 at Edinburgh's Southside Studios before wlroing at Edinburgh's Planet, Palladium and Sonic studios.
Albums he has produced which have achieved critical acclaim include Tam White's Hold On, Allie Fox's Diving For Pearls, Mike Herons Where The Mystics Swim, Nectarine no9's A Sea With 3 Stars and Hamed Kane's Akassa. Talitha Mackenzie's Solas which he produced along with Chris Birkett reached no3 in the US World Music Charts and no 22 in the UK World music charts.
In 2008 Iain recorded the first SPIRIT OF THE GLEN album for UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, which achieved a Xmas no1 in the UK Classic FM charts and no 12 in the UK album charts.
More recently SPIRIT OF THE GLEN/JOURNEY - won the 2009 Classical Brit album of the year award. Both albums were recorded by Iain at Heartbeat Studios just outside Edinburgh, working with world famous classical cross-over producer Jon Cohen and with the expert help of Heartbeat's Dave Valentine and Ed Logan. A third album THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION for Decca Records is due for release in February 2010.
Other producers who work at Offbeat include Iain's son Paul McKinna aka Vigilante, producing Hip Hop and Drum+ Bass. One of Paul's compositions was included in a trailer for Meet The Spartans and his Hip Hop band Great Ezcape have had their recordings regularly featured on BBC Radio1 and BBC 1xtra. Producer and musician Nik Paget Tomlinson and more recently Amy Fowler aka DJ Siren are also part of the Offbeat crew.
Offbeat is also involved in creating music and backing tracks for theatre productions. For the past four years creating tracks for The Kings Theatre pantos in Edinburgh for MD Richard Anderson. In 2002 we wrote and produced music for The Algarve's biggest ever theatre art performance Fulgor. For this years Edinburgh Festival Fringe Iain McKinna recorded backing tracks for Crabbit The Musical for composer Tim Hegarty. It was performed at The Gilded Balloon.. Iain McKinna also wrote and produced music for First Light Movies Kids Movie awards at the Odeon in Leicester Square London. Other contributors to the project were Alex Zane, Kate Winslett, Alan Parker, Minnie Driver, Daniel Craig and Bond movie producer Barbara Broccoli.