Normally people will have listened to the reference mix a lot - it's what they know and have come to love. 'Do I refer to the rough mix? Well, unless the reference mix is shockingly bad, you don't want to go miles away from it. The calibre of producers and artists I'm working with means that it's possible that sometimes I can't do a better mix. I loved the song and felt that I could bring a deeper, more dynamic sound to the mix. 'Rolling In The Deep' was incredibly well‑formed. 'Sometimes the job of a mixer is to add just two percent,” the mixer explains, 'and others require more radical changes. The way Epworth recorded and arranged the song - as described in the 'From Demo To Platinum Hit' box - played a large part in Elmhirst's mix approach. 'Rolling In The Deep' was co‑written by Adele and Paul Epworth, and produced by the latter, who will be well known to SOS readers through his work with Cee Lo Green, Maximo Park, Bloc Party, the Rapture, Florence & the Machine and Plan B. She's not trying to pretend to be something she isn't, and the way she presents her music is honest.” Roll Deep Because I already mixed some of Adele's material on her first album, and knew what she was about, I was more than happy to work on the second. Obviously it makes much more sense for me to mix albums, as I can have a better understanding of what the artist is trying to achieve, and I can help with that. It'd be difficult to mix something I didn't enjoy - more importantly, it wouldn't be respectful to the artist. 'Generally speaking, if I don't respond to a track, I don't see the benefit in having me mix it. Instead, liking the music and the artist are his first considerations. Topping the charts was not the first thing on Elmhirst's mind when he agreed to mix some of the songs on 19 and 21.

Until now, however, he says 'I have never mixed a US number one, and then 'Rolling In The Deep' holds that slot for seven weeks. Elmhirst began his career in the '90s at SARM studios in London, where he worked with Trevor Horn since the turn of the century, he has been the mixer of choice for a slew of top artists including Goldfrapp, Cee Lo Green, Amy Winehouse, Jonsi, Noah & The Whale and the Kills, and has already featured in Inside Track in our August 2007 issue, talking about Winehouse's mega hit 'Rehab'. Her first album was mainly produced by Jim Abbiss, with some help from Mark Ronson, while the impressive credit list for 21 features the likes of Abbiss, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Dan Wilson, Greg Wells, Fraser T Smith and Rick Rubin.Īnother big contributor to Adele's success has been top mixer Tom Elmhirst, who mixed three of her big four singles. Her album titles refer to her age when the respective albums were made, and XL Recordings have supported their inexperienced signing by enlisting renowned co‑writers and producers. Of course, Adele didn't reach these heights all by herself. 'Rolling In The Deep' reached number one in at least 13 countries, including the US, where it sold over four million copies. The achievements of Adele's two albums were galvanised by several hit singles, notably four multi‑platinum worldwide hits: 'Chasing Pavements' and 'Make You Feel My Love' from 19, and 'Rolling In The Deep' and 'Someone Like You' from 21.

21 has also gone multiple platinum in the US, where it spent 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart. This included a record‑breaking 13‑week stint at number one in the UK, which resulted in the album going 10 times platinum. With seven million sales and counting, 21 is by far the best‑selling album of 2011, having reached the top spot, often for weeks on end, in two dozen countries. However, it was its successor, 21, released in January 2011, that took her into the stratosphere. In case you've just come back from another planet, the singer‑songwriter achieved an impressive lift‑off with her first album, 19 (2008),which sold nearly three million copies worldwide. Mixer Tom Elmhirst and producer Paul Epworth explain how they created its multi‑platinum lead single, 'Rolling In The Deep'.Īdele's record‑breaking sales feats are so extraordinary that she's been credited with single‑handedly reviving the music industry. Adele's second album, 21, has broken sales records all around the globe.

Rolling in the deep