9 1/2 Questions: Jeza (Jerimiah Busniak) – Ryan Drean

I have made it no secret that I think the work coming out of Australia is pretty amazing. While I can’t just devote my entire site/blog/podcast to Australians, I CAN write up some cool blogs about them. This one started with a pretty simple intro email and then spiraled out of control into audio files, pictures, a VIDEO, and then some questions. Jeza is the Breakfast show producer for the hugely successful Matt & Jo show on Fox FM based in Melbourne. Yes, the same Fox FM that houses the one and only Matt Nikolic.

Now we get a look into the world of Jeza. In fact literally as you will see at the bottom in his YouTube film. So be sure to watch that. Quickest way to contact Jeza – Here. I’ll start with his audio, then the interview, then the pics and then the aforementioned video. Enjoy!

Jeza Umbrella Profile Promo 1

Jeza Umbrella Profile Promo 2

Jeza Tease Promo 1

Jeza Integrated Intro – David Guetta

Jeza Integrated Intro – Coldplay

Jeza Guest Intro 1

Jeza Daily Promo 1

Jeza Daily Promo 2

Standard first question…Who are you, How old, where do you work (City, country, company), what’s your job?

I’m Jeza, Jerimiah Busniak, I’m 25, and I work in Melbourne, Australia, at Southern Cross Austereo’s Fox FM. I’m the image producer for the breakfast show (Matt & Jo).

You are an Imaging (Station Sound) guy now but tell me about your past. Some theater tech, lighting etc? How have you applied those other talents to what you do now?

I was a technical manager at a theatre, and before that I did a lot of live sound. I guess the number one thing that stuck with me is a deeper understanding of how music is mixed, where different instruments fit, and the frequencies to carve out/boost to get a great mix. In the early days I had to make do with a lot of shitty gear, so problem-solving to get a half decent sound happening was important. Also understanding all the gear has made it pretty easy to do setup/mix live acoustic performances whenever we do em.

You started in smaller, local radio and now work at one of the highest venues. What is something you miss about radio from those, smaller market days?

I used to miss being part of a close-knit radio family. Working at the regional hub in Bunbury I made some of my best mates. But that same culture exists at Fox FM now, everyone I work with is the best at what they do, and pretty much everyone hangs out outside of work. It’s great, and it’s something our boss Grumpy Dave works on. Also I guess back in Perth/Bunbury there wasn’t as many image producers, so everyone thought the sun shone outta my ass. With Nikolic/Konsky over here, I’m DEFINITELY not the golden boy anymore, but it’s much more awesome to be able to constantly learn off those guys. That’s kind of something I’ve never had before!

You have Matt Nikolic in house so he may be on the list but who else have you looked up to in imaging/production? Who should we know about that perhaps we do not?

Yep Blacko (Nikolic) is usually my number one stop. If I’m not sure about how something is sounding or want his advice on a mix, I pop down and talk shit with him for a while. He’s a super fun guy, and has an incredible ear. Just the other day I was tryna figure how to remix a song with a piano accordion (yeah!), and Blacko pointed me down the right path (I used structure if you’re interested!). Chris Marsh is the guy who does my job but in the afternoons, and to me he’s the penultimate show image producer. He has such a clean sound, and his promos are always super focused and clear. After hearing one of his promos you know EXACTLY what’s happening on his show. That’s something I turn to him for often.

You told me you handle the Matt and Jo show podcast. Are you pretty savvy with that stuff? How important do you think alternative programming is for established radio shows/stations?

I think in this day and age, listeners expect to be able to interact/consume your show on their terms, which quite often is outside of 6 to 9am when our show broadcasts. Through the podcast and through things like facebook/twitter/website, our audience can access Matt & Jo content any time they like. It keeps the brand alive outside of 6 to 9am. Plus the online guys love it when I tag a promo with “hear the full interview in the podcast” or something to that effect, driving traffic to the podcast.

Are you a “musical” guy? How important is it to have some grasp on theory or musicianship for radio Imaging?

Yeah I play keys and drums, and I think it’s ESSENTIAL to have some basic knowledge of music theory. Beatmixing is a staple skill of CHR imaging, and your beatmixing is gonna suck if you don’t understand what’s going on with the music. It also allows you to really create your own imaging from scratch… for a boxing promotion on our show recently, I remixed the Rocky theme song, and played along to it with a few Zebralette synth’s, to give it a modern feel. Here it is… http://soundcloud.com/jezalenko/matt-jo-show-champ-versus. Also, our show kinda has an iconic jingle that’s been around for a few years… at the start of the year I rerecorded/remixed it (its here http://soundcloud.com/jezalenko/matt-jo-show-jingle-remix). That stuff is impossible if you don’t understand harmonies, or can’t even count out 2 bars.

Talk some tech. What DAW? OS? Plugs of choice? Something really cool in your studio others may not have or even know of? Mostly work in grid mode or slip mode?

I still edit most of the interviews for the show in Adobe Audition, cause it’s so fast at mixing down. The guys can record an interview during the song, and I can usually have it ready for them to air a few minutes later. For everything else it’s ProTools, on Mac, in grid mode (and slip mode when you’re lining stuff up!). Imaging sounds so much better when EVERYTHING’S in tempo, and grid mode forces it to be. I love the Waves Renaissance plugins, they’re so simple but they work hard. RComp, RVerb Q10, C4, L1, Supertap… and that’s pretty much me. I mess around a stack with audiosuite plugins on VO’s and sometimes music, I love Cosmonaut voice, Lo-fi, Metaflanger, and the pulsing gate on MondoMod! Sometimes I make a quick beat in FL Studio, too.

How much attention do you pay to Imaging outside Fox? Outside Australia? Where do you get “inspiration” for what you do?

US imaging seems so different to Australian imaging, because we’re heavily focused on our shows (in addition to hit music positioning). And I guess I hear that moreso cause I work primarily on a show. So to that end I love hearing imaging that incorporates show content. Mike Santos pumps out some great stuff like that!

Tell me your thoughts on the future of radio in general? How are we doing as an industry?

At the Fox we’re doing pretty sweet! We’re holding up against all the new forms of media pretty well, because we’re embracing them. Our brands all live on social media and the web now. At any point during our show, you could tell what’s going on by looking at our facebook page, and we don’t stop posting content when the show stops either. In an age where hit music can be accessed anywhere, we’re doing okay because we create our own content through our shows, and we give listeners deeper access to hit music, through star interviews, private concerts, and ‘money cant buy’ experiences.

9 1/2: If I make a trip to Melbourne and do only one thing, what should it be?

I might be biased, but the Fox FM studios are pretty amazeballs! You should check em out and then have a beer with and Blacko on the rooftop overlooking Melbourne.

9 3/4: If I were to visit your hometown of Carnarvon, what should I do?