Dave Vettraino

Regardless of whether Dave Vettraino’s name rings a bell, there’s a solid chance he’s pulled strings behind a record you love. The Chicago-based audio engineer and multi-instrumentalist has spent nearly 15 years operating the console, producing albums from the likes of Deeper, Melkbelly, and Lala Lala. He has also mixed records for Dehd, Ducks Ltd., and Wombo. This led him to a role with International Anthem Recording Company: he engineers for artists across the celebrated jazz imprint, including jaimie branch, Makaya McCraven and Resavoir. A Bird Shaped Shadow — Vettraino’s new full-length for Ruination Record Co. — finds him pushing the boundaries of his formula. The album borrows its title from a phrase in a Haruki Murakami short story. It basks in a plain-spoken mysteriousness similar to the one that defines the Japanese author’s writing. Aiming to mimic the energy of morning, these six pieces are doused in a sun-kissed glow — warm and auspicious, with a dash of secrecy. “I wanted to explore a more organic approach compared to the last record, Exercise, which was mostly all me,” Vettraino says. “I wanted to hear musicians in a room interacting — exploring mediative and harmonic still music, but with more melodies… something that you could perhaps take with you on your day.”