Red Lake Magick

Red Lake Magick, is a powerhouse Irish music producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and performer whose visionary work has shaped the Irish music scene for over two decades.

Hailing from Portlaoise in County Laois, Gary's professional journey ignited at just 17 years old in the bustling heart of Dublin's Temple Bar. His very first gig was as assistant engineer alongside the legendary Shane McGowan and the Popes at Sun Studios (part of Temple Lane Studios), immersing him immediately in the raw energy of Irish rock and punk.

This electrifying start propelled him forward: he honed his craft as assistant engineer at Temple Lane's Apollo Studios, sound engineer at Dunamaise Arts Centre, and apprentice at Sonic Studios, all while earning elite credentials—a Master's from Berklee College of Music, Avid Pro Tools certification, and more.

Seventeen years ago, Gary channeled his expertise into founding Red Lake Sound Studios in the serene Hidden Heartlands of Ratheven, Portlaoise—a state-of-the-art residential haven equipped with Neve preamps, Amphion monitors, and PMC gear. Today, it's one of Ireland's premier recording destinations, a creative nexus where genres collide and magic happens.

Over 20 years, Gary's production fingerprints grace a constellation of Irish icons: from Paddy Casey and Jack L to Future Kings of Spain, Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club, and beyond. His genre-spanning mastery—rock, pop, metal, punk, EDM—has made him an indispensable influence, elevating artists with his ear for the artist's vision, unlimited revisions, and unyielding creativity.

Never one to stay behind the console, Gary exploded onto the stage as Red Lake Magick, forming the cinematic alt-metal outfit Chiral (later rebranded Voodoo Labs) with a new crew of Laois renegades. Tracks like “I Bring Chaos” “In the Company of Wolves” "Bones" and "Uncanny Valley" stormed Irish charts and videos, blending punk fury, metal riffs, and dark theatrics—top 10 music video triumphs.

As frontman on vocals, guitar, and drums, he's unleashed solo fire like "Kasha" (Sep 2025), "Strangle My Heart", and "I Wanna Runaway with You".Just in time for Christmas 2025, Red Lake Magick gifts the haunting "Far Away Dreaming"—a poignant ballad drawing from the bittersweet ghosts of The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" and Sting's "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying". It unfolds the tale of a man who chance-encounters his ex on a snowy street; her worry—"How you been Doin? Everyones been so worried about you"—unravels in his reply: he's never left her side, haunting her dreams from afar, sleeping, far away, dreaming. A lump-in-the-throat anthem of eternal, ethereal love, perfectly timed for the holidays. From Temple Bar tapes to chart-topping anthems, Gary Duncan—Red Lake Magick—remains Ireland's sonic sorcerer, dreaming big and making it real. Catch "Far Away Dreaming" now and let the magick pull you in.