What do Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Duff, Kendrick Lamar, and Swedish House Mafia, all have in common? They've all worked with NYC-based sound engineer Sky Mike. Real name Harry Ramanankatsoina, the young producer and engineer has already clocked in hundreds of hours working with some of the world's most renowned talent, and today, he's taken some time away from the booth at QUAD Studios to chat with Odyssey about how he found his way in the music world, and whats in story for Sky Mike next.

How did you get your start in music production?

I began producing music at the age of 15 years-old in High School. I became interested in it because initially, I had started to rap. I did not want to download instrumentals illegally on YouTube, so i learned how to make my own beats. Thanks to my old friend Mickael Joseph, i learned the basics and the culture of music.

How did you end up working at NYC Quad studios? What has that been like?

I went to that school ESRA Sound engineering school where I majored in sound engineering in music. Throughout the year, I took classes at the studio, while also interning the same time. After interning for a year, I was hired.

What was it like to engineer for people like Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Duff, Kendrick Lamar, and Swedish House Mafia as they are all very different?

Honestly, they are really easy to work with, because they’ve already been in the business for so long. You don’t have to do too much because they already have their own crew. They know what they are doing. You just gotta be on point.

On the other side, upcoming artists are totally different. That’s the toughest part. You have to deal with them all time and make sure everything is run smoothly.

What has been your favorite production work so far?

My favorite production was when I worked on aTory Lanez single. I had the chance to work on the production and also on the editing and mixing process.

What producers and music engineers inspire you the most?

My inspiration as a producer comes from The Neptunes, Timbaland, Boi-1da, T-Minus.The way all of them handle the drums inspire me a lot because I love the way it knocks on the speakers.

My inspiration as a sound engineer stems from Tony Maserati, Phil Tan, Noah “40” Shebib. With they’re mixing style, they've contributed to the evolution of the Hip-Hop music.

What is your goal for your career in music?

I want to keep producing more songs and build my own brand. Maybe one day, if the opportunity allows me, I'll set up my own studio.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

I really want to produce pop artists in the future because I feel like I can bring something to the table. For example, I had the opportunity to work on a Taylor Swift project. The track was never released for some reason, but it was a really good experience.

We’ll see in the future how it goes