Why Oliver Wickham Seeks Understanding Under the Surface

Like many kids, Oliver Wickham got his musical start at a young age. A thrift store ukulele and toy keyboards were main fixtures when he was five, and his dad – a guitar teacher – quickly found him a piano teacher to help him grow as a musician, seeing as he was a little too young to be strumming chords quite yet. 

Unlike many kids, this musical proclivity actually stuck. Sure, Oliver didn’t know it was going to happen – he actually finds it hard to answer the question of how he ended up in the industry - but nevertheless, for the now audio director and composer at TA2 Sound + Music in Toronto, this early calling has turned into a full-fledged career. 

“On one hand, it feels like I just suddenly fell into it by accident, and on the other, it feels like I’ve been working to get here my entire life,” he explains. “I suppose for many people that’s an ideal situation, and I have to agree that I’m incredibly fortunate to make a living off of my music and sound as a trade.”

So, how does a five-year-old with a penchant for music suddenly grow to find himself in the industry? As it turns out, electronic music was actually a key element, with a combination of video game soundtracks and Alice Deejay’s ‘Better Off Alone’ (“the catchiest piece of music ever written”, according to seven-year-old Oliver) paving the way to a far deeper dive. 

“My high school rock band broke up, and I started looking for a creative outlet that didn’t rely on other people’s flakey commitment,” he recalls, thinking back to his first endeavour into composition. “I saw Deadmau5 and Skrillex playing massive stages and festivals and thought, ‘Hey, I should be doing that!’. I think the idea that all you need is a laptop and a pair of headphones to tour around the world was incredibly enticing to me – that I had to see if I could make a go of it.”

‘Making a go of it’ would, however, also be marked by an evolution in taste. Eventually becoming desensitised to the “constant ups and downs of more mainstream styles of electronic music”, Oliver found himself gravitating towards the house and techno genres. Describing the latter as the “darker and moodier sibling”, he says that both embrace the theme of repetition by choice, creating hypnotic and almost meditative rhythmic soundscapes that lull you into a trance. 

“[House and techno] producers and DJs know how to challenge their audiences, giving them what they didn’t even know they wanted to hear,” he continues. “They understand the value of restraint and patience, choosing their moments when it matters most. Older acts like Carl Cox, Sasha & Digweed, Carl Craig, and Jeff Mills, obviously need to be mentioned, but there are lots of new up-and-coming acts who are spinning great sets as well.”

It’s not unfair to say that it takes one to know one. While Oliver’s career at TA2 might not involve him literally spinning sets, the past 10 years have seen him truly cement his reputation as an esteemed audio professional. Specifically, as an audio director – something he calls a niche job – on a day-to-day basis he finds himself working hands-on with voice actors, engineers, and composers, guiding and bringing together their skills to make work that sounds coherent and intentional. 

To this end, Oliver is immensely grateful for the opportunities he’s had to grow within the company – particularly the freedom to work on passion projects, and the willingness with which more senior members of the team have offered mentorship.  

“TA2 has been more than just an employer, and I’m incredibly fortunate to have stumbled in the door,” he remarks. “Anyone can hear something and say they don’t like it, but getting under the surface and understanding why is what’s truly important to me, and I don’t think I’d be able to do that without the experiences I’ve had working here.”

It’s been time-well invested, undoubtedly. Quality of work is evident across numerous of Oliver’s projects, although in particular, the opportunity to work on a horror movie titled ‘In A Violent Nature’ springs to mind as especially memorable. 

Describing it as an ultra-gory slasher that takes place from the killer’s perspective in the most literal sense, he describes the project as “very experimental and left-field, almost ASMR-like”... which proved an awesome creative opportunity, seeing as the team was given an immense amount of creative space to just run with the concept and create audio as unique as the film itself.  

Tactically, this decision paid off. Not only were all the creators happy, but the work would premiere at the Sundance Festival, making just over two million at the box office on opening weekend. “Seeing my name in the credits of a film of this scale has been a goal of mine since I started in post-audio, and it feels amazing to have finally achieved that,” reflects Oliver. “I think risk-taking original film concepts like these are ultimately what’s going to keep people coming back to theatres in a post-covid-19 world.”

This same approach, however, can also be applied to the industry as a whole. According to Oliver, the agency partners TA2 works with are regularly asking the team to push the boundaries with all aspects of sound, seeking music that feels more real and authentic. 

What this means, of course, is that there’s more of a demand for writing original pieces, embracing natural-sounding voice overs, or looking for unique songs to licence – a departure from the era of polished and plastic voices that for many years, were often associated with commercial success. 

“I’m sure I’m not the first person to say that we’re currently in an era of advertising that prioritises authenticity,” he muses. “But, I would add to that statement and say that how we try to achieve that authenticity has been shifting. Previously it felt like we were trying to pander to audiences by mimicking their tastes and behaviours in the pursuit of a faux authenticity that we hoped would appeal to them. Now though, I would say that the authenticity is directed more inwardly at the brand itself.”

The proof is in the pudding. Per Oliver’s point, it’s clear that when brands embrace their vibe and lean into their ‘thing’, the results are better. Work is more well-received when it’s not disingenuous, and especially in the era of gen z and TikTok algorithms, people have a sensitivity to that which is “fake” or “try-hard” like never before. 

Artificial Audio?

But, being in this industry also means predicting future trends, and this is why even now, much of the TA2 team’s focus lies on the obvious elephant in the room: AI. 

Interestingly, despite the fear that is often evoked with Adland’s favourite acronym, Oliver has an overall favourable outlook on what it could bring to the audio side of the business. “I can’t wait for the day when I’ll be able to train a personal AI assistant on my own catalogue (rather than someone else’s) and use it to help jumpstart ideas or overcome creative blocks,” he says. “I feel like this sort of thing could be just around the corner, and would help all types of artists and creatives across the board.”

However, the rise of AI tools could prove a double-edged sword in an unexpected way, as it poses a risk of bot spam – a pre-existing problem that, unfortunately, might only get worse. 

“Right now, X, Spotify, Instagram, Youtube, you name it, they’re all trying to reduce the number of bot accounts that are pushing spam on their platforms, and with AI video tools around the corner, I can only imagine this will be increasingly more difficult to manage,” he explains. “As a result, I’d bet that people will eventually spend more time in sheltered online spaces where they personally know the people they’re interacting with. Discord is a good example of a space like this – almost like a modern-day MSN messenger.”

But even with that said, things might have to get worse before they get better. It’s clear that this is going to have massive effects on the advertising industry, in that soon, it’ll have to reach people in these more private spaces. But beyond that, analysts will have to contend with bot activity skewing data and distorting the effectiveness of online ads. In short, Oliver sums it up as something that “we’re already talking about now, but that we’ll have to do more and more as the problem grows.”

In the meantime, however, one needs to enjoy life as it happens. It is summer in Canada – a perfect time for any audio director or music fan to embrace the spirit of relaxing outside and pairing it with a good soundtrack. 

In Oliver’s case, this comes in the form of his ‘The Long Drive’ playlist; comprising a mix of classic folk and Americana/Canadiana from the ‘70s. It’s the perfect tool to put the discussion of AI, bots and career trajectories on the back burner while the weather is still favourable. 

“Really, it’s mostly music my dad introduced me to during the long rides up to the family cottage we would rent out for a few weeks every August,” Oliver finishes. “Warm, nostalgic, and peaceful.”