Studio engineers are known for keeping busy schedules, but in the city that never sleeps, they can expect to get even less downtime. Jordan Young, also known as DJ Swivel, can attest to that. As Fabolous’ official engineer, and the assistant to world-renowned mixing engineer Ken “Duro” Ifill, Jordan is there for every project that one of the best mixers in urban music puts his name on, including recent projects from hip hop recording artist Jay-Z and pop sensation Britney Spears.
The Recording Arts grad notes that his tasks on the job can vary depending on whom he’s working with. “When I’m working with Duro, he does most of the mixes so I’m just helping him as an assistant,” Jordan explains. “But when we were working on Jay-Z’s last album American Gangster, for example, some of the producers like Pharrell [Williams, of the Neptunes] came in and wanted to work on some of the productions. Since Duro isn’t into recording, I would do that. I recorded ‘Say Hello’ and ‘I Know’ off of that album.”
Being in session with one of the biggest stars in hip hop might seem like a nerve-racking experience, but Jordan shrugs off any anxiety associated with such a scenario. “I’m not star-struck anymore,” he insists. “The only times that I ever felt that way in my two years with Duro was on my first day – working on a Mariah Carey record when Styles P and Fabolous came into the studio – and my first time meeting and working with Jay-Z, just because he’s one of my favorite artists. But I’ve seen him and worked with him since then and it hasn’t been weird. He’s just a regular guy.”
Though Duro typically operates on a normal 9-to-5-work schedule, Jordan finds himself in the studio at all hours of the day working on other related projects. “Duro owns Desert Storm, which is Fabolous’ label, so I’m there doing all of Fab’s recordings; plus if Duro has another project, I’ll also be there with him. For the first half of 2007, I was working with Fab into the night, get out at 9 a.m., and then get a text message from Duro telling me to meet him at another studio to work on something else – I was going 24 hours. There was actually one session with Fabolous that lasted 68 hours – three days straight, locked up in the studio.”
While that certainly sounds like a grueling schedule, Jordan is hardly complaining. “Since I started, I’ve been working every day, 100 hours a week, and I haven’t felt like I’ve been at a day of work,” he exclaims. “It’s all fun for me; I still enjoy it, and I wake up every day looking forward to being in the studio. If I’m not in the studio for two or three days, that’s when I start to feel anxious and want to get back in.”
Though he initially entered Full Sail with the intention of becoming a producer, his time spent engineering is something he considers invaluable to his career path and development in the music industry. “Working with Duro, my mixes have gotten a lot better; just being in the studio, you sort of absorb things. I’ve noticed my ears picking up things I normally wouldn’t pick up,” he says. “I have no complaints about what I’m doing, and where I’m headed now. The biggest thing for me is that when I graduated Full Sail, I was one at the top of my class and totally focused and dedicated towards the schedule and my exams; that sort of stuff translates into your music. I never understood it at the time, but having that sort of work ethic in the business translates into your mixes sounding better, and you pay better attention to things with more focus.
“Being able to sit down and make a record sound great is fun for me. I never feel like I’m not pursuing what I want. I haven’t had a holiday in two years, and I still don’t feel burnt out yet. I’m living my dream at this point.”
