Jim Abbiss
Jim Abbiss | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Music producer, audio engineer |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Producing albums for Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Editors, Ladytron, Sneaker Pimps |
Jim Abbiss is a prominent British music producer known for his contributions to landmark albums including Editors' initial release The Back Room, Arctic Monkeys' Mercury Prize-winning Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Kasabian's Kasabian and Empire, Ladytron's Witching Hour and Ladytron, Sneaker Pimps' first album Becoming X, as well as Adele's critically acclaimed 19 and 21.
Career
Abbiss launched his career as a keyboardist with the Peterborough-based group the Pleasure Heads before obtaining his first studio position at Spaceward Studios near Cambridge in 1986, where he trained under producer Owen Morris. By 1988, he advanced to assistant engineer at London's Power Plant studios, gaining valuable experience during the acid house era through remix projects.
Transitioning to freelance work in 1990, Abbiss frequently partnered with Steve Hillage on remixes and album productions. He later served as engineer for producer Nellee Hooper on notable works including Björk's Debut, Massive Attack's Protection, and the soundtrack for Romeo + Juliet. This experience facilitated collaborations with James Lavelle and DJ Shadow, involving remixes such as The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and production on Unkle's acclaimed album Psyence Fiction. He also co-produced Sneaker Pimps' debut Becoming X and Mono's Formica Blues. Alongside this, songwriting efforts with Laura Mohapi led to a publishing contract with Chrysalis Music.
Abbiss produced Stateless' eponymous debut album and contributed to Bombay Bicycle Club’s early material, including their first full-length record I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose. He mixed DJ Shadow’s albums The Less You Know, the Better and The Private Press. His mixing work with Kasabian in 2003 paved the way for co-producing their albums Kasabian and Empire, earning him three nominations for "Producer of the Year" at the Music Week/MPG awards. Additional production credits include Editors' The Back Room, The Noisettes' Wild Young Hearts, and The Temper Trap's Conditions.
While working on Jack Peñate’s track "My Yvonne", Abbiss discovered Adele, which led to producing eight songs on her debut album 19 and two tracks on her multi-platinum follow-up 21, garnering him a Grammy nomination.
In 2011, Abbiss took on production duties for The Kooks' third studio album, Junk of the Heart. The following year, he produced IAMX’s record The Unified Field. His production portfolio has since expanded to include artists such as Emeli Sandé, Peace, The Family Rain, Birdy, KT Tunstall, among others, maintaining a diverse array of ongoing projects.
In 2016, Abbiss co-produced Lush's EP titled Blind Spot. More recently, in 2020, he produced Amy Macdonald’s fifth studio album, The Human Demands.
Main productions
- Adele: 19, 21
- Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
- Birdy: Birdy
- Bombay Bicycle Club: I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose
- Editors: The Back Room
- Kasabian: Kasabian, Empire
- KT Tunstall: Tiger Suit
- Ladytron: Witching Hour
- Noisettes: Wild Young Hearts
- Placebo: Sleeping with Ghosts
- Sneaker Pimps: Becoming X
- Stateless: Stateless
- The Kooks: Junk of the Heart
- The Temper Trap: Conditions
- The Music: The Music