DOMINIK LUKAS

Born and raised in Vienna, Austria my musical journey began when I was around 4 years old absorbing my parents' record collection. I was so fascinated opening those double Vinyl records of CCR, Elvis and The Beatles, while leafing through the booklet, gazing at the photos of those bands performing on stage. I remember looking at every detail and instrument, and being completely mesmerized by the sound of pure Rock`n`Roll. Seeing my dad performing on stage and spending time at his band`s rehearsal space gave me a real life connection to the independent world of music. Those experiences made me realize early on that making music is  something I could and must do myself.

Like my dad I started to learn the drums first but when I discovered the guitar it changed my life. Studying my favorite players like Jimi Hendrix, John Frusciante, Mark “Ace” Kent, Keziah Jones were a huge inspiration for me. Besides Indie and Rock music I deeply fell in love with Soul and Funk. The variety of rhythms, melodies, sounds and their heritage made me want to learn more about music from around the world and showed me that this journey is forever.

By the age of 15 I started playing in my own bands. Creating and writing music with people was all I wanted to do. To me the universal, connective experience of making music together is magical and deeply precious, this feeling has never changed. Over the years I've played in multiple bands, played many shows and wrote many songs. In my late twenties the last band I was in broke up, at this point I had already finished university, this lead to yet another fork in the road, a new journey.

I was always interested in the music business as well and had the burning desire to help artists to get to their next level and being heard and seen by the public. Working for a local record label was my entrance to the music business. At 28 years old I started the music agency ROLA MUSIC which focuses on the areas of booking and PR. We worked mainly with local talent and helped bands form other European countries to tour Austria. A couple of years later I got the opportunity to co-produce my first record with the Austrian band “Giantree”, a band I had signed to ROLA MUSIC a year before. Working as a producer for the first time outside of my own band productions was eye opening for me and helped me connect with what I am truly passionate about: people, sound, songwriting and navigating the mysteries of business side of music.

Their bands first record became a huge success in Austria and opened doors to radio rotation and playing the biggest festivals in the country. In the next year I got offers to produce more bands in Austria, but then life brought me another unexpected opportunity to start a new adventure. In my early thirties I packed my bags and moved to the USA. I settled down in Portland, OR and discovered an amazing music scene there. ROLA MUSIC then started to work with international artists to introducing them into the European territories. Parallel to my agency work I started producing bands in the US. 10 years later I feel very blessed and thankful to have gotten the opportunity to produce bands from all around the world and living my dream.

MUSIC IS LOVE, LOVE IS MUSIC.

  • Testimonials

    “Dominik has elevated our band to heights we only imagined for so long. His genre versatility mixed with his work ethic played a pivotal role in how our most recent album was shaped. He is endlessly creative, ambitious, and always pushing for more. After our album was finished, he helped us shape the vision for the release. It just goes to show how much he truly cares about the bands that he chooses to invest in. And we are lucky he chose to invest in us.”

    Blaqrock (USA)

  • Testimonials

    “Dominik was the first producer we ever worked with so we didn’t know what to expect at first. But from the first meeting on, there was a good vibe and a motivating atmosphere present. During the recording process Dominik created an environment that encouraged us to leave our comfort zone and outgrow ourselves. As an artist I felt that he was totally sensing our vision and what we’re trying to express at all times. Overall working with Dominik was a great experience. He is a competent, uplifting and motivational producer. It was an enrichment for us, both musically and professionally. And apart from the great work and professional input he gave us, we also had lots of emotional and funny moments in the studio together. We are looking forward to working with him again!”

    Mia Berchtold – Junipa Gold (AT)

  • Testimonials

    "Dominik was such a help to have as a producer. There were so many ways in which Dominik helped shape the songs in the studio, but, one of the ways Dominik helped most was in shaping the songs before the recording process. Dom helped take the songs to their full potential before ever setting foot in the studio, which meant that the songs were stronger, and the recording sessions went more smoothly."

    Jake William Capistran (USA)

  • Testimonials

    “Dominik was a great joy to work with! His calming presence soothed even the prickliest situations. He had a clear vision but wasn’t inflexible, and we were able to add ideas and improvise on the fly. He had great ideas and knew how to get the best out us to get there. being highly organized and level headed, throughout the process, meant time wasn’t wasted and we completed the project within time and budget. Best of all during down time he was a great person to hang out and chat with. Would have no problem recommending anyone working with him.”

    Johnny Rock - Pretty City (AUS)

  • Testimonials

    „Three For Silver is very particular about who we work with. Dominik displayed an intuitive sensitivity to our sound that has made him a fine partner in the studio. In pre-production, he always brings good instincts to bear when crafting a song to the form that will be recorded. When presenting him with demo material, he is honest and straightforward, and displays a fine sense of where to make an edit or cut, or where and how a song should change to help it come alive. In the studio, he is invaluable. But Dominik has the technical chops and know-how to really help us bring our songs to life on record. He is relentlessly focused on getting the best tones, from picking the mics/amp to tweaking the preamps, and all the way on down the line. With him we will walk out of a studio with raw unmixed tracks that often sound more interesting than many finished products. His philosophy of getting the best sounds tracked in order to do the least mixing and mastering in post is not only a sentiment we share, but one that he works very hard to achieve. Three For Silver would recommend him as a producer to anyone, but especially to bands that are not enamored with the studio process.“

    Lucas Warford – Three For Silver (USA)

  • Testimonials

    "Dominik has great musical sensibilities and is excellent at considering the production of music from every point of view - song arrangement, instrumentation, engineering, performance and energy. He works hard and keeps the session moving forward while, at the same time, listening with a discerning, detail oriented ear. He makes wonderful sounding records"

    Sam Densmore (USA)

  • Testimonials

    „Producing my singles with Dominik was a great experience. Through his creative inputs and his professional appearance, he as a producer ensured a structured, smooth working process and the emergence of unique songs with which I am extremely satisfied. I especially appreciate his attention to detail and the accuracy with which he approaches his work. These aspects helped to make the time in the studio entertaining and enjoyable, so that at the end of each day I was already looking forward to the next recording-session.“

    Fiona Corray (AT)

  • Testimonials

    “Recording with Dominik was such a great experience for me . You can tell that he has a lot of passion for production and brings great ideas to the table . I really enjoyed how we broke down my songs and layered them piece by piece with open ears . He dives deep into work and has a great way to approach it . The job gets done and everyone is happy . It’s nice to have finally met someone I connect with on that level with making music and I cannot wait to record with him again.”

    Samantha Pearl (USA)

  • Testimonials

    “We chose to work with Dominik because we felt like he understood who we were as a band, both in terms of our approach to our craft and in terms of the artists we admire. He was definitely at the helm during the whole process, but he was responsive to our feedback and our desire to keep it feeling punk while also meeting requirements for a contemporary, commercially-viable rock album. The result was an album that absolutely rips on the up-tempo tracks and, on the more ballad-y tunes, adds a layer of lushness to our original live arrangements that feels just right. My biggest fear was that the sense of spontaneity and raw energy that made playing this music so fun would get smoothed-over and polished in the studio sausage machine to the point of sterility... But it's all still there. It's our music and our aesthetic, presented for the masses in the best possible light. Is it a miracle, or is the guy just good? Probably the latter.”

    Matt Dinaro - The Toads (USA)

  • Testimonials

    “Dominik has a wonderful ear for tones and a suburb sense of song structure. He brings great ideas to studio sessions and inspires you to create the best song possible. His extensive experience in both the American and European music industries brings a truly unique approach to creating.”

    Fox and Bones (USA)

  • Testimonials

    "Dominik is a terrific producer. Working alongside him is easy, fun, and most of all - productive . A lot of artists get saddled with producers that want everything their way, even down to the songwriting. Dominik stands back and lets the music be what it is, while giving his experienced feedback and input where it's needed. I never felt rushed or pressured to change things while working with him. He just has a fantastic ear for what sounds good, what's working, and what needs to change. His ultimate goal is the best possible production. If you're looking for quality, professional sound, go with Dominik."

    Evan Leikam - Autonomics (USA)