I started DJing back in 2000, and most of the sound I used to follow was techno, house, and that melodic Bad Boy Bill sound. I had always wanted to start to produce, and in 2006 I did – but it didn’t really stick that time. I gave it another try in 2016 and decided to quit DJing to focus completely on production. This time I’ve been a lot more successful.
You are one of the best up and coming deep house producers we have encountered on the internet! And your latest track “Breath you in” is great. Could you tell us more about the story behind this track?
I wrote the song around the vocal track. I was looking for some vocals and was so inspired it felt like the track just flew out of me. I had been working on “Breath” for a while and got the opportunity to work on production for a week straight – my work partner had just had a newborn and wanted to be with his family, so it was a perfect amount of time.
Your track “Get your girl together” is another great example of how capable you are as a producer! The mixing is on point and the melodies/ideas are out of this world! Could you tell us more about your studio setup and some of your favorite plugins?
My studio setup focuses on trying to achieve that analog sound without a ton of hardware. I run Ableton 10 with Adam Monitors, a Presonus AudioBox, a Presonus FaderPort, and an Akai MPK225. I redid my entire setup when I moved from Canada back to the States, so it’s still pretty small.
I’ve found a lot of great plugins lately. Some of my favorites right now are u-he’s Diva, Nicky Romero’s Kickstart, bx_console by Brainworx, and the HG-2 by Black Box Analog Design. I still use a lot of classics: Fabfilter, Pro-Q, Xilent, and Ozone8, to name a couple. I could spend a lot of time going over what VSTs I’ve used and loved over the years!
Your signature sound reminds us of the sound of some of the greatest deep house producers in the world (chocolate puma, Carl cox etc). How did you manage to achieve such a professional sound in such a short time? Can you tell us more about your musical background?
That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? To be honest, I’m not sure. I’ve had a lot of failed attempts, but I remained very focused on the goal – to create music I loved and other people loved too. I started to study musical theory when I started focusing on production. To me, that’s a must. I also upgraded my computer to ensure I could replicate the raw analog sound without all the hardware.
I’ve been DJing for 20 years, but I’ve never played any instruments growing up. When I was younger I used to listen to a lot of punk rock, 90’s alternative, and a ton of 80’s pop. I think this is where I get a lot of the synth influence for my music today.
What are your musical goals for the future?
I want to keep making music people really enjoy. After my album, I want to start getting more shows again – I love DJing and want to start traveling the world. The goal would be to spend most or all of my time making music, playing shows… really, spending all of my time towards what I love.
What are your goals for the summer? Any upcoming projects we can get excited about?
Currently, I’m working on an album, so I’m looking forward to that being out by the end of the year. I have an EP coming out really soon with futurefy and an EP coming out from 19 Box Recordings that will include “Get Your Girl Together” as well as a remix. I’m hoping that will be out by the end of the summer. I’m also going to be looking for a vocalist for “Get Your Girl Together” – I wrote the lyrics to the track and never had them recorded. This summer is really going to be about fine-tuning my sound. Ultimately, I’m working to make a mark on the music that changed my life.
