Equalizers: Ariel Loh on Producing, Mixing, and Mastering

Summary

All Of It – Episode: Equalizers: Ariel Lowe on Producing, Mixing, and Mastering

Release Date: March 24, 2025

In this compelling episode of All Of It, hosted by David Fuerst, listeners are introduced to Ariel Lowe, a distinguished producer, mixer, and mastering engineer based in New York. Ariel Lowe stands out as the first Asian American trans person to win a Grammy, honored with the Best Song for Social Change award for her work on Iman Jordan's "Deliver". Additionally, she is the founder of the TransMusic Archive, a nonprofit dedicated to producing and preserving music from trans artists. This episode is part of WNYC’s Women in Music Production series, celebrating Women’s History Month.

---

Early Beginnings and Passion for Music Production [00:38 – 03:20]

Ariel Lowe opens up about her journey into music production, which began during her childhood with piano lessons (00:38). She reminisces about her piano teacher introducing her to the Yamaha Clavinova keyboard, noting its basic arrangement sequencing functions that allowed her to experiment with various sounds like bass, strings, and horns (01:50). This early exposure sparked her interest in combining different musical elements, leading her to create hip-hop beats using software and sampling vinyl records she purchased inexpensively on eBay during her teenage years. Her hands-on experience with recording diverse artists and bands throughout high school eventually inspired her to pursue music production academically, leading to her studies at SUNY Purchase.

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [01:50]: "I was introduced to, oh, I can pull up a bass sound, pull up some string sounds, pull up some horns and kind of craft the arrangement together."

---

Professional Identity and Influences [03:20 – 05:10]

David Fuerst encourages Ariel to reflect on her professional identity, prompting her to discuss a pivotal internship with the late Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago (04:03). Working in Albini’s studio was a transformative experience, affirming her place in the industry despite Albini's tough public reputation. This internship was crucial in shaping her identity as an engineer and producer. Post-college, her role solidified further while working with the band Stone Cold Fox, transitioning her from part-time to full-time work in music production.

---

Evolution of Music Production in the Digital Age [05:10 – 06:30]

Ariel Lowe explores the significant changes in music production brought about by technological advancements. She highlights the shift from high-budget studio productions to the rise of bedroom producers, enabled by accessible recording technology. This democratization has made it easier for artists to create impactful music with minimal resources but has also increased the competition, making it harder to stand out (05:33 – 06:30).

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [05:33]: "The accessibility to recording technology has just kind of equalized the playing field."

---

Creativity Through Limitations [06:30 – 07:27]

Lowe discusses how creative limitations, whether financial or artistic, can foster innovation. She cites examples of major artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga who have intentionally stripped back their sound to focus more on songwriting, emphasizing the importance of core musical elements over elaborate productions. This approach allows artists to highlight the essence of their music despite constraints.

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [06:55]: "Limiting yourself can help you focus more on the core of it, the songwriting. That is really the essence of it all."

---

Featured Track: "Look To Youo" by Trace [07:27 – 09:15]

Ariel introduces "Look To Youo" by Trace, a track she produced, co-wrote, mixed, and mastered. She emphasizes the importance of space in the arrangement, describing it as "the most underrated instrument" (07:47). The collaboration with Trace, whom she met through a queer musician circle called Show and Tell, resulted in a song that is both cinematic and stripped down, reflecting Trace's Vietnamese heritage and personal history.

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [07:47]: "Space is the most underrated instrument."

---

Grammy Win and Importance of Representation [11:53 – 14:39]

Ariel recounts the unexpected Grammy win for "Deliver" by Iman Jordan, which earned the Best Song for Social Change award. She reflects on her acceptance speech, where she acknowledged other trans women Grammy winners like Kim Petras, Wendy Carlos, and Jackie Shane D. Smith. Ariel stressed the significance of representation and recognizing the contributions of trans artists in the music industry.

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [13:39]: "I wanted to acknowledge the history of trans people in the music industry and the contributions and roles that they've played."

---

TransMusic Archive and Ongoing Projects [16:10 – 18:18]

Ariel discusses her nonprofit, the TransMusic Archive, which aims to preserve trans music through the production of physical media, particularly vinyl records. She emphasizes the importance of physical media in combating censorship and erasure, positioning the Archive as both a historical record and an artistic endeavor. The first release from the Archive features the band Jennifer’s upcoming record, highlighting the community-centric and preservationist focus of Lowe’s work.

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [17:30]: "Our goal is to help trans artists print and press vinyl records in small batches to preserve their legacy."

---

Collaborations and Future Endeavors [18:25 – 19:56]

The conversation transitions to Lowe’s work with the band Jennifer and their upcoming record release on April 25th. Ariel also touches upon her collaboration with Semler, a queer non-binary Christian artist, showcasing her dedication to supporting diverse voices in music.

Notable Quote:

• Ariel Lowe [18:34]: "We're here to record history and record the times."

---

Conclusion

Ariel Lowe’s journey from a young pianist to a Grammy-winning producer highlights the profound impact of passion, mentorship, and community in music production. Her work not only elevates diverse voices but also ensures the preservation and accessibility of trans artists' contributions to culture. This episode of All Of It offers an inspiring exploration of the evolving landscape of music production and the crucial role of representation and preservation in shaping cultural narratives.

---

Notable Quotes Summary:

• Ariel Lowe [01:50]: "I was introduced to, oh, I can pull up a bass sound, pull up some string sounds, pull up some horns and kind of craft the arrangement together."
• Ariel Lowe [07:47]: "Space is the most underrated instrument."
• Ariel Lowe [13:39]: "I wanted to acknowledge the history of trans people in the music industry and the contributions and roles that they've played."

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match Limited by state law not available in all states. Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[David Fuerst]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm David Fuerst filling in for Alison Stewart, who is on vacation. Our next guest, Ariel Lowe, is a producer, mixer and mastering engineer based here in New York. Earlier this year, she was part of the team that won the Grammy Award for Best Song for Social Change, making her the first Asian American trans person to win a Grammy. And here's that song titled Deliver by Iman Jordan. Ariel Low is the founder of TransMusic Archive, a non profit whose aim is to produce and preserve music from trans artists. And she joins us now for another installment of our Women's History Month series, Women in Music Production. Ariel, welcome to all of it.

[Ariel Lowe]

Thank you for having me. It's an honor to be on the show.

[David Fuerst]

It's great to have you here. And tell us, how did you first get into production and engineering?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, so like a lot of kids, I took piano lessons as a kid. Along the way, I had a piano teacher introduce me to this Clavinova keyboard. Yamaha Clavanova.

[David Fuerst]

I'm very familiar.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yes. Yeah. And it has very simple arrangement sequencing functions. So I was introduced to, oh, I can pull up a bass sound, pull up some string sounds, pull up some horns and kind of craft the arrangement together. And that really unlocked for me this kind of interest and joy and kind of the problem solving and the creativity that comes with really combining elements beyond a single solo instrument that kind of set me off on this journey of. I then continued experimenting with this and eventually got some software and started making hip hop beats. I would buy vinyl records from ebay just by the lot, the cheapest I could find and just start finding samples and flipping samples and started doing that throughout my teenage years. And then that led me to then recording some different folks, you know, started off with just like rappers I'd find on Craigslist all the way to, you know, a lot of my high school friends bands at the time, some like ska bands, some like jazz trios. And that ultimately led me to, you know, pursue it in college where I went to SUNY Purchase. And yeah, I've just been doing it since.

[David Fuerst]

That's really cool. You know, if you're not super familiar with These jobs, you're kind of laying it out right there. Right. You're fascinated with sound, the elements that can be combined together to make an interesting recording, and you're finding bands and you're finding different elements of sound and putting them together to create something.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, absolutely.

[David Fuerst]

Do you remember the first time where you thought of yourself in a professional sense as an engineer producer?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, I think, you know, along the way, even in my teenage years, I definitely took it seriously and, you know, had the identity of, like, aspiring producer. But it wasn't until maybe college, my freshman year, I came back. I was living in Illinois at the time where my parents were. So I came back to Chicagoland and got an internship with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio and hugely influential producer.

[David Fuerst]

Engineer. Didn't call himself a producer as much. Engineer, right.

[Ariel Lowe]

Absolutely. He was such a sweetheart, you know, I know he's got, like, kind of a hard reputation out there publicly, but.

[David Fuerst]

Passed away, was it last year?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it was. But it was such a incredible experience. And just being at that studio, being in his studio space just felt so, you know, validating to me. Just felt like, oh, I'm like, I'm finally here, you know, and I learned a lot through that studio internship. But I think from there on, I really kind of took myself a little bit more like, you know, just felt like I was actually, like, in this. And, you know, I think it was until maybe after college, I was recording and producing for a band I was in called Stone Cold Fox. And I think at that point I was identifying more with, you know, calling myself a producer engineer in a serious capacity. And then a few years after that, I just started doing it full time.

[David Fuerst]

Well, Steve Albini had a reputation for really capturing an immediate performance. Right. The sound of a band in the studio done very quickly. But let's talk about what you're doing. Music production happens differently these days or can happen in a very different way these days than it did even a few decades ago. How has that changed?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, so, you know, I think for me, it's really been like a journey of finding what kind of role I like to play in the production process. So, you know, I think traditionally speaking, you know, back in the day when there was large label budgets for bands to go into, you know, large recording studio with a producer and engineer, you know, they would camp out for like two weeks or more a month maybe, cutting a record. Nowadays, it's like, you know, there's a lot of bedroom producers that are making incredible music. The accessibility to Recording technology has just kind of really, you know, equalized the playing field. So to say, does that make it.

[David Fuerst]

Harder to stand out?

[Ariel Lowe]

It absolutely can. It absolutely can. And I think, you know, our culture with, you know, content creation, social media, Spotify and like, you know, streaming algorithms have really pushed that to its, you know, furthest extent of, you know, in terms of the difficulty of standing out.

[David Fuerst]

But.

[Ariel Lowe]

But it has allowed a lot of artists to really be able to make really incredible music with very little and really to be able to make some meaningful changes and impact in the industry.

[David Fuerst]

With making something with very little. Do you find some. I've heard this from a few people. Do you find sometimes that having these strict limitations can kind of force you to think of ways to do something creative with something little?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, absolutely. I think that's such a, you know, I think a lot of artists, you know, will oftentimes in their career at some point or another, you know, strip back their sound. You know, you see, you know, Taylor Swift having done it, you see Lady Gaga having done it. You see a lot of these artists really kind of like after their big, like, pop, shiny, pop production era, a lot of people come back and be like, okay, how can I, like, put some limitations on myself and, you know, focus a little bit more on perhaps the core of it, the songwriting. That is really the essence of it all.

[David Fuerst]

Well, let's hear some music. I want to play a song called look to youo by the musician Trace. You produced, co, wrote, mixed and mastered this one, is that correct?

[Ariel Lowe]

Correct.

[David Fuerst]

Okay, but first, what's one thing that we should listen to here? Something about the sound of this track that you want to give us a little heads up to listen for.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, I think I really love the sound of this. The arrangement of this piece. It just has a lot of space, which is something I really cherish in production. I think space is the most underrated instrument. So finding that balance of space and sound. And it's. It's an all women production. Everyone who played and performed on it were women. And there's a lovely sax and trumpet section at the end, which I don't know if I'll make the cut, but.

[David Fuerst]

Well, let's listen to the space in Trace here. The song look to youo.

[Um, Jennifer]

I hold back from saying the things I feel. Cause let down takes it out.

[Ariel Lowe]

Me.

[Um, Jennifer]

Mama said I was heaven sent from above so her labor of love was too hard to be.

[David Fuerst]

Just a little bit of look to you by Trace as it's just starting to build behind me here. Tell Us more about Trace, the story behind this song.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, so Trace is a lovely friend of mine from Los Angeles. I had lived in LA for four years and had just moved back to New York this past summer. And I met Trace through this queer musician, songwriter, producer circle, like you know, get together that I hosted called show and Tell. And you know, we would basically come together and just share work in progresses that we're working on and you know, people can seek advice or feedback or collaboration and it was just a really wholesome, you know, warm space. Especially in LA where everything's very, you know, the like Hollywood entertainment industry machine is very forefront and it's very competitive and it's very, you know, can be kind of lonely sometimes. So it's just like a really great way for me to kind of create a space for myself but also like minded folks about, you know, how to like actually feel good about making music in this landscape and kind of just remember like the good stuff about it.

[David Fuerst]

And we really hear that stripped down sound at the beginning of that track.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, so we really, we had just met and at the time I was working on a film score for Spec to pitch to Ocean Vuong for his book on Earth where briefly Gorgeous, which I had caught wind was getting an A24 adaptation. I'm not sure what happened to the production ultimately, but at the time I was writing this film score based off of the book. He had also shared a Spotify playlist of musical sonic references that kind of pairs with the book. So I was writing this and along the way I was like, oh, I'd love to really do a cover of a classic Vietnamese song for this score. So I reached out to Trace, who's Vietnamese, and she was like, oh, actually my mother was a performer named Carol Kim who is like a very famous Vietnamese singer and she was famous for singing this song called Saigon which is very, you know, like ode to the city song in the way that, you know, we have New York, New York by Sinatra. And it was really, you know, we did this cover of it and made it very cinematic and stripped it down and everything. And then we went on to doing. She started doing film and directed her first short film and we worked together on this song, look to youo as the closing credits song.

[David Fuerst]

Very cool.

[Ariel Lowe]

And the song is also about her and her mother and just really. Yeah, it just really felt really easy and wholesome when we were working on it and just really kind of came together very effortlessly.

[David Fuerst]

Very nice. I want to mention the song that we played at the top of Our segment, we played the song Deliver yes by Iman Jordan in the intro for which you won the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change award at the Grammys this year. How did that collaboration come about?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, so Iman is another friend of mine from that same queer music group in la. And we had met just at a bar and I was eavesdropping and heard him talking about music and songwriting and stuff. So I invited him to the group and over the years we became really good friends and just started collaborating on a few songs here and there. And in the last year, he had written a verse for Deliver and had posted social media and had gotten a really good response. This was like, you know, in light of the. The war that's happening right now. And, you know, it just got a really good response. And he was like, we should, we should make this into a song. I was like, I'm so down. Let's just, you know, this is for a good cause. We're going to donate, you're donating all the, you know, proceeds. Like, let's just like, let's do it. So we came together and recorded the full version of the song. And unbeknownst to me, he had submitted it to this open submission for the Song for Change award.

[David Fuerst]

You didn't even know this was up for an award?

[Ariel Lowe]

I didn't even know.

[David Fuerst]

It's a great way to find out.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah. And we just got an email one day and they were like, the Grammys were basically like, hey, we'd like to chat with you, like tomorrow. And then, you know, we were told that we were receiving this award.

[David Fuerst]

Well, in your acceptance speech at the Grammys, you shouted out other trans women who have won Grammys. Kim Petras, Wendy Carlos, Jackie, Shane D. Smith. Why was it important to you to mention them?

[Ariel Lowe]

I think it was important because, you know, I think when I was up there, recognizing, you know, kind of accepting the reality, I guess, processing the reality of being like, wow, I guess I'm a first. I'm a first. You know, I'm the first Asian American trans woman to receive an award like this. And I just, you know, wanted to, like, acknowledge, you know, the history of trans people and, you know, in general, but also in the music industry specifically, and the contributions and roles that they've played. And I know that, you know, when Kim Petras won, she claimed, you know, I was. I'm the first trans woman to win a Grammy. And it's like, kind of technical because I think she's the first openly trans woman at the time to win. But, you know, Wendy Carlos lived a very full life, you know, openly, but I think at the time was not technically out when she had received her Grammy. So I just wanted to also, you know, acknowledge and really, you know, acknowledge and pay my respects.

[David Fuerst]

We're speaking with Ariel Lowe, a producer and mixing and mastering engineer based in New York. And let's listen to some more music. This next song is Delancey by the band, um, Jennifer. Do I have that right?

[Ariel Lowe]

That's correct.

[David Fuerst]

Um, Jennifer, you engineered and produced this one. Let's listen.

[Um, Jennifer]

Thought I saw you walking over on the Lancy When I looked a little closer There was no one here Guess I'm going crazy do you want me, baby? I don't want to talk about it I just disappear.

[David Fuerst]

Just a little bit of Delancey by the band. Um, Jennifer let a very different sound on this one, right?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yes.

[David Fuerst]

Tell us about this band. Who are they? How did you come to work with them?

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, um, Jennifer is a band that I met here in New York a few years ago. I just. Yeah, I can't remember how I have heard of them, but when I heard the first song of theirs, it just really struck me in this really intense way. And I've just like, been a fan since. I've just been a really big fan since. And they're, you know, they're a band that's just like really fun, upbeat, a lot of, you know, trans Joy in the music and in the lyrics. And it's very, you know, unapologetic and just really, really pure. And they're, you know, just really talented, writes really catchy music and I just. I'm just such a fan.

[David Fuerst]

I mean, Joy is definitely something that comes across in that performance.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah, absolutely. So I had worked with them on this, on their upcoming record, which will be out April 25th. And we. I had them come to me in LA at the time and we just did a week in the studio and just like recorded a bunch of stuff and they're just. Yeah, they. Again, I've just been like, really all about their music. I want to share it with everybody. And as I was starting, you know, after the Grammys, I was very much like, what do I want to do next with my time and my, you know, aspirations and everything and, you know, in light of, you know, where we are today as a society, I was very like. The idea came to me and my partner Rohan, who's also the co founder of the TransMusic Archive, which is a nonprofit that we started to preserve the legacy of trans music in physical format. Specifically vinyl records.

[David Fuerst]

Yeah, that's called the Trans Music Archive.

[Ariel Lowe]

That's correct. And that's, you know, our goal is to basically help trans artists print and press vinyl records in small, you know, small batches, limited quantities, but just to be able to get as much physical media out there, you know, and especially in the state, you know, the increasing like just techno fascist state that we're in, you know, I think the importance of physical media is really great for, you know, like fighting censorship and erasure and just kind of, you know, our role as artists and especially as a recording engineers. Really we're here, you know, and also as journalists, you know, on radio. It's like we're here to record history and record the times.

[David Fuerst]

Preserving this music but also creating art in the face of. Yeah, everything that is going on right now.

[Ariel Lowe]

Yeah. So the I'm Jennifer record is gonna be our first Release with the TransMusic Archive. So yeah, there will be vinyl available.

[David Fuerst]

There will be vinyl. That is very cool. And the name of the band again is um, Jennifer. U m, yeah.

[Ariel Lowe]

Um, Jennifer with a question mark at the end.

[David Fuerst]

Oh, thank you. With a question mark at the end. And I want to try to get in one more song before we finish.

[Ariel Lowe]

Absolutely.

[David Fuerst]

This is a band called Semler. Is that right? They have a song called Saints of Nevada. Tell us this song.

[Ariel Lowe]

This is a song that I co produced with my friend Jax Anderson who is also the co host of the queer music group I was telling you about called show and Tell, who I've met so many of my lovely friends and collaborators through. And this is a song. This is with Semler who is a queer non binary Christian artist which I just love and think it's so great that they're out there doing this work.

[David Fuerst]

The name of the band again? Semler. S E M L E R. And the song is Saints of Nevada. We'll hear a little bit of this right now. Producer, mixer and mastering engineer Ariel Lowe. Thank you so much for joining us today.

[Ariel Lowe]

Thank you so much for having me.

[David Fuerst]

And here's the song. Saints of Nevada.

[Um, Jennifer]

Ms. Right was Daisy Lorraine before she gave up her name and acting pursuits. She'd say the Lord can be strange and timing is vague but patience a virtue. Paper cuts.

[Progressive Insurance]

Since WNYC's first broadcast in 1924, we've been dedicated to creating the kind of content we know the world needs. Since then, New York Public Radio's rigorous journalism has gone on to win a Peabody award and a Dupont Columbia award, among others. In addition to this award winning reporting. Your sponsorship also supports inspiring storytelling and extraordinary music that is free and accessible to all. To get in touch and find out more, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.