FiXT New Noise: Geoff Rockwell Interview – The Producer Behind Daedric Who Wants You to Stop Making Laptop Metal

Most people hear Daedric and think: massive riffs, cinematic chaos, emotional damage, existential dread. And who can forget lead singer Kristyn Hope’s immense vocal range?

But behind every colossal chorus and beautifully destructive wall of sound is another story entirely. One involving sleep deprivation, plugin abuse, existential arguments with snare drums, and staring at waveforms long enough to transcend mortal understanding. With a withering hatred of laptop metal added on top.

We pulled back the curtain to talk with the architect behind the machinery, Geoff Rockwell, about production, sound design, workflow, studio obsession, and the dark magic required to make Daedric sound like the soundtrack to surviving the apocalypse or taking a long journey in the Elder Scrolls, albeit stylishly.

Read on below for our latest installment of FiXT New Noise.

Was your background more rooted in musicianship first, or were you drawn to the technical/studio side early on?

Geoff Rockwell: “I’m a drummer first. Drums were magic to me as a kid. I would play with popcorn tins out in the garage. Interest in making records came later because at that time, you couldn’t just go buy a laptop and 2i2. Recording wasn’t even really an option.”

What did your earliest production setup look like?

“My first recording setup was a Tascam 414 Portastudio that a friend gave me. It’s essentially a four-track recorder that uses cassette tapes recorded at double speed to up the quality. You have to get pretty creative when you only have four tracks. I was recording individual drums by themselves, then bouncing them onto one track. Definitely taught me to think non-linearly early on. I gave it away years later, but apparently, people still use them for tape vibe.”

Who were the biggest influences on you when learning production?

“It was mostly just about me getting curious enough to listen to records in-depth. I would listen to songs over and over again and just wonder, ‘How are they doing this?’ I was in tenth grade, listening to a Five Iron Frenzy record and realized ‘Wait…they are recording two guitar tracks here, one in the left ear and one in the right ear.’ Then I would go to my Tascam and try those kinds of things, and even though it was super ghetto sounding and no one was listening to any of it, I was starting to learn the craft of making records.”

Daedric ‘Re:Formed’ album artwork

Was there a specific moment where you thought: “Ok… THIS is the Daedric sound.” Or was it more of a gradual descent into beautifully organized sonic chaos?

“‘A gradual descent into beautifully organized chaos’ is going to be our new bio. It might be the most accurate and concise description of the Daedric path I’ve ever heard. There are certainly lamppost moments along the way, but ever since our first meeting in 2020, the sound has been in constant evolution. That’s especially true of our first LP, which is essentially a journey of discovery. You can hear us dabbling in everything from Carpenter Brut-esque darkwave to Spiritbox metalcore.”

What’s your current studio setup looking like these days? Any favourite pieces of gear, plugins, synths, or “secret weapons” you keep coming back to?

“When it comes to gear, I’ve got a bit of a less-is-more approach, so I definitely have a few pieces that get used over and over. Some of my peers have entire walls of amps. I’ve got two. It’s a focus thing for me. Having fewer pieces helps me concentrate on what matters, the actual song. I’m not speaking for others because everyone’s process is different, but if I can’t get a riff to sound right through my Orange Rockerverb or my blackface Mesa Roadster, the riff is probably trash. I don’t need the most insane equipment; I just need it to get the sound that’s in my head or inspire me to create.

“My go-to vocal mic is a discontinued Telefunken AR51 (I think I saw a photo of TDWP using one recently, so real ones know), my console is a Slate Raven Core Station with a UAD Apollo 16 going into a Mac Studio you can get at any Apple Store. That being said, my secret weapon (and biggest splurge) is my Audeze LCD-X Headphones. They’re expensive but 100 percent worth every penny. I’ve never been the guy with the best ears in a technical sense, so getting something that showed me every detail of a recording two inches away from my eardrum was life-changing. I couldn’t mix a song without them.”

Every producer develops irrational studio superstitions eventually. What’s yours?

“I won’t do administrative-type work in my studio. That is my space to create and be creative. If I have to write an email following up on an invoice or something, I don’t want to sit in the same chair and use the same computer I use to make music. I will literally go sit in the hallway with my laptop and do that instead. Maybe that’s a lack of mental discipline, but it is what it is, and I don’t fight it.”

When starting a new track, what usually arrives first: a riff, a synth texture, a vocal idea, or pure sleep-deprived chaos at 2:17 am?

“Kristyn (Hope) likes to have something to write lyrics and melody to, so it basically always starts with a music idea first. Those ideas come in all shapes and from all sources, a phone memo idea when driving, old riffs sitting on a hard drive, and everything in between.”

What’s the weirdest thing hidden in a Daedric session that listeners would never identify?

“There’s at least one cursed audio track labelled something like: ‘final_FINAL_v27_USETHISONE.wav.’

“We are usually late turning in things already, so adding easter eggs isn’t something that quite fits into the workflow at the moment. We have kicked around the idea of sending something super off the wall to the label that we have no intention of using just to see their reaction, but again, we are always short on time, and we throw enough real-life curveballs at them so there’s a high chance they take it seriously and start stressing out.”

Modern production tools can make almost anything sound perfect. How do you avoid sterilizing the emotion out of heavy music?

“This could be a whole article on its own. Laptop Metal is an absolute scourge. The fact that this scene has so many incredible tools that are incredibly accessible is both good and bad news. If you’re an artist trying to break through, which is definitely where we see ourselves, the job is to create something unique and interesting. Before you even get to the production, you have to have something interesting to say, not just lyrically, but through your instruments as well.

“Next, the job of the production is to give those ideas a unique sonic identity, and that can be tough if everyone is using the same sounds. People used to use the Waves CLA Vocals plug-in so much that even A&R guys could tell. It came off as lazy. But recently I saw a video of someone using one module of that plug-in as a part of a big chain to make something interesting, and I swear I almost stood up and applauded my phone screen. That is exactly how we approach these tools. If you really feel like you have something interesting to say, then the sounds you use should be a reflection of that.”

Daedric in 2025

Do you intentionally leave imperfections in recordings sometimes, or does your producer brain immediately enter combat mode when something is slightly off-grid?

“‘Imperfection’ is a negative term by nature, but when it comes to making music, you have to have some element of imperfection, at least in what we do. Ultimately, as a producer, you have to trust your ears and your taste. Is it on the grid? Is it off the grid? Who cares? If it sounds great, then let it be great. If you are more focused on the grid than listening to the sound and feel of the record, you are not producing. You are doing something else.”

What production element do fans probably underestimate the most?

“The vocal layering? Transitions? Tiny background textures? The emotional support limiter holding the session together?

“I’ve found that normies are blown away by pretty much every aspect of how records are made, and I actually love that there’s still a bit of magic to it. The most underappreciated element is probably how a lot of songs they love are shaped by accidents. A vocal or guitar part that was executed the wrong way but actually turned out to be something that was better. A drum part that got accidentally shifted over by a quarter note and opened up a whole new possibility for the riff that you never thought of. That kind of stuff is everywhere.”

Your mixes feel emotionally heavy even before the lyrics hit. How much storytelling happens purely through production choices?

“Joel (Wanasek) mixes like 90 percent of our stuff, so he deserves a lot of credit for the emotion translating. He’s one of the few people I know who is both technically very proficient and creatively dialled in. The production does most of the heavy lifting in terms of the emotion and setting the song up for success, but if the mix doesn’t interpret that right or bring it into focus, you could be leaving something on the table.

“That being said, if we’re being honest about it, there are countless records that had a huge impact where the mix is kind of absolutely terrible. We’ve all heard it. An incredible song with incredible ideas can overcome a mix that’s less than stellar, but going back to earlier, if you are trying to cut through the bazillion tracks that are uploaded every day, you really need to give your songs the best shot. Lining up the emotion and feel of the song with the execution of the mix is an important part of that in our world for sure.”

What’s currently your favourite plugin or piece of gear? And which one has personally betrayed you in the middle of a session?

“I’ve already gushed about my Audeze LCD-X, so I’ll go plug in here. Devil-loc. Does the track sound good? Devil-loc. Does it sound terrible? Devil-loc. Is the track missing something that you can’t pinpoint and don’t have six hours to figure out what? Devil-loc.

“As for betrayal, the electric guitar has hurt me in ways that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Grounding problems. Busted jack. Uneven frets. Can’t get in tune. Can’t stay in tune. ‘If I get this Evertune, that should help, right?’ Syke, not yours. It’s been cursed by ancient monks. The combined tongues of all heaven and earth could not properly articulate my contempt for this instrument. That’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that it is absolutely essential, and absolutely nothing does what it does. No plug-in. No sample. Nothing. And for that, I hate it even more. The war is over. I’ve put my gun in the pile. It has beaten me.”

Have you ever spent six straight hours fixing something only to realize the original version sounded better?

“This is a rite of passage. If you haven’t spent hours trying to fix something only to realize you’ve made it substantially worse, you are not trying hard enough.”

What’s your relationship with demo versions? Do you preserve them carefully, or do they disappear into the void once the “real” version exists?

“In the Daedric world, Kristyn (admittedly) gets obsessed with demo vocals, and honestly, for good reason. There’s a bit of magic to the initial interpretation and delivery of her ideas that is very difficult or impossible to recreate for the record, which has caused some headaches because she was recording a bunch of these things with some discount mic hunched over a desk next to an air conditioner doing full arctic blast. We’ve actually tailored our production process and setup around it now, making sure that every idea she records is potentially usable for the eventual record. Many Daedric final songs contain tracks from the demo versions, so they are always with us a bit.”

Daedric “Night Mother” single artwork

Are there producers outside of metal who influence the way you approach atmosphere and texture?

“I do it a little less these days, but I’m a big synthwave guy. I started a project with a couple of clients back in 2018 (shout out to any PRIZM fans who may have stumbled in here), and that world is all about atmosphere. Guys like Col (Bennett) from FM-84 and Tim (McEwan) from The Midnight were doing this really well before a lot of guys, and I studied them hard. You can hear some not-so-subtle synthwave vibes in early Daedric stuff if you go back to the beginning. We’ve certainly evolved, but anytime there’s a need for atmospheric textures, I’m sure to lean on those chops.”

What’s the hardest part of mixing your own music versus producing someone else’s?

“Nothing. Not to flip your question around, but for me, working on my own music is significantly less hard than producing someone else’s. Working with another artist comes with a lot of responsibility. You’re an engineer, arranger, creative consultant, psychologist, mentor, customer service rep, etc. Those are all worthwhile and necessary pursuits when making a record with another artist. It’s their brand, their art, their vulnerability, and you’ve got to get them to the finish line. When I sit down to work on something of my own, it’s just me and the music.”

Looking back now, what advice would current Geoff give beginner Geoff before opening his DAW for the first time?

“This idea you have about doing your own taxes…don’t do that.”

Has AI or newer production tech changed your workflow at all, or are you still operating partially on caffeine and spite?

“AI has certainly upped the demo game significantly for clients. You can throw the most cursed worktape demo into Suno, and it can spit out an idea that’s further down the road. While those are easier to listen to, I still prefer something more stripped so you can get a good idea of the song’s raw material. As far as Daedric is concerned, we are a no-go on AI at any stage. Kristyn is against it in a big way, so we’ve talked and agreed not to mess with it.”

Is there a Daedric song that was particularly difficult to finish because the production kept evolving?

“The one where the mix became less of a process and more of a hostage negotiation. Early last year, our song ‘Callous’ from As The Light Left was essentially finished, but Kristyn had a feeling it was all wrong and thankfully said something. It was very heavy and dark, and there wasn’t really anything bad about it; she just thought it wasn’t the move. She gave some direction, and I went all the way back to zero on the music, but kept the vocal in order to build the song around it. Now that song is one of my favourites in the whole catalogue. So you could definitely say that was difficult to finish because we technically finished it twice.”

When people describe the Daedric sound, what part makes you feel the most satisfied: the songwriting, the atmosphere, the heaviness, or the technical craftsmanship hidden underneath it all?

“The one I like the most is that Daedric is not boring. We draw on a lot of different influences and really focus on using that to make something unique. There’s an element of unpredictability that we try to weave into it, so when people pick up on that, it’s nice to see those efforts bearing some fruit.”

For aspiring producers trying to merge cinematic electronics with heavy music: what mistakes did you have to learn the hard way?

“If every idea is important, then nothing is important. You can really clog things up if you aren’t decisive about what sounds are necessary and when to use them. If you paint too many colours on top of each other, it just turns to black. Using a lot of layers requires some intentionality (and headache) to get right.”