• Chris Craker

IN BRIEF… (the one minute read):

CHRIS CRAKER is a rare animal in the music business. He combines a life of experience at the very highest level as an Artist, Record Producer, Record Company Executive, Composer, Conductor, Studio Owner, Artist Manager, Author, Mentor and Teacher.

As a multi-Grammy nominated producer, Chris Craker has operated at the very forefront of the music industry for over 40 years. He notably produced the soundtrack for Director Christopher Nolan’s movie “Interstellar”, with the Oscar winning score composer Hans Zimmer, as well as producing the 2017 Annie Award Winning score for “The Little Prince” for Paramount, directed by Mark Osborne of “Kung Fu Panda” fame. During the infamous 2020 Covid lockdown, Chris remotely co-produced the soundtrack to Harry Gregson-Williams‘ colourful score for Disney’s “Mulan” from the control room of Karma Studios, Thailand. And, in 2021, he co-scored and co-produced (with his son Richard Craker), the soundtrack to a brand new documentary directed by Roger Christian, entitled “Galaxy” – The Making of Star Wars” and, more recently, he also composed and produced the score for the new George Michael biopic “Portrait Of The Artist”, directed by Simon Napier-Bell.

Chris splits his time between Thailand, London and Los Angeles, undertaking high profile production, composition, conducting, recording projects and mentorship and speaking engagements, alongside his duties as a founder of the world’s fastest growing Health & Wellness record label, ‘Karma Sounds’.

THE WHOLE STORY (maybe make a cup of tea and sit down for ten minutes for this one….):

CHRIS CRAKER is a rare animal in the music business. He combines a life of experience at the very highest level as an Artist, Record Producer, Record Company Executive, Composer, Conductor, Studio Owner, Artist Manager, Author, Mentor and Teacher.

As a multi-Grammy nominated producer, Chris Craker has operated at the very forefront of the music industry for over 40 years. He notably produced the soundtrack for Christopher Nolan’s movie “Interstellar”, with the Oscar winning score composer Hans Zimmer, as well as producing the 2017 Annie Award Winning score for “The Little Prince” for Paramount, directed by Mark Osborne of Kung Fu Panda fame. During the infamous 2020 Covid lockdown, Chris remotely co-produced the soundtrack to Harry Gregson-Williams‘ colourful score for Disney’s “Mulan” from the control room of Karma Studios, Thailand. And, in 2021, he co-scored and co-produced (with his son Richard Craker), the soundtrack to a brand new documentary directed by Roger Christian, entitled “Galaxy” – The Making of Star Wars” and, more recently, he also composed and produced the score for the new George Michael biopic “Portrait Of The Artist”, directed by Simon Napier-Bell.

Chris splits his time between Thailand, London and Los Angeles, undertaking high profile production, composition, conducting, recording projects and mentorship and speaking engagements, alongside his duties as a founder of the world’s fastest growing Health & Wellness record label, ‘Karma Sounds’.

As a producer, among a discography exceeding 550 records are the seminal albums “Hans Zimmer – The Classics” and “James Horner – The Classics” which he made for Sony Music, featuring many of the world’s most diversely rich and amazing performers including Leona Lewis, Lang Lang, Maxim Vengerov, Two Cellos, Lindsey Stirling, Till Bronner and Tina Guo – both albums went immediately to Number One in the charts in numerous countries around the world. They’re iconic records featuring music by two iconic composers, both of whom, Chris worked with for many years. Chris also produced Ben Wallfisch‘s incredibly evocative and haunting score for the movie “A Cure for Wellness”, the supernatural thriller, from cult Director Gore Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Ring”, “The Lone Ranger” etc.).

Chris has won numerous awards and received acclaim for his activities as a performer, recording artist, composer, arranger, producer/engineer, record label founder, artist manager, author, critic, industry commentator and strategic advisor. He has produced over five hundred and fifty classical, jazz, soundtrack and pop recordings. His wide experience across many disciplines has helped him gain and maintain a unique position as respected producer, manager, pundit, and performer who is also responsible for selling (and streaming) over a billion records, and helping to shape the careers of literally hundreds of artists. He has worked extensively throughout Europe, America and the Far East on projects for Sony, Universal, Warner, BMG, EMI, Decca, Virgin, Koch, ASV and Naxos (and for more than 100 other independent record companies, including his own label, Black Box Music).

He was General Manager and Senior Vice President of the International Division of Sony BMG Masterworks, maintaining offices in both London and New York until April 2008 when he resigned to set up Karma Studios and devote more time to his own creative endeavours. Karma Studios is now recognised as the number one luxury residential recording studio complex in SE Asia who’s first guests included three iconic global bands: Placebo, Jamiroquai and Bullet For My Valentine, while more recent guests have included DJ Snake, Lauv, Sigala, DVbbs, Yellow Claw, Emily Warren, Sido, IAM, The Libertines – Peter Doherty and Carl Barat, Dingwei, Young Guns, Enter Shikari, Hellions, In Colour, Da Endorphine, Singto, Myra, Tata Young, Cho Yong-pil, Big Ass, Bodyslam, Palmy, Slot Machine, Sek Loso, Jay Montonn, The Chills, Heroes for Hire, Dagny, Absolution, Wyclef Jean, Zom, Two Cartoons, The Mirror Trap, As Paradise Falls, Lyra, Zom Marie, Dominic Miller (Sting’s guitarist and co-writer), Andrew Hale (Sade’s keyboardist and co writer) – the list goes on…. Recent other visitors have also included pop icon Jessie J, Tiesto, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, Grammy Award Winner Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran and One Direction), legendary producer/mixer Tony Maserati, Kipper, Phill Brown, Guy Massey and many other truly amazing producers and engineers from all over the world. Karma Sound Studios is proud to have hosted multiple major Number One international hits, including the biggest selling single of all time in Korea, the fastest selling single of all time by a female artist in China (‘Ugly Beauty’ from Jolin Tsai) as well as the Best Single of 2015 as voted in the Q Awards for ‘Gunga Din’ by The Libertines, produced my multi award-winning producer Jake Gosling.

He was also the Executive Producer for the “Interstellar Live” event at London’s Royal Albert Hall where a special screening of the film was shown, featuring a 95 piece live orchestra performing the score, preceded by talks from Christopher Nolan, Hans Zimmer and scientist Kip Thorne, in the presence of a full house including Michael Caine, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain and Stephen Hawking.

Chris Craker has worked with many of the world’s finest artists, orchestras and soloists in a career spanning more than forty years. Internationally renowned for his work with the London Symphony and New York Philharmonic Orchestras, Chris has also been responsible for either producing and/or marketing recordings by some of the world’s greatest classical artists including Murray Perahia, John Williams, Yo Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Viktoria Mullova, Barbara Bonney, John Williams (guitar) and many others. Highlights from the jazz world include co-producing Vince Mendoza’s ultimate cross-over album, ‘Epiphany’ (featuring the LSO) with jazz icons Michael Brecker, Jon Scofield, Peter Erskine, Kenny Wheeler, John Abercrombie, John Taylor, Marc Johnson and many other stars. In 2002, Chris was responsible for the international marketing campaigns for Rolling Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts’ Big Band albums, recorded live at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London for which he was also Executive Producer. He also co-produced the orchestral recordings for Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now’ at Air Studios in London, with Vince Mendoza.

On the mainstream commercial music front, Chris has worked on recordings featuring Elton John, Sarah Brightman, Celine Dion, Tony Bennett and Alan Parsons amongst many others. He conducted the musical ‘Chess’ in the West End, working alongside Benny and Bjorn from Abba and featuring West End musical legend, Elaine Page, as well as being involved in productions of Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar. Chris co-produced the Chris de Burgh ‘Live in Bangkok’ album for PolyGram and was also its Musical Director and conductor for the live shows in Asia. Other recent collaborations have been with best-selling composer Karl Jenkins, producing his cross-over classical/world music album ‘Tlep’ for Sony BMG. Chris conducted performances of this work in Tokyo and London, as well as the Kazakh premiere in the presence of His Royal Highness, Prince Andrew. Chris was also invited to be the Executive Producer for the Royal Wedding CD, celebrating the marriage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Chris has produced eleven recordings in Thailand featuring the compositions of His Majesty The King of Thailand, King Bhumipol Adulyadej, which led to him setting up Karma Studios in Thailand. Further, in the summer of 2006, Chris produced two albums specifically in honour of the His Majesty’s 60th Anniversary on the throne – one featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the other featuring arrangements by the late Privy Councillor, HE Rear Admiral Mom Luang Usni Pramoj with the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra.

As a producer of spoken word recordings, he has also worked with many icons from the world of film and TV including Stephen Fry, Brooke Shields, Joanna Lumley, Rik Mayall, Michael Sheen, Christopher Lee, Dame Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart.

Also active as an author of books about music published by Transworld, Chris has written three books available in seven languages, worldwide. The first in the series, ‘Get Into Classical Music’ is accompanied by a CD of the same name featuring recordings from the Naxos catalogue, while’ Get Into Opera’ and ‘Get Into Jazz’ have been co-productions with Sony and Universal, respectively.

Before devoting his time to the recording industry, Chris was well known as one of the leading clarinettists and saxophonists in the UK, frequently performing, touring and recording with many of the major London orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Chamber Orchestra, as well as working extensively with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia and the Prometheus Ensemble (one of Britain’s premier chamber ensembles) of which he was the founder member and Artistic Director for ten years.

As an experienced performer, record company executive, musicologist/author, record producer and engineer, Chris is also in demand consulting to various organisations in the UK, USA/Canada and Asia. He is also as a frequent industry spokesperson at Midem in Cannes, Music Matters in Singapore, and Broadcast Asia and an adjudicator for a number of International Music Competitions around the world. He is a Founder and Director of one of the world’s fastest growing new Sleep and Wellness record labels (Karma Sounds) featuring ‘The Deep Sleep Scientists’ and he also currently manages a Joint Venture record label (Karma X) with Warner Music Group.