Matt Forger profile

Producer l Mixer l Engineer l Sound Designer l Production Supervisor

Los Angeles based Matt Forger met and worked with Michael Jackson on the "Thriller" album and also worked on the "E.T. Storybook Album" with Quincy Jones and Steven Spielberg producing. Followed by these projects, he worked on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video with director John Landis. This relationship continued and Matt worked on the albums "Bad", "Dangerous, "History", and "Blood On The Dancefloor". He also also recorded and mixed the "Captain EO" 3-D Film for Disney, directed by George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, and oversaw its installation at Disney theme parks worldwide.

Forger began his involvement in the music business by mixing live sound for rock bands in the Northeast, and designing and building sound systems and studios. Shortly after moving to LA and securing a staff position at Westlake Studios, he met and worked with producers Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer, and George Duke. This was followed by the opportunity to work with Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, and Bruce Swedien, and become part of “The Team.” He was involved on the Michael Jackson film project "Ghosts" with director Stan Winston. Among the other works he has completed are his efforts on the re-mastering and adding of bonus tracks to the Michael Jackson "Special Edition" albums; "Off The Wall, "Thriller", "Bad", and "Dangerous."

In order of working with Michael Jackson, Forger provided a technical foundation, and relaxed studio environment for the creativity of the artist to flourish where Michael would write and develop songs and arrangements. “...This process of experimentation, exploration of sound, and application of new technologies, is always challenging, but can also be most rewarding,...” says Forger. A familiar process - generating singles, videos, and dance remixes, international versions and promotional materials, approval of mastering and test pressings, generating versions for film and television appearances, and cataloging and maintaining an archive of all materials, are just some of the responsibilities that he has overseen.

Matt has worked extensively with the Japanese superstar Yuming. They first worked together in 1984 when Yuming's producer, Masataka Matsutoya was looking for a new sound. After a series of released albums it was time for a new approach, so Forger was hired. He has also received 2 “Gold Disc Awards” (Grammy Equivalent) for his contributions.

Matt works in the LA singer/songwriter community with new and upcoming artists, and also offers his services as a consultant, for the creative recording arts. The basis for his work is the emotional content of the recording. “...Remembering that music is a form of emotional communication is important...” he says, “...Too many people view recording as a technical experience. It is important to understand technology and be able to control and it, but it’s the music at center stage. It’s the song people remember, not the recording system...” He is also recording in a classic format called "reality recording," this is a live to 2-track recording style that uses a carefully placed single stereo microphone and a high quality signal path. It is capturing the moment of a performance, and putting the listener there in the environment to share the experience. "...It is especially well suited to acoustic performances and elegant in its’ simplicity,..." explains Forger.