Tempest is a creative music and sound agency.

We are Tempest.

Let us help you tell your story.

We craft soundtracks that bring stories to life and make storytelling easier. We create sonic identities that empower businesses to connect with their audiences. Driven by passion and mastery, we aim to spark something magical—because music is magic.

Music is a force of nature that transcends time, culture, and language. It adds depth to our stories and meaning to our lives. Great music moves you and makes you feel something real and unforgettable.

We are dedicated musicians who create original tracks because we love music and want you to feel it too.

Studios

Creekside Sound is a music production and recording studio located in the fast-growing neighborhood of Gowanus, Brooklyn.  Opened in 2014 by Aaron Kotler and Mike MacAllister as an escape from home studio frustration and Manhattan office drudgery, Creekside occupies half a warehouse floor in a former upholstery factory. 

The studio features 1800 square feet of isolated recording and production space (divided into four control rooms, a vocal booth, and a 650 square foot live room) and a lounge with a full bar. The microphone locker stretches from the absurdly lo-fi to the detailed studio staples we know and love.

House instruments include two 1960’s drum kits, a turn of the century Upright Piano, two Steinway grands, a 1950’s Hammond organ, and enough guitar amps to deafen an army.

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Social Justice

We believe that a diversity of perspectives leads to the most interesting and creative work. That's why we make sure to include composers from underrepresented communities in every paid pitch. This typically means having at least one female composer and one composer of color.

Environmental Justice

Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity, and while we are musicians, we want our work to have a purpose beyond profit. We've signed the Clean Creatives pledge and commit a portion of our annual profits to climate causes. Last year we donated to the Clean Air Task Force.  If you have an environmental justice project that needs musical support, we would love to speak with you.  

Equity

We believe that paying fair and competitive fees results in better ideas and greater commitment. Over the past 30 years, fees for musicians and composers in the media sector have stagnated or even decreased. While we can't control client budgets, we can control what we pay our collaborators. At Tempest, we are committed to offering demo fees and commission percentages that exceed industry standards.

People

  • Mike MacAllister is a prolific composer, songwriter, and producer based in Los Angeles, CA.  Mike began writing music for film and TV in NYC, after dropping out of jazz-school. His career quickly flourished as he became a staff composer for Human Music and Sound Design, one of the world’s top post-production music houses.  He worked there, and later as a creative director for Butter Music and Sound, scoring countless national and international ad campaigns before going freelance in 2014.  That same year he built Creekside Sound, a production studio he opened in the rapidly developing Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.

    He currently produces music under the moniker ALLISTER X.

    Mike’s film credits include Freakonomics, The Movie, In The Spirit of Laxmi, and Impossible Monsters.  He wrote the themes for ESPN's “Mike and Mike" and ESPN’s “Outside The Lines.  He wrote the sonic identities for the Encore network, the Paramount network, and Wells Fargo.   He scored the trailers for Bodies Bodies Bodies, King Richard, HBO’s “Euphoria” Season 2, HBO’s “Winning Time,” and Netflix’s “Ozark” season 4

    Mike co-wrote and produced Donna Missal’s viral hit “Keep Lying” (#1 on Hype Machine and Spotify viral top-10).  In addition he has worked with artists including Rachel Platten, ROZES, Meg Mac, Enisa, Spencer Ludwig, Mothica, and Zeshan B.

    Songs from his own projects have been used in ads for brands (including Apple, Chanel, Lexus, Coke, Nike, and Samsung), TV Shows (including Shameless, Vampire Diaries, FBoy Island, The Magicians, and Pretty Little Liars), and trailers (Entourage The Movie, Bullet Train, Going In Style, Public). ALLISTER X’s “Nothing Like This” was the featured song of Old Navy’s 2021 back-to-school campaign

  • Composer and Creative Director Aaron Kotler was born and raised in New York and is currently based in Brooklyn. Aaron began studying classical piano at the age of five and branched into classical trumpet and jazz piano over the following years, eventually earning a Bachelors of Music from Northwestern University School of Music as well as a Masters of Music from Manhattan School of Music, both in Jazz Piano Performance. After a number of years freelancing as a performer, studio musician, and music director, Aaron began composing for commercials, television, and film.  Since then, he has composed commercials, themes, and sonic branding campaigns for numerous major brands and TV Networks, spent three years as Executive Creative Director of Butter Music and Sound, arranged music for American Idol, The Emmys, and other live television events, scored films that were shown at the Tribeca Film Festival and the U.N. Association Film Festival, amongst others, and co-produced Nadje Noordhuis’ eponymous debut record.  In 2013 along with Michael MacAllister, Aaron co-designed and built Creekside Sound, a recording and production studio in Gowanus Brooklyn, with the goal of having a creative space with the flexibility to take on nearly any scale of project that they could imagine, and the belief that community fosters greater creativity.  Aaron continues to perform and record regularly with such groups as Zeshan B, Pink Flamingo Rhythm Revue, The Awakening Orchestra, Jeremy Bass, and North.

  • Ian Jeffreys, an award-winning Executive Producer, is renowned in the music and advertising industries for his expertise in creative direction and production for music and sound design. With a solid background in sonic brand strategy, music supervision, and licensing, Ian has made a significant impact through his innovative approach.

    During his 15-year tenure as Executive Producer & Managing Director for Butter Music & Sound, Ian was instrumental in scaling the company and establishing studios on the West Coast and in Europe. Under his leadership, Butter Music & Sound achieved notable success, earning prestigious awards like Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, Clios, AICP, Cyclope, and AMP awards.

    After his success at Butter, Ian joined Netflix Music Lab, where he worked on music for trailers and original programs, including "The Diplomat," Jerry Seinfeld’s "Unfrosted," "Love Is Blind," and the "Stranger Things Experience.

    In 2022, Ian realized his dream of starting his own venture by partnering with Mike MacAllister and Aaron Kotler to launch Tempest, reflecting their shared vision.

    Ian holds a degree from Berklee College of Music and is completing an Executive MBA in Creative Leadership from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. He is also a talented singer, featured in hundreds of commercials. Ian resides in Downtown Brooklyn with his wife Janet, their daughter Beatrix, and their pug Churro. His journey showcases his commitment to creativity, leadership, and innovation.