October 2024
Born in Chile, raised in Miami, schooled in Boston (Berklee) and Los Angeles (Icon Collecive), Habib brings a fresh perspecive to all he touches.
Whether composing, executing a world-class music search or co-ordinaing a project, he has a dedication and attention to detail that cannot be taught.
Creating music has always been his passion. A classically trained pianist, he’s also the kind of enviable character that can pick up a guitar or bass or grace a microphone with a slick vocal. And he’s also a Chameleon that can move seamlessly between genres.
Joining The Elements in 2015, ‘Beebs’ has been instrumental in the evolution and growth of the company and is the human embodiment of the company core values.
Let’s bring in the man himself to find out more. Habib…
MASA: Could you give us a potted history of how music featured in your early life, and then how that led to you becoming the successful producer you are today? What was your first break into the industry?
HABIB: I first started playing piano when I was six years old. I would watch movies and play video games at an early age and remember being really interested in the scores; really interested in learning them on piano. Shortly after I was interested in creating my own. I was fascinated by how these guys could completely immerse you in the moment and I wanted to learn how they did it.
I would say my first break into the industry was starting work at The Elements! I was fresh out of school and they were gracious enough to give me a chance. Since then I’ve been able to work on many amazing projects and it’s honestly been a blast!
MASA: You’ve been at The Elements for seven years now. How do you all manage to maintain your reputation as one of the best in the business? What is it that makes you all stand out from the competition?
HABIB: Honestly, we just keep our standards high. Anything that we deliver needs to meet a certain standard of excellence. Be it either bespoke or music placement, we make sure that our music truly conveys the intended message absolutely. Our quality control approach is simple yet effective. “Is this real record quality?”. At the end of the day, we just want people in the comments to ask, “where can I get this record?”.
MASA: Can you share a project you’re particularly proud of where your music played a crucial role in elevating the ad's impact?
HABIB: I think I’m most proud of the music I made for Rightmove ad “This is It”. It’s a simple piano piece, but the emotion of the spot always gets to me no matter how many times I replay it! Check it HERE
MASA: Thinking back on your recent projects, can you tell us about a campaign where the music brief was particularly demanding? How did you creatively approach the challenge and what was the final outcome?
HABIB: I can think of one recently where we were working on a big bank commercial campaign (currently unreleased so can’t disclose the name yet). Four different spots, with different approaches and intricacies all together. We produced cover songs, original bespoke music, got them round after round of music searches, providing a range of options from vintage-inspired productions to more modern sounding ones. Definitely a beast of a project but we’re always happy to meet any challenge!
MASA: You’re a composer yourself. Do you manage to do as much writing as you’d like? What’s the usual balance of composing, music placement, producing etc?
HABIB: There are times where I find myself writing more, and other times where I’m working on licensing more. It all depends on where I’m needed most! But in general, if I ever have both on the docket, I like to get a couple foundational ideas on the writing front first, and then simmer those ideas while I work on music placement. If I have enough time, I go back and forth. It works well to give myself some breaks between types of work. Obviously if there are important deadlines, I have to pivot and take care of those first.
MASA: What are some of the biggest trends you see shaping the sound of advertising music currently?
HABIB: Right now, some cool trends are shaping the sound of advertising music. Culturally authentic artist/brand partnerships are big, with regionally diverse collaborations telling full stories.
Nostalgia is huge too—Gen Z is rediscovering iconic songs through social media, and brands are using this to create emotional connections.
Brands releasing singles as part of their campaigns is another trend, helping them position themselves in pop culture.
And, while AI-generated music isn’t a major trend yet, there's a lot of experimenting with AI artists. Brands are cautious but curious.
It’s an exciting time for ad music!
MASA: It really is! Next question… with so much new music being released, how do you curate your sources to stay ahead of the curve and identify promising new artists?
HABIB: Even though I have my staples in music (I’m huge on electronic music), I’ve always been open to checking out the latest music releases from major and indie artists alike. I LOVE checking out raw talent. So I always find myself on new curated playlists and listening to the freshest and latest. Or checking out local talent at a show nearby. My reel feed on social media is also an awesome place to find raw emerging talent. I feel like this gives me a good perspective of what’s out there and what’s currently hot!
MASA: And lastly, what were you looking for when judging? In your opinion, what makes a piece of work worthy of a Music+Sound Award?
HABIB: I LOVE creativity. Sometimes you find a piece of music that impacts you in a certain special way. Sometimes you can put your finger on it, sometimes you can’t. But I love when I hear that great, unique, fresh creativity. So that’s what I’ll be looking for!
A Music+Sound Award winning track needs to be creative! Well produced, of course. But very importantly, fresh and forward thinking!
MASA: It's been a pleasure learning more about your work, Habib. Thank you for your time and for serving as a valuable juror this year. We look forward to hearing more from The Elements!
Visit The Element’s site HERE
