Sound designer Gus Koven—a former freelancer whose last company affiliation was with Nomad Editing Company, Santa Monica—has joined music/sound design shop Primal Scream. At press time, Koven had already wrapped his first assignment for Santa Monica-based Primal Scream: a three-spot package for The Weather Channel’s weather.com site, directed by Harry Patramanis of bicoastal Villains for TBWA/ Chiat/Day, Los Angeles.
Koven is now the second staff sound designer at Primal Scream; the other is company co-founder/creative director Reinhard Denke. Jason Johnson remains as the company’s resident composer. "We see in Gus the same star quality that Reinhard possesses," assessed Primal Scream co-founder/executive producer Nicole Dionne.
Koven started out at Nomad in October ’96 as an assistant editor. A year later, he formally diversified into sound design under the Nomad banner, his first job being Pepsi’s "Flying Geese" spot, directed by Kinka Usher of House of Usher, Santa Monica, for BBDO New York. "Flying Geese," which was cut by Nomad editor John Murray, debuted during the ’98 Super Bowl telecast.
During his Nomad tenure, Koven continued to work with BBDO. He contributed sound design to "Johnson’s World" for Mountain Dew, which was edited by Nomad’s Tom Muldoon. The spot, also directed by Usher, was honored earlier this year in the sound design category of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers Show at MoMA. Koven’s other Nomad sound design credits included Miller Light’s "Refrigerator" and "Boxer," helmed by Errol Morris of bicoastal/international @radical.media for Fallon McElligott, Minneapolis. Nomad’s Jim Hutchins cut the two Miller Light spots.
Koven departed Nomad in March ’99, explaining that he wanted to "strike out on my own" and shed the perception that he was "someone who kind of polished editors’ sound." He tried freelancing at first, but upon shopping his reel around, he elicited interest from Denke. "Being at a sound design house is a better situation for me to establish myself," reasoned Koven, who cited the high caliber of Primal Scream’s reel and the fact that he is one of only a pair of sound designers on staff.
During his relatively brief freelance stint, Koven served as sound designer on "Train," a spot for computer processor company AMD, directed by Samuel Bayer of bicoastal Mars Media for Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Boston. Koven secured the project via bicoastal Mad River Post. Dick Gordon of Mad River cut "Train."
