On the desk9 people on the roster

The Team

  1. Portrait of Qais Khoury
    Qais KhouryDirector
  2. Portrait of Leoni Demetriou
    Leoni DemetriouLiaison
  3. Portrait of John Paul Jalwan
    John Paul JalwanProducer / Engineer
  4. Portrait of Mario Simanovsky
    Mario SimanovskyProducer / Engineer
  5. Portrait of Daniel Chant-Burgess
    Daniel Chant-BurgessComposer
  6. Portrait of Dave Scott
    Dave ScottEngineer
  7. Portrait of Jim Macrae
    Jim MacraeProducer
  8. Portrait of Tal Arditi
    Tal ArditiProducer
  9. Portrait of Amine Bouzaher
    Amine BouzaherSync

Studio leadership, plus a roster of experienced recording engineers and producers who can be booked directly through the studio. Bring your own collaborators, or work with ours.

Studio leadership

The two people who run the house day to day: the founder who established the studio, and the liaison who keeps bookings, administration and accounts running smoothly.

Portrait of Qais Khoury

Qais Khoury

director

Qais is the founder and studio director of Hot Soap Studios and a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. After studying Music Production and Sound Engineering at London’s Point Blank Music School, he established the studio to create a professional space where artists can record, collaborate, and develop their work in a supportive creative environment. Alongside running the studio, Qais remains actively involved in songwriting and production, continuing to develop and release original music.

Trained
Music Production & Sound Engineering, Point Blank Music School, London
As an artist
Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer; fronts Pinwheel Valley

On record at Hot Soap

Portrait of Leoni Demetriou

Leoni Demetriou

studio liaison

25+yearsExecutive & administrative work

Leoni serves as the studio’s liaison, bringing more than 25 years of experience in executive and administrative work. She supports the day-to-day operations of the studio, assisting with bookings, administration, and accounting to help ensure sessions run smoothly for both artists and engineers.

Engineers & producers

Six engineers and producers you can book directly through the studio, matched to the needs of your project.

Credits listed are each engineer’s personal credits, not studio credits, unless marked “at Hot Soap”.

Portrait of John Paul Jalwan

producer / engineer

John Paul Jalwan

  • film
  • orchestral
  • acoustic
  • cross-genre
20+yearsFilm, TV, theatre & album production

John Paul is a music producer, composer, and sound designer with over 20 years of experience, with training in both computer engineering and musicology. His work spans film, television, theatre, and album production, including sound design, audio post-production, mixing, and mastering. With a background in classical, pop, rock, and traditional oriental music, he brings a musically informed approach to production and recording, alongside ongoing work in education and voice-over performance.

Practice
Sound design, audio post-production, mixing and mastering
Background
Computer engineering and musicology; classical, pop, rock and traditional oriental music

Compositions (music for picture)

  • CrystalShort film
  • Noisy CaterwaulShort film
  • It’s the SeasonShort film
  • Souq WaqifTV documentary
  • ParwanaTV documentary
Book John Paul
Portrait of Mario Simanovsky

producer / engineer

Mario Simanovsky

  • indie
  • alt rock
  • folk
  • pop
Abbey RoadStudios experience, among other leading international facilities

Mario Simanovsky is an emerging audio engineer and producer whose credits include projects with Gorillaz, Sam Fender, Bullet for My Valentine, as well as Joy Crookes and Bailen. With experience at Abbey Road Studios and other leading international facilities, he combines technical precision with a creative, artist-focused approach, delivering distinctive, high-quality recordings and working closely with artists to bring their vision to life.

Personal credits

  • GorillazProject credit
  • Sam FenderProject credit
  • Bullet for My ValentineProject credit
  • Joy CrookesProject credit
  • BailenProject credit
Book Mario
Portrait of Daniel Chant-Burgess

composer / producer / orchestrator

Daniel Chant-Burgess

  • film
  • orchestral
  • music for picture
80+TV programmesHis music has featured worldwide

Daniel Chant-Burgess is a composer, producer and orchestrator specialising in music for film, television and visual media. His work has featured across more than 80 television programmes worldwide, including The Apprentice, Celebrity Race Across the World, Countryfile, Rick Stein’s Food Stories and CNN’s Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World. A Royal College of Music graduate, Daniel began his career at Pinewood Studios alongside Academy Award-nominated composer Patrick Doyle. At Hot Soap, he brings screen and orchestral experience.

Trained
Royal College of Music graduate
Began
At Pinewood Studios, alongside Academy Award-nominated composer Patrick Doyle
Music & sync
Works with Hot Soap across music supervision, sync and music-for-picture opportunities, from finding the right existing track to developing something bespoke

Personal credits

  • The ApprenticeTelevision
  • Celebrity Race Across the WorldTelevision
  • CountryfileTelevision
  • Rick Stein’s Food StoriesTelevision
  • Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the WorldCNN
Book Daniel
Portrait of Dave Scott

engineer / producer

Dave Scott

  • rock
  • indie
  • live band recording
40+yearsStudio recording & live sound

Dave is a veteran sound engineer with more than four decades of experience in studio recording and live sound. Early in his career he worked closely with Oasis, recording and mixing their debut single Supersonic and engineering their landmark album Definitely Maybe. Since then he has worked with artists including Atomic Kitten, Cast, Pete Wylie and 47Soul, bringing extensive technical expertise and a creative ear to projects around the world.

Personal credits

  • Oasis“Definitely Maybe”: engineered
  • Oasis“Supersonic” (debut single): recorded & mixed
  • Atomic KittenArtist credit
  • CastArtist credit
  • Pete WylieArtist credit
  • 47SoulArtist credit
Book Dave
Portrait of Jim Macrae

producer / recording & mixing engineer

Jim Macrae

  • soul
  • alternative
  • indie
  • electronic
Jordan RakeiLongtime collaborator

Jim is a drummer, producer, and engineer whose work spans contemporary soul, alternative, indie, rap, and electronic music. He has collaborated extensively with longtime partner Jordan Rakei and artists including Arlo Parks, Leifur James, Guvna B, Barney Artist, and Laura Misch. Combining the instincts of a working musician with technical precision, Jim focuses on capturing recordings with depth, feel, and clarity.

Also
A working drummer; contemporary soul, alternative, indie, rap and electronic music

Personal credits

  • Jordan RakeiLongtime collaboration
  • Arlo ParksWorked with
  • Leifur JamesWorked with
  • Guvna BWorked with
  • Barney ArtistWorked with
  • Laura MischWorked with
Book Jim
Portrait of Tal Arditi

producer / mixing engineer

Tal Arditi

  • indie
  • folk
  • electronic
Mouthwatering RecordsThe Swiss indie label that has released his music

Tal is a producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for blending indie-folk, electronica, and pop into a cinematic and emotionally driven sound. A jazz-trained musician who completed his studies at just 18, Tal has collaborated with internationally recognized artists and released music through Swiss indie label Mouthwatering Records. As a producer, he focuses on thoughtful arrangements and distinctive sound design, helping artists shape recordings that feel both intimate and expansive.

Trained
Jazz; completed his studies at just 18
Sound
Indie-folk, electronica and pop: cinematic, emotionally driven

Personal credits

Book Tal

Music & sync representation

Representation for film, television and advertising: connecting the studio’s artists, catalogue and production capabilities with visual media, from finding the right existing track to writing something bespoke.

Portrait of Amine Bouzaher

music sync representative / composer

Amine Bouzaher

  • film
  • tv
  • electronic
  • acoustic
11compositionsOn the studio’s music-sync reel

Amine is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer, and serves as one of Hot Soap Studios’ music sync representatives. With experience composing and producing both acoustic and electronic music, his work has been featured across a range of film and visual media projects throughout Canada and the United States.

Compositions by Amine

  • LululemonCommercial: “I M U R Lulu” social ad
  • RBC Royal Bank of CanadaCommercial: “RBC Presents: The Putt”
  • PatagoniaCommercial: “Patagonia Winter”
  • United Nations AssociationCommercial: “UN Code Red”
  • DevinciCommercial: mountain bikes
  • Beyond Borders · Origins VAGDance films
  • A Calling Void · OMWE · Union Street · Watkins HighFilm
Book AmineHis sync reel

Selected workCompositions by Amine Bouzaher

I M U R LuluLululemon social ad · opens playerPatagonia WinterPatagonia commercial · opens playerThe PuttRBC commercial · opens player

Also representing music & sync

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