Having ticked post-rave and post-punk off his resume, musician and composer Philip Mossman can now add post-production. This month, the veteran rock musician announced he's taking over executive producer duties from Patrick Oliver at Amber Music, New York. Mossman first made his mark in music as a member of the Andrew Weatherall's post-rave band Sabres of Paradise way back in the '90s. He went on to score several movie soundtracks and later worked on Primal Scream's blistering Xtrmntr album before spending four years touring and recording with James Murphy's indie rock band LCD Soundsystem. He joined Amber's New York office two years ago and last year he and composer Will Bates shared a Gold Lion for their work on Nomis "Damn Boots". Boards caught up with Mossman to find out more about his latest gig.

What were your earilest experiences with music?
At age six I performed, "Fly Me To The Moon" on a Rolf Harris Stylaphone which I still have and it still works.

When did you first realize that music could be a career for you?
I'm waiting to find out. I don't think music is a career in the true sense of the word, it's a life choice. You do it because you can't stop yourself, even if it goes against your better judgment.

How did you hook up with LCD Soundsystem?
I met James Murphy in 1999. I was in New York co-writing and recording with David Holmes and Primal Scream. These were the first sessions in James' studio on 13th St. which is now the legendary DFA studio. James was the recording engineer; he clashed with David because he had too many ideas. I had no clue at that time that James could sing, he was overweight and cut his own hair with a razor blade taped to a comb, which I think he still does. When I moved to New York in 2001 from London, James was my first point of contact. He had just started the DFA label and was recording The Rapture. I asked James if he had any work for me and he said, "Err, you can join my punk band if you like."

What is the craziest/most memorable memory from your LCD experience?
All of it really, it was an incredible four years, there were very few arguments and we played every show as if our lives depended on it. I guess the craziest show was Sao Paulo, Brazil. We played to a crowd of 60,000, it was pitch black and they all had shades on, which was very unnerving. The night before the show, Sao Paulo erupted into violence. The prison gangs were rioting because the guards had taken away their cell phones. The gang members on the outside launched a massive coordinated attack on the police precincts with automatic weapons, so there were road blocks and chaos everywhere. The show was great and the prisoners got their phones back.

Why give up touring?
My son was only two when I started touring with LCD, so he coped well with my comings and goings. As he got older and the tours started getting bigger, it began taking more of a toll on him. When we played David Letterman, my son's mother let him stay up late to watch it. He started crying and trying to pull his daddy out of the TV. Shortly after this episode, my son's mother fell very sick, so it was game over, no contest. James was very understanding and we're still good friends, we do Jujitsu together.

When did you first meet/connect with Amber Music?
I met Michelle around 2000, we shared some mutual friends in Annie Nightingale from Radio One and Philip Loeb from Soundlounge. Michelle offered me a studio at Amber around the time I quit touring, so I bit her hand off.

What about this position is most appealing to you?
My new position is very challenging. I work to extremely tight schedules and there is a lot of competition, so the bar is very high. We have the best and brightest talent in the business so nothing phases me. I like being able to say, "Yeah we can do that."

What about this move excites you the most?
The world of creative advertising music is shifting constantly. Evolving formats, global recession, current trends and a saturated market place all serve to keep you on your toes. With that in mind, I have been signing up a lot of new and exciting artists and I'm going to be producing a series of custom compositions for licensing, as well as our vast turnover of works for hire. Our talent pool is very diverse and there's a lot of great music being made here. This is a dream job for any producer who wants to be working constantly and challenged daily.

What unique views/experiences/insights do you hope to bring to your EP role at Amber?
I think my authenticity as an artist helps the creatives at agencies trust me a little more than perhaps they might. When dealing with musicians, I speak their language and I can relay to them what the client is looking for in a way that makes sense to them. With so many people involved in one creative endeavor, there is a lot of scope for misinterpretation, so understanding what the client really wants and giving it to them is the key.

What was your favorite song of 2008?
"All My Friends" by LCD Soundsystem.