After high school and jamming in '80s garage bands, he pursued his musical education in '92 and completed his jazz guitar degree in 1996. Legendary South African rock musician, Piet Botha, hired Lanie, at age 19, as lead guitar player for the established band Jack Hammer in 1993. Always on the road, gigging, touring, and recording, Piet mentored Lanie about the independent music business's inner w
orkings. During his time with Jack Hammer, they performed as the support act for classic rock goliaths Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, and Z.Z. Top on their South African tour stops. In 1996, Lanie started his music production/recording engineer studies, completing an analog & magnetic tape recording course. After a trip to Los Angeles visiting thirty record labels and professional recording studios in Hollywood, Lanie founded Wolmer Records in 1997. The independent record label was born out of desperation to bridge the gap between South African artists and bands on the club circuit to the major label distributors. Hundreds of albums later, Wolmer Records Lanie van der Walt as engineer and producer has become a part of the South African music industry, culture, and heritage. Over the years, Wolmer Records has produced numerous jingles, television & film soundtracks, sound design, voice-overs, and live events. Industry recognition includes winning a South African Music Award (SAMA) for Best Rock Album, 'Braai Vibes' by Not My Dog in 2004, an album Lanie played bass on and produced, recorded, mixed & mastered. Other artists that have won awards on the Wolmer Records label include Piet Botha, Albert Frost, Southern Gypsey Queen, Tidal Waves, and Boargazm. Lanie continues to study and is working on his Berklee Online Masters in Music Production Degree.
