L.A. Reid and Bernie Grundman. Photo by David Goggin.Hollywood, CA (April 17, 2014)—Bernie Grundman Mastering recently mastered Michael Jackson’s Xscape, a collection of eight previously unreleased Jackson songs, curated by Epic Records chairman/CEO L.A. Reid.
“Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting through the vision of music producers that he either worked directly with or expressed strong desire to work with. We are extremely proud and honored to present this music to the world,” Reid said.
Grundman mastered most of Jackson’s albums, many times with recording engineer Bruce Swedien, including Thriller, the most successful album of all-time with more than 40 million in sales. L.A. Reid recalled that his very first mastering session was with Bernie Grundman in 1983.
Reid curated the final list of recordings for Xscape to deliver to the producers, who retooled the production to add a fresh, contemporary sound that retains Jackson’s essence and integrity. It’s a process Reid calls “contemporizing.” The album’s lead producer, Timbaland, was one of a handful of producers Reid believed had the gravitas, depth and range to creatively engage with Jackson’s work. Additional producers include global hitmakers Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome “Jroc” Harmon and John McClain.
Xscape will also be available in a deluxe edition, which includes all of the sourced Jackson recordings in their original form. Both versions are available for pre-order on iTunes and available at all retailers worldwide on May 13.
Bernie Grundman Mastering
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