DMS TEAM

Contact: victoria@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

I’m the Office Mother at DMS, generally making sure that everything runs smoothly, solving problems and overseeing all the processes in the office. Having been here for over a decade I have dipped my toe into most of the different roles at DMS. As of yet the Audio and Design teams have managed to stay safe, although I’m always offering to help the designers with my MS Paint talents!

Top three life experiences to date?

In no particular order: Riding on a Cattle Drive across the Rocky Mountains in Montana; skydiving from 10,000 feet; competing in dressage to music, using tracks from Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and The Offfspring (amongst a sea of Disney and Abba songs).

Best gigs or festivals you’ve been to?

I don’t get to as many gigs as I used to, and I haven’t made it to a festival since Download 2005 (that was just a couple of years ago, right?!) but the first gig I chose to go to was Soulfly, supported by Limp Bizkit and Cold at the London Astoria. Slightly different to the first gig that I actually went to, which was Michael Bolton at Wembley Arena – thanks Mum!

Contact: sam@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

In a nut shell I steer the ship and turn stormy choppy seas into calming waters perfect for sailing. I manage customers’ accounts like a label production manager, as well oversee the DMS team and all departments in a general sense.

What does life outside of DMS look like?

Wonderfully full and rich (not monetary; friends, family and good times rich)

Top three life experiences to date?

Sex and drugs and rock n roll. Not necessarily in that order, but preferably all at the same time.

Best gigs or festivals you’ve been to?

Rolling stones, old Wembley for the voodoo lounge tour (Seeing a giant fire breathing dragon as a child was a bit mental.) NOFX supported by Good Riddance and vandals was a belter too.

Three albums you have on repeat.

Neil Young – Rockin’ in the Free World

Rolling Stones – Sucking in the 70’s

Good Riddance – A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Rebellion

What was the first album you bought & in what format; CD, vinyl, tape?

Queen – A Day At the Races on Cassette

Contact: chris@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

I am a Label Production Manager, which basically means I help our clients turn their budget, vision and concept into an LP or CD product specification.

What does life outside of DMS look like?

I make music with a couple projects and make short films; my partner is an artist and we live in an old house.

Best gigs or festivals you’ve been to?

Not sure I'll ever beat my first official proper gig (local band shows notwithstanding) which was NOFX, Vandals and Good Riddance at London Astoria in ’96 when we were 14.

Someone fell off the balcony during NOFX set and there was a riot outside afterwards and it was v cool.

Either that or the Bjork gig when my partner asked me to marry her…

Contact: mark@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

I’m a Label Production Manager which means that I will work with artists and record labels as their first point of contact to bring their CD and Vinyl releases to life. I’ll then take care of the client all the way through the manufacturing process until completion and delivery of the physical product.

Best gigs or festivals you’ve been to?

Best gig I’ve been to was Biffy Clyro at the London Astoria in 2007. It was just before Puzzle came out and was a special night! Not to mention The Bronx were supporting…

Three albums you have on repeat.

It’s always changing, but at the moment it’s:

- Tiny Moving Parts - Swell (Big Scary Monsters, 2018)

- Run The Jewels - RTJ4 (Jewel Runners LLC/BMG, 2020)

- A.A Williams - As the Moon Rests (Bella Union, 2022)

Contact: tomkeel@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you actually do here?

I take that precious audio and artwork and help turn your artistic creations in the physical products you’ve always imagined gleaming on your band’s merch table. A proud part of the Label Production Managers team.

Top three life experiences to date?

My band supporting Madness on a stadium tour has got to be up there with the birth of my daughter and marrying my wife! Recording a tune with Toots Hibbert of Toots & the Maytals in Jamaica comes in as a close 4th, that man had one of the greatest voices of all time.

Best gigs or festivals you’ve been to?

Glastonbury 2022 has got to be up there - the Saturday had the perfect blend of sunshine, music and company that just can’t be planned. French reggae act Dub Inc are unstoppable live, and so are too are Nubiyan Twist. The Outlook Orchestra put on a phenomenal live show too.

Three albums you have on repeat.

Thievery Corporation – Temple Of I&I

Kokoroko – KOKOROKO

Resonators – The Constant

Contact: ben@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

All things audio related, checking and comparing art and audio files, hunting errors and ensuring we pick up on mistakes pre-production (Ideally).

Creating CD masters and mastering audio for vinyl, making DVD masters, advising customers and communicate regarding any issues discovered or offering advice as required.

Three albums you have on repeat.

- DJ Shadow – Entroducing

- Leftfield – Leftism

- The Freestylers – We Rock Hard

What was the first album you bought? & in what format, CD, vinyl, tape?

The Smurfs – Smurfing Sing Song.

Bought on Vinyl at a jumble sale when I was about 6 years old

First record I owned (not bought) I stole from my parents records it was “The Shadows -20 Golden Greats” and totally based on the sleeve art (For some reason?) I was about 4-5 then.

Contact: laura@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

I am a graphic designer. I make sure stuff looks nice.

What was the first album you bought? & in what format, CD, vinyl, tape?

The first album I bought with my own money was Take That and Party on tape when I was 7! I can remember being so excited selecting it from the shelf in Woolworths, and asking to put it on in the car on the way home. That excitement soon turned to disappointment when the audio that emitted from that tape was not Take That (as was clearly printed on the cassette), but some kind of early 90s grunge, complete with fruity language. When I protested that the music was definitely not Take That, my parents said “just give it a chance, maybe it’s their new sound and it might get better”…it did not! Don’t worry folks, Woolworths sent me a correct tape and a voucher as an apology.

What does life outside of DMS look like?

I am a mother, wife, dog owner, small creative business runner, beach lover, and fan of the great outdoors.

Contact: levi@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

Process and make sick artwork innit.

Top three life experiences to date?

- Snowboarding down a mountain in the French alps listening to Deftones

- Watching my first child be born

- Being chased by a guy in a car for 30 minutes after I drive-by squirted him in the ear with a water pistol after he spent about 5 minutes trying to park. He dobbed us in to the police XD

Three albums you have on repeat.

- The Mars Volta – Deloused in the Comatorium

- Youthmovies – Good Nature

- Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant

Contact: melissa@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

Process artwork for print and make sure it looks good with the power of many cups of coffee.

Best gigs or festivals you’ve been to?

Best festival experiences so far for me have been Reading Festival 2019 or Provinssirock 2015 back home in Finland. Best gig probably has been Radiohead in Stockholm, hearing Thom Yorke sing while the crowd was completely quiet was a memorable experience!

Three albums you have on repeat.

Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour

Muse - Origin of Symmetry

Foals - Holy Fire

Contact: marcus@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you actually do here?

I like to ensure your artwork goes to print looking dope, and I also obviously ensure there’s good tunes on the speaker when required too…

What does life outside of DMS look like?

I am not sure because I am completely blind without my glasses, but if I could see, it would probably be a lot of blurred colours on the rugby pitch that fly over my head the minute I get the ball. Wash it down with a Guinness or two, and life’s a goodun! Bosh!

What was the first album you bought & in what format, CD, vinyl, tape?

The first album I bought was probably Original Pirate Material by The Streets on CD. I was 5 years old when that record came out, and I am still pumping it loudly into my earholes 18 years later. Instant classic and a proper pioneering record.

Contact: emma@discmanufacturingservices.com

What do you do here?

Production planning (which includes problem solving and a high level of witchcraft), place all orders to production, motivate people to have everything ready on time, study, collect and distribute data in the form of Spreadsheets. Drink tea.

Three albums you have on repeat.

Amigo the devil – Everything is fine

Bridge city sinners – Here’s to the Devil

I only have 2!

What was the first album you bought? & in what format, CD, vinyl, tape?

Madonna – True Blue – vinyl – aged 6