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Meet MAANIC
What first drew you into music production?
My first experience working with music was learning to play guitar and eventually, I went to sound engineering school at SAE Institute. I learned how to record and mix music, but didn’t know exactly where I wanted to go with music. I interned and assistant engineered for artists in recording studios throughout LA, but after a while, I realized I wanted to focus on my own music production. I was already listening to artists like Seven Lions and Mitis prior to being super familiar with electronic music, but my first electronic music event ever was EDC Vegas and after that I was absolutely hooked on it. The music and the vibe of everyone at these events are so amazing and knew this was what I wanted to do.
You are one of the best up and coming remixers/producers we have encountered on the internet! And your latest Halsey remix is one of our all time favorites. How do you know if a song is a good candidate for a remix? Also, what is your creative process like when making a remix?
Thank you so much! I don’t really plan remixes they just kind of come to me. Like I will hear a song on the radio or something and will envision a drop or some melodic element that I could add and then get inspired to start the remix. I usually remix pop songs because I like adding an element of electronic music and my own sound to them. For example, the original Halsey song, “Sorry” is just piano and vocals and it’s a great song, so when I heard it I knew it was a track I could have a lot of fun putting my own spin on.
Your original “Overdrive” 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?
Thank you! That song went through a lot of changes and going back and forth with the vocalist before we came out with the final product which we were both very happy with. 🙂 My studio set up is pretty basic. I use Ableton on my Mac and have a pair of Yamaha HS-5’s, an MPK mini midi keyboard, a launchpad and my guitars! Some of my favorite plug-ins for production are camel crusher, S1 imager, Ableton stock auto filter, and Ableton stock arpeggiator, just to name a few.
Your signature sound reminds us of the sound of some of the greatest future bass/melodic producers in the world (porter robinson, illenium 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 amazing to hear, they are both huge inspirations to me and their live sets are out of this world! Once I started producing electronic music, it took me about a year of learning different genres before really deciding on what I wanted my sound to be. I think it came from me just enjoying artists like Illenium and Porter more than other styles, and wanting to make music similar to the music I love but still wanting to make it my own as well. I believe my musical background playing guitar helped me in understanding theory a lot better and also helped me with writing melodies. I’ve also learned a lot by attending courses at a production school called “Cre8 Music Academy” and from my mentor and teacher there, Doug. However, it still took a long time working on Ableton constantly before I finally made something I really loved. I still have a lot to learn and my sound is constantly developing as I find new strategies and techniques for production.
Did you ever play your music in clubs/festivals? If you did how would you describe the difference between the two?
I have played at multiple clubs and one festival so far! I think the main difference is the vibe. At a club, if I am opening for a major act, my goal is to get people on the dance floor and play to the vibe of the club and what the crowd likes. It can be challenging, but really fun when you can tell the crowd is loving your set! The difference with a festival for me is that it is more about showing people who I am as an artist, playing the music I love the most, and playing more of my own music. This is also very exciting because when I play my own music out and I am being my authentic self, people generally respond really well to it and that response is extremely inspiring for me.
What are your goals for 2019? Any upcoming projects we can get excited about?
Within the next few months, I will be releasing my debut EP which I have been working on for a while now and it will feature some great producers and vocalists! I will also be featured on my friend Alpha Being’s EP. He’s an awesome producer and I am very excited about the song we have in the works for that! Aside from that, I plan to continue playing shows, collaborating, and releasing remixes and original music regularly. Another major goal of mine for 2019 is to release music through some of my favorite electronic music labels and share the stage with more of my favorite artists!
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