Refracture (Paul Dobson)
interview on Djs Arena
1. How long have you been into music and what made you get into it?
I always did some form of music at a young age at School, mainly playing the Piano and some experience with the Viola. My real interest in music began, however, when a friend introduced me to Nine Inch Nails & Aphex Twin when I was 15. I just fell in love with the melodies and intelligent production. From there I delved further into electronic music, becoming interested in trance which then lead me to breaks and the rest is history!
1. If you had to choose one element of your music that defines your music as a whole, what would it be and why?
I think the main element of my music is usually its deep melodic content. I just love deep, moving melodies and that is where I always start. This combined with a heavy low end and lots of energy is what I think the ‘Refracture’ sound is mostly about.
2. What other artists/DJs influence your work? What have you learned from them?
The likes of Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin & Sigur Ros have definitely been a big influence from a melodic point of view. From a production point of view I do very much like Deadmau5’s sound, it’s just very warm and while his tracks might not always be to my taste, everything is very well produced. Feed Me is also a producer I’m very impressed with. As far as performers though it goes hands down to the Stanton Warriors, their tracks always have a very cool yet simple way about them and they always get the crowd going when I’ve seen them play.
3. What defines a good producer and what direction is house music heading in? Who are some of the DJs or producers you currently appreciate?
I think, most importantly, a good producer has their own sound and doesn’t just attempt to copy others because of what’s fashionable. Production wise it’s important to make sure everything has its own space and to take your time in making something sound as full and round as possible as well good attention to detail and not being lazy with it. As far as direction, I think things are going to start getting more melodic again. More nostalgic melodies that make tracks more recognisable and less abrasive dubstep basslines. Currently I think guys like Porter Robinson, Feed me and Zedd are doing good things, because they are just heading whichever direction they wish, are extremely good producers and continue to push their sound.
4. What is the key ingredient in a track? Breakdown? Style of production? Bassline?
For me, personally, everything starts with a good melody. If I’ve got a really good melodic breakdown then everything seems to fall into place naturally from there. If the track is either evoking emotion or making me bounce around the room like an idiot, or both then I’ve got it right!
5. Do you agree with this situation that the electronic music became so hyper productive?
It was bound to happen, it’s become extremely popular so obviously a load of kids were gonna want to be the next superstar dj and start producing. There are so many producers at the moment trying to make it, but in my opinion this has only driven the standard higher as there’s so many great producers out there now you really have to be producing tracks to the very best of your ability and can’t get away with being lazy. Obviously there is more crap out there than ever but it generally isn’t competing. So, to answer your question, yes it’s hyper productive, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
6. Your favorite producer at the moment.
I don’t think I have one really, although whenever there is a new Feed Me or Mord Fustang track out I will always give it a listen!
7. What kind of equipment did you start out with? How much has that changed to this date?
I used to just use a Sony laptop, a copy of fruity of loops and some headphones. I got my first few releases out on beatport producing on that until I decided I really wanted to take everything to a higher level and got to work on building a studio with lots of acoustic treatment, some krk monitor/sub and a midi keyboard. For djing I used to always dj on vinyl and then cd decks but have made the move to laptop recently as I have more control over everything and can get a bit more playful with effects etc at live performances.
8. Your favourite piece of equipment/gadget?
My Macbook Pro, I’ve had it 3 years, have played gigs all over the world with it and is yet to let me down.
9. What are the top 5 tracks we should check out?
10. Planet Perfecto – Bullet In The Gun (Refracture Remix) 2. Elite Force – Be Strong (Hirshee Remix) 3. Motioned – Right Here (Miles Dyson edit) 4. Refracture – Burn It Down 5. Deenk – Funky Shit (Refracture Remix)
10. What do you hope to achieve in the future?
I hope to achieve lots of things, but most importantly I would just love to be able to make music as a living for the rest of my life, that’s my dream.
http://djsarena.com/refracture/
Far Too Loud
1. FREQUENCY CONTENT: It’s well known that you want to aim for an evenly balanced frequency spectrum in your mixes. When adding a sound to a track I always consider where it will fit in the frequency spectrum and if there are any other sounds it will compete with. Before applying EQ I’ll play about with the octaves different sounds play in to make sure they can all be heard clearly. I’ll often use EQ automation to keep the mix full but clean. For example, if a track drops with just a bass sound and drums, then the bass sound (most often in my productions) will have an even frequency content over the spectrum so that it sounds big and full, however if a lead sound comes in later on, I’ll automate an EQ on the bass channel to allow space in the frequency spectrum for it.
2. PANORAMA/WIDTH: I rarely touch the channel pan pots when mixing my tracks as I don’t think it works well in clubs to have a sound permanently louder in one channel (although I will automate the pan pot or use autopan sometimes). Instead I’ll sometimes give a sound width by somehow varying the L signal from the R. There are loads of ways in which this can be done, the simplest of which is to apply a small delay to one channel. Many synths allow you to pan unison voices which is a technique I like to use often. Once I have made a sound “wide”, I may use some kind of processing on the S (side) signal to further control the width (check this link if you’re not familiar with mid/side processing –http://www.bluecataudio.com/Tutorials/Tutorial_MidSideProcessing/). This may be simple gain adjustment for overall width control or perhaps I’ll use DMGAudio Equality (http://dmgaudio.com/products_equality.php) to EQ the S signal such that some frequencies (generally higher ones) are wider than others (generally lower ones). I think it’s important to have a good balance of wide and narrow or mono sounds so the whole panorama is filled. If I have a lead sound and a pad sound playing together, I’ll generally make one wider and one narrower or mono and sometimes play about with switching which is the wide one and pick what I think sounds best. With bass sounds I sometimes like to layer a mono sound with low and low-mid frequency energy with a wider sound with more high frequency energy to create a sound which fills the panorama. Note that it will help a lot in judging panorama and width if you set up your speakers and listening position properly (read this for more info positioning –http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb06/articles/studiosos.htm).
3. DEPTH: The depth of a sound is generally controlled by adding reverb, although you could use some sort of modulation or delay too. I have acoustic treatment in my studio which deadens the sound in the room – this is invaluable for listening to reverb tails. If you don’t have a treated room, use some trusted headphones to check your reverb settings. I apply reverb to nearly all elements in my tracks, even if only a little, and use a number of different reverbs in one track to give a range of depths to the different sounds. Even if I am going for an overall very dry, up-front sound, I still like to use very short reverbs, delays or chorus to give a sense of space.
4. SIDE-CHAIN COMPRESSION. Side-chain compression from the kick drum is a well-known about technique, but I have become obsessed with LFOTool from Xfer Records for this (http://xferrecords.com/products/lfo-tool). The reason is that it allows me to easily tailor the release curve for each individual sound. I can go for a quick release, so that the sound is ducked only for the “click” of the kick drum, or a long release which can completely remove the sound for the duration of the kick, or anywhere in between. I’ll spend a bit of time with each sound playing about to get the release curve sounding right and sometimes, particularly with basses, split the frequency spectrum with EQs on parallel channels and apply a different release curve to each band. LFOTool also has a filter which you can control with the LFO which can be useful for fitting a sound in the mix.
5. GAIN. On many tracks in my sessions you’ll see Sonalksis Free G (http://www.sonalksis.com/freeg.htm) in the last plug-in slot. It’s simply a really nice software fader and I’ll automate it throughout the track on many sounds to make sure the mix is always well balanced and that the prominent sounds have space. I use Free G so that I can still adjust the overall level of the sound with the channel fader without having to adjust the gain automation.
http://blackoctopus-sound.com/interviews/far-too-loud/
King Felix
KING FELIX – PRODUCER INTERVIEW SERIES
by Mike Balk (Balkstar)
Six Foot Three introduces you to inspirational music producers from around the globe.
This week we are checking out King Felix, a live electro band, based in LA, California. We’ve been chatting with Jason Toth over the past few weeks, one of the original founders of King Felix, to find out how things have evolved since the bands inception back in 2010.
“WE WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOW THAT MAKES THEM FEEL ALIVE.”
The band began around one and a half years ago when friends Jason and Shaun were looking at opportunities to make a living out of computer-based music production. A conversation in a good old American grocery store resulted in Edgar becoming the third member of the crew. Edgar, a violinist, didn’t know much about the computer side of things but his wealth of musical theory helped to widen the sound palette of the groups sound. Three months ago Denis, a friend a mentor to Jason, joined forces has been working hard to improve the playability of King Felix in live performances. The final member of the crew is Raymond a guitar Major at California State University who has been jamming with King Felix since the beginning.
“EXPERIMENTATION AND A LOVE FOR WICKED VISUALS IS HOW WE GET IT DONE”
We build designs upon designs in mainly Photoshop from scratch with lots of triangles and shapes based on ancient geometry. We then throw those designs into other programs to add mind boggling effects, for example Final Cut or Adobe Premiere. A lot of times we make backdrops or morphing designs that are rendered 10 times over each other and we don’t even know how we get to where we end up most of the time. Experimentation and a love for wicked visuals is how we get it done, no online tutorials just us literally figuring out each program on our own. We’ve gotten way faster at conceptualizing our process for video in the past two months just by doing it!
“WE MAKE EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH HERE AT KING FELIX.”
“We learned to master our tracks by reading forums, listening to music, analyzing other producers vigorously. We are always checking out new artists and sounds, and when we listen to other artist’s beats.” Jason and Dennis love to deconstruct the sound design while Edgar loves to figure out the chord progressions and the melodies.
“We love our music and our fans. Nothing means more to us than the comments and reactions we get from our fans. We want to give them a show that makes them feel alive. Recently we have focused on visuals and music videos for our production.” “When people watch us, or listen to our beats, the goal is to have the fans forget about their usual worries and problems for a moment. It’s a beautiful thing when people are present and enjoying themselves and their surroundings.”
“I WAKE UP EVERY DAY AND CREATE MUSIC UNTIL I PASS OUT ABOUT 24 HOURS LATER.”
http://instantmemoryaccess.com/king-felix/
1. Sample packs are a great way to easily bring new ideas and depth into your track, but it’s very important that you know how to use them properly. I try to always change any samples I use before putting them in a track, even if it’s something as simple as pitch shifting or adding a delay.
2. Try to make sure that your track is always changing and evolving to keep the listener interested. I try to make sure that something changes every four bars, and I use uplifters and downlifters to build up to those change points and make them an interesting event.
3. I find a lot of drum loop samples found in sample packs to be too busy, a great way to make them more usable is to run a simple gate over them, this way only the loudest sounds from the sample will be included.
4. Never underestimate the importance of taking regular breaks in the studio – your ears get tired after prolonged exposure to the same music. I often find that if I’m struggling with a track, leaving it and then returning the next morning makes a huge amount of difference.
5. You should always start with the biggest and most powerful part of the track, as this is the focal point for any listener, and is the point in the track when the crowd should have their hands in the air! When starting a remix I have a very particular order that I do things in – first off I lay out all the elements contained in the sample pack and pick out those that I think will be useful. I will then work a short breakdown, adding new chords or melodies onto any vocals, followed by a build. Once the build is successful, this then gives me the perfect opportunity for taking a step back and thinking ‘what comes next’, as it gives you a reference with which to write your bassline, even if none of the elements from the sample pack are used at that point in the track.
The Lightning Round…
Favorite VST Instrument at the moment? Bit old now, but I’m really enjoying Sylenth for chords and adding some depth with background arps.
Favorite VST effect at the moment? Character which is included with the TC Powercore is a must for getting the most out of your bass synths.
Favorite Sound Library? Toby Emerson Essential FX of course, use it in EVERY track!
DAW of choice? Cuabse 5
Do you use any hardware? If so favorite gear? None, hardware scares me!
Producer you are digging at the moment? R3hab
How long have you been producing for? 5 years now
Biggest mistake beginners make? Not comparing their tracks using a variety of different speakers – just because it sounds ok in your studio doesn’t mean it’s going to work in a club.
Is there is anything else you want to share? Yes I’d love to invite any label owners to check out www.label-engine.com.
I always did some form of music at a young age at School, mainly playing the Piano and some experience with the Viola. My real interest in music began, however, when a friend introduced me to Nine Inch Nails & Aphex Twin when I was 15. I just fell in love with the melodies and intelligent production. From there I delved further into electronic music, becoming interested in trance which then lead me to breaks and the rest is history!
1. If you had to choose one element of your music that defines your music as a whole, what would it be and why?
I think the main element of my music is usually its deep melodic content. I just love deep, moving melodies and that is where I always start. This combined with a heavy low end and lots of energy is what I think the ‘Refracture’ sound is mostly about.
2. What other artists/DJs influence your work? What have you learned from them?
The likes of Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin & Sigur Ros have definitely been a big influence from a melodic point of view. From a production point of view I do very much like Deadmau5’s sound, it’s just very warm and while his tracks might not always be to my taste, everything is very well produced. Feed Me is also a producer I’m very impressed with. As far as performers though it goes hands down to the Stanton Warriors, their tracks always have a very cool yet simple way about them and they always get the crowd going when I’ve seen them play.
3. What defines a good producer and what direction is house music heading in? Who are some of the DJs or producers you currently appreciate?
I think, most importantly, a good producer has their own sound and doesn’t just attempt to copy others because of what’s fashionable. Production wise it’s important to make sure everything has its own space and to take your time in making something sound as full and round as possible as well good attention to detail and not being lazy with it. As far as direction, I think things are going to start getting more melodic again. More nostalgic melodies that make tracks more recognisable and less abrasive dubstep basslines. Currently I think guys like Porter Robinson, Feed me and Zedd are doing good things, because they are just heading whichever direction they wish, are extremely good producers and continue to push their sound.
4. What is the key ingredient in a track? Breakdown? Style of production? Bassline?
For me, personally, everything starts with a good melody. If I’ve got a really good melodic breakdown then everything seems to fall into place naturally from there. If the track is either evoking emotion or making me bounce around the room like an idiot, or both then I’ve got it right!
5. Do you agree with this situation that the electronic music became so hyper productive?
It was bound to happen, it’s become extremely popular so obviously a load of kids were gonna want to be the next superstar dj and start producing. There are so many producers at the moment trying to make it, but in my opinion this has only driven the standard higher as there’s so many great producers out there now you really have to be producing tracks to the very best of your ability and can’t get away with being lazy. Obviously there is more crap out there than ever but it generally isn’t competing. So, to answer your question, yes it’s hyper productive, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
6. Your favorite producer at the moment.
I don’t think I have one really, although whenever there is a new Feed Me or Mord Fustang track out I will always give it a listen!
7. What kind of equipment did you start out with? How much has that changed to this date?
I used to just use a Sony laptop, a copy of fruity of loops and some headphones. I got my first few releases out on beatport producing on that until I decided I really wanted to take everything to a higher level and got to work on building a studio with lots of acoustic treatment, some krk monitor/sub and a midi keyboard. For djing I used to always dj on vinyl and then cd decks but have made the move to laptop recently as I have more control over everything and can get a bit more playful with effects etc at live performances.
8. Your favourite piece of equipment/gadget?
My Macbook Pro, I’ve had it 3 years, have played gigs all over the world with it and is yet to let me down.
9. What are the top 5 tracks we should check out?
10. Planet Perfecto – Bullet In The Gun (Refracture Remix) 2. Elite Force – Be Strong (Hirshee Remix) 3. Motioned – Right Here (Miles Dyson edit) 4. Refracture – Burn It Down 5. Deenk – Funky Shit (Refracture Remix)
10. What do you hope to achieve in the future?
I hope to achieve lots of things, but most importantly I would just love to be able to make music as a living for the rest of my life, that’s my dream.
Far Too Loud
Production tips from Far to loud on black octopus sounds
1. FREQUENCY CONTENT: It’s well known that you want to aim for an evenly balanced frequency spectrum in your mixes. When adding a sound to a track I always consider where it will fit in the frequency spectrum and if there are any other sounds it will compete with. Before applying EQ I’ll play about with the octaves different sounds play in to make sure they can all be heard clearly. I’ll often use EQ automation to keep the mix full but clean. For example, if a track drops with just a bass sound and drums, then the bass sound (most often in my productions) will have an even frequency content over the spectrum so that it sounds big and full, however if a lead sound comes in later on, I’ll automate an EQ on the bass channel to allow space in the frequency spectrum for it.
2. PANORAMA/WIDTH: I rarely touch the channel pan pots when mixing my tracks as I don’t think it works well in clubs to have a sound permanently louder in one channel (although I will automate the pan pot or use autopan sometimes). Instead I’ll sometimes give a sound width by somehow varying the L signal from the R. There are loads of ways in which this can be done, the simplest of which is to apply a small delay to one channel. Many synths allow you to pan unison voices which is a technique I like to use often. Once I have made a sound “wide”, I may use some kind of processing on the S (side) signal to further control the width (check this link if you’re not familiar with mid/side processing –http://www.bluecataudio.com/Tutorials/Tutorial_MidSideProcessing/). This may be simple gain adjustment for overall width control or perhaps I’ll use DMGAudio Equality (http://dmgaudio.com/products_equality.php) to EQ the S signal such that some frequencies (generally higher ones) are wider than others (generally lower ones). I think it’s important to have a good balance of wide and narrow or mono sounds so the whole panorama is filled. If I have a lead sound and a pad sound playing together, I’ll generally make one wider and one narrower or mono and sometimes play about with switching which is the wide one and pick what I think sounds best. With bass sounds I sometimes like to layer a mono sound with low and low-mid frequency energy with a wider sound with more high frequency energy to create a sound which fills the panorama. Note that it will help a lot in judging panorama and width if you set up your speakers and listening position properly (read this for more info positioning –http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb06/articles/studiosos.htm).
3. DEPTH: The depth of a sound is generally controlled by adding reverb, although you could use some sort of modulation or delay too. I have acoustic treatment in my studio which deadens the sound in the room – this is invaluable for listening to reverb tails. If you don’t have a treated room, use some trusted headphones to check your reverb settings. I apply reverb to nearly all elements in my tracks, even if only a little, and use a number of different reverbs in one track to give a range of depths to the different sounds. Even if I am going for an overall very dry, up-front sound, I still like to use very short reverbs, delays or chorus to give a sense of space.
4. SIDE-CHAIN COMPRESSION. Side-chain compression from the kick drum is a well-known about technique, but I have become obsessed with LFOTool from Xfer Records for this (http://xferrecords.com/products/lfo-tool). The reason is that it allows me to easily tailor the release curve for each individual sound. I can go for a quick release, so that the sound is ducked only for the “click” of the kick drum, or a long release which can completely remove the sound for the duration of the kick, or anywhere in between. I’ll spend a bit of time with each sound playing about to get the release curve sounding right and sometimes, particularly with basses, split the frequency spectrum with EQs on parallel channels and apply a different release curve to each band. LFOTool also has a filter which you can control with the LFO which can be useful for fitting a sound in the mix.
5. GAIN. On many tracks in my sessions you’ll see Sonalksis Free G (http://www.sonalksis.com/freeg.htm) in the last plug-in slot. It’s simply a really nice software fader and I’ll automate it throughout the track on many sounds to make sure the mix is always well balanced and that the prominent sounds have space. I use Free G so that I can still adjust the overall level of the sound with the channel fader without having to adjust the gain automation.
http://blackoctopus-sound.com/interviews/far-too-loud/
avorite VST Instrument at the moment? FXPansion DCAM Synth Squad
Favorite VST effect at the moment? It’s a bit more than an effect, but I need to mention NI Kore…it’s so essential to my work flow.
Favorite Sound Library? Tough to pick a fave, but here’s a cool one I discovered a while back – http://www.drivenmachinedrums.com/
DAW of choice? Cuabse 6
Do you use any hardware? I have a MIDI controller (Novation Impulse 49), a sound card (Focusrite Saffire 24 DSP), and some speakers (KRK VXT8s) which are all nice, but apart from that it’s just a computer.
Producer you are digging at the moment? Culprate
How long have you been producing for? 8 years I think
Biggest mistake beginners make? Not investing in some decent ear plugs and wearing them at gigs.
King Felix
KING FELIX – PRODUCER INTERVIEW SERIES
by Mike Balk (Balkstar)
Six Foot Three introduces you to inspirational music producers from around the globe.
This week we are checking out King Felix, a live electro band, based in LA, California. We’ve been chatting with Jason Toth over the past few weeks, one of the original founders of King Felix, to find out how things have evolved since the bands inception back in 2010.
“WE WANT TO GIVE THEM A SHOW THAT MAKES THEM FEEL ALIVE.”
The band began around one and a half years ago when friends Jason and Shaun were looking at opportunities to make a living out of computer-based music production. A conversation in a good old American grocery store resulted in Edgar becoming the third member of the crew. Edgar, a violinist, didn’t know much about the computer side of things but his wealth of musical theory helped to widen the sound palette of the groups sound. Three months ago Denis, a friend a mentor to Jason, joined forces has been working hard to improve the playability of King Felix in live performances. The final member of the crew is Raymond a guitar Major at California State University who has been jamming with King Felix since the beginning.
“EXPERIMENTATION AND A LOVE FOR WICKED VISUALS IS HOW WE GET IT DONE”
We build designs upon designs in mainly Photoshop from scratch with lots of triangles and shapes based on ancient geometry. We then throw those designs into other programs to add mind boggling effects, for example Final Cut or Adobe Premiere. A lot of times we make backdrops or morphing designs that are rendered 10 times over each other and we don’t even know how we get to where we end up most of the time. Experimentation and a love for wicked visuals is how we get it done, no online tutorials just us literally figuring out each program on our own. We’ve gotten way faster at conceptualizing our process for video in the past two months just by doing it!
“WE MAKE EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH HERE AT KING FELIX.”
“We learned to master our tracks by reading forums, listening to music, analyzing other producers vigorously. We are always checking out new artists and sounds, and when we listen to other artist’s beats.” Jason and Dennis love to deconstruct the sound design while Edgar loves to figure out the chord progressions and the melodies.
“We love our music and our fans. Nothing means more to us than the comments and reactions we get from our fans. We want to give them a show that makes them feel alive. Recently we have focused on visuals and music videos for our production.” “When people watch us, or listen to our beats, the goal is to have the fans forget about their usual worries and problems for a moment. It’s a beautiful thing when people are present and enjoying themselves and their surroundings.”
“I WAKE UP EVERY DAY AND CREATE MUSIC UNTIL I PASS OUT ABOUT 24 HOURS LATER.”
http://instantmemoryaccess.com/king-felix/
Lazy Rich
5 Production tips from Lazy Rich on Black Octopus1. Sample packs are a great way to easily bring new ideas and depth into your track, but it’s very important that you know how to use them properly. I try to always change any samples I use before putting them in a track, even if it’s something as simple as pitch shifting or adding a delay.
2. Try to make sure that your track is always changing and evolving to keep the listener interested. I try to make sure that something changes every four bars, and I use uplifters and downlifters to build up to those change points and make them an interesting event.
3. I find a lot of drum loop samples found in sample packs to be too busy, a great way to make them more usable is to run a simple gate over them, this way only the loudest sounds from the sample will be included.
4. Never underestimate the importance of taking regular breaks in the studio – your ears get tired after prolonged exposure to the same music. I often find that if I’m struggling with a track, leaving it and then returning the next morning makes a huge amount of difference.
5. You should always start with the biggest and most powerful part of the track, as this is the focal point for any listener, and is the point in the track when the crowd should have their hands in the air! When starting a remix I have a very particular order that I do things in – first off I lay out all the elements contained in the sample pack and pick out those that I think will be useful. I will then work a short breakdown, adding new chords or melodies onto any vocals, followed by a build. Once the build is successful, this then gives me the perfect opportunity for taking a step back and thinking ‘what comes next’, as it gives you a reference with which to write your bassline, even if none of the elements from the sample pack are used at that point in the track.
The Lightning Round…
Favorite VST Instrument at the moment? Bit old now, but I’m really enjoying Sylenth for chords and adding some depth with background arps.
Favorite VST effect at the moment? Character which is included with the TC Powercore is a must for getting the most out of your bass synths.
Favorite Sound Library? Toby Emerson Essential FX of course, use it in EVERY track!
DAW of choice? Cuabse 5
Do you use any hardware? If so favorite gear? None, hardware scares me!
Producer you are digging at the moment? R3hab
How long have you been producing for? 5 years now
Biggest mistake beginners make? Not comparing their tracks using a variety of different speakers – just because it sounds ok in your studio doesn’t mean it’s going to work in a club.
Is there is anything else you want to share? Yes I’d love to invite any label owners to check out www.label-engine.com.
Feed me -
Jon Gooch's Personal Post about his music, process and why he does what he does.
'This is the greatest game in the world.'
I've almost stopped doing interviews because I'm achieving nothing. If you want to find something out about me, ask me personally. If it catches my eye, I'll respond, but dragging through another interview that no one thought about for more than two minutes seems like treading very boring water. Not that they've all been that way; but it's the trend.
A well known electronic music magazine recently wanted to do a few page spread about my production techniques. They sent me a list of preliminary questions; what plugins do I use for 'dirty' sounds, what makes a good 'drop', how much 'filth is too much filth'? Who wrote this? I could play the system; give away minimal information in exchange for some printed coverage, but at this point, fuck it.
The Mau5hax thing was great; I got to interface with talented people and enjoy making music. I learnt as well as got involved. I didn't sit and have my mechanical techniques picked at while my actual motivation was ignored; we made decisions together.
I don't mind the occasional production Q, but what happened to mystery in music and art? There's YouTube tutorials for days now online. Look it up; these production conversations are redundant. The truth and effect comes in the sincerity and composition of the actual piece. If I read an interview with an artist of any type, what I want to know is the 'why' - not the 'how'. Why as electronic artists are we constricted to being quizzed monotonously about our techniques, and not ever our motivation? The reason anything I made sounds the way it did is because I sat and worked out every single piece of it myself. Give every one of us the same tools, and see what we all end up with - it's our differences in expression and decision making that makes us.
I'm doing this because I honestly don't know what else I can do. Music and art for me is a necessary release, and once people picked up on what I was making I was thrown into it. I was a bottled up, angry teenager, and I was completely consumed by the satisfaction I'd found in this new idea of making my own music. It consumed my life and I found I loved what it brought to it, and now I'm on an endless journey to see where it takes me, and where I can take it. Because of it, my entire late teenage and adult life I've been travelling the world, from Spor to Feed Me, constantly humbled by the people I've met, things I've seen, extremes I've lived through - I'm nothing but overwhelmingly grateful, it's almost too much.
Some of it has been physically and mentally tough, but so far I've never quit. It's never left my mind that should I drop dead, there's a million people who would kill to take my place. I don't believe in luck necessarily; I carved this out myself, but I am honoured to have what I have. If you're going to complain about your reality when you're living another persons dream, then I think you need a massive reality check. No one's forcing you. Music is magic; and I think as artists we have a duty to keep it that way, not dissolve it down into presets, complaints, one-upmanship and catering to the market. It's not all pink candy-floss cloud rides, and I think it looks fake if you depict it that way, but it really could be a lot fucking worse.
I used to lie and listen to my favourite records and daydream about how they were thought up, get lost in the sounds. There was no one to ask or study, and the resulting domino effect of speculation led me to my own ideas. It's always been the unknown that's motivated me. Spor was what I fell in to, but Feed Me is my world, a projection of a piece of me, and a way of expressing whatever I feel like. I couldn't have built what I have without you guys supporting me, but I'll always be creating and writing it none the less. I love you all for letting me take it this far.
I don't normally post my opinions on here, but I've never got anywhere by playing the game, and sometimes I just feel I need to 1) say thanks, and 2) say why. TLDR.
Feeeed.
