Chris Griffin

The indie music scene of the American Southeast, particularly Atlanta, would certainly sound different if Chris Griffin hadn't been around. Not to belittle his creative efforts on a variety of stringed instruments, in an equal variety of ensemble projects, but Griffin's mightiest sword seems to be the ear he puts to use as a mastering engineer. He has coupled this talent with an industrious nature, beginning his own company in Atlanta called Griffin Mastering in 1994 after a decade of experience in different aspects of the music business. Besides four years as the chief mastering engineer for the Digital Music Xpress outfit, Griffin also toured as a steel guitarist and guested with new wave outfits including the famously loudSwans. He holds a degree in music production and engineering from the Berklee School of Music, an impressive piece of paper but not much compared to the extensive list of recordings Griffin has mastered since his school days. If a listener was to assemble a complete collection of independent releases that have come out of the Atlanta area since the '90s, the shelves needed to contain such a mass of discs would surely cover all available wall space. There would be no room to hang Griffin's aforementioned diploma, neatly framed. If, on the other hand, all the sides he had mastered were removed from the collection there would be a wide choice of options for hanging the diploma. His mastering efforts in this admittedly exaggerated scenario include not only a healthy pile of rock but the free jazz efforts of Atlanta's marvelous Gold Sparkle Band. As an instrumentalist, Griffin can be heard on recordings by the Angels of Light and the New Mongrels. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide