David Raddish is a music producer and drummer in Vienna, Austria. At age two, he started banging on the pots in his parents’ kitchen, a year later he got his first toy drum kit. This early fascination for percussion instruments has accompanied David for more than 30 years now: today, artists like Fiva, Jan Delay, Nomfusi, Moop Mama and Folkshilfe appreciate him as a versatile, perceptive and empathetic producer. In the studio, he draws on years and years of stage experience as a live drummer for bands like Leyya or Moop Mama: behind the drum set, he was required to always keep an eye on every member of the band, listen closely to every single instrument – while setting the tempo, taking decisions on the go and giving clear cues and announcements to the rest of the band. David has been nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards several times for his work as both a drummer and a producer, many projects in which he has participated have received awards. In 2021, he was awarded the Hubert von Goisern Kulturpreis award. 

In the calm, green backyard of an old Viennese residential building, sessions in his studio usually start with a cup of tea or coffee, and a conversation – not necessarily about music. David takes his time to get to know his studio guests, reading the room and establishing the mutual trust needed for creative work with unconditional open-mindedness and a finely tuned sensorium for vibes and moods. This way, the present moment often dictates the theme for the studio session – capturing and recording which is the subsequent task.

David’s creative work is strongly influenced by a holistic approach: always working with everything that is there, picking up and using everything. Filtering out the essence from this mixture of ideas, themes and moods is what he regards as his primary task as a producer. For David, this also includes taking himself back, leaving his own ego outside. In this way he sets impulses without imposing his own opinion, creates a context where there is none yet and encourages his studio guests to remain open to new things, not to cling to previous successes.

David is a brand ambassador for Meinl Cymbals, Meinl Percussion and Meinl Stick & Brush.