About ENCODER Sound – Perth Audio Mastering by Dan O’Connor

I’m Dan O’Connor, mastering engineer and founder of ENCODER Sound, an audio mastering studio in Boorloo / Perth, Western Australia.

I’ve spent more than 15 years working in music and the arts — as a trumpet player, recording artist, record label operator, researcher, and audio professional. In 2014 I began running small DIY and underground recording spaces for close collaborators and my own projects. ENCODER Sound builds on that work, offering a dedicated mastering service for Australian alternative, indie, and experimental musicians.

Mastering is where I feel most at home — it’s the stage where a record becomes whole and ready for release. It kind of feels like being the first fan to hear and appreciate an artists new work, there’s something special about that. My approach is straightforward: listen closely, respect all the work that’s gone into a project already, and make decisions that help get the project over the line, make it feel complete, and give it the best chance of stellar playback across all formats, whether it be streaming, vinyl, cassette, CD, or other. I’m not chasing trends or letting the gear take over; the art comes first.

I’m inspired by artists who create because they’re compelled to; by performers pushing themselves to their limits; by ambitious projects that seem almost impossible; by deep thinkers and dedicated craftspeople; and, by collaborations that bring entirely new music into the world.

I hold a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and have undertaken Doctorate-level research at the University of Western Australia (UWA) into practice processes for improvised music-making. I’m also a co-founding member and inaugural Chairperson of Tone List, a Perth-based record label for exploratory music, and I remain an active performer with ensembles including Lakes, orphans, OVERLAY, and Windhover, as well as in solo and collaborative settings.

At its core, ENCODER Sound is about the art of listening — fully and without distraction — to bring music into the world in its most complete and compelling form.