The EDM Prodcast

Latest Episodes:

#162: partywithray on Keeping Music Fun & Working With Marvel Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

EDM Foundations → https://edmfoundations.com This week, partywithray sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Freddy AKA partywithray is a self-described 'swag house' producer from LA. After playing in indie rock bands for a long time, he's taken a turn into electronic music with a very deep, bass-and-vocal driven sound. In this interview, we discuss working with ZHU and how they both went to the same high school. He uncovers how knowing the person you work with in the studio can lead to fun creative results, especially when working in person. We dive into the sync deal with Marvel for The Falcon & The Winter Soldier series and how that came about, and about how just putting your music out there can sometimes lead to unexpected, positive results. As you'll notice, partywithray is great at keeping a light and fun approach to music and production, so make sure not to miss this one. Links: #partystarters EP → https://createmusic.fm/partystarters Escape Halloween → https://escapehalloween.com/ Show at Temple (with Black Caviar) - 2nd October → https://www.facebook.com/events/973540699877758/ Connect with partywithray: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/partywithray/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/partywithray Twitter → https://twitter.com/partywithraydj Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/7AjFruVAKGzYPVuvD7T8Ex?si=twP3TNp_R6iGpSXtIJm2vQ&dl_branch=1 Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/partywithray Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:39 Interview start 4:25 Background in bands 8:42 The illusion of the first release 10:38 Why the name partywithray? 15:08 Collaborating with Zhu 18:29 Challenges learning music production 22:54 The benefits of coming from a songwriting background 26:12 How do you start your songs? 24:53 Why you should learn to sing 31:48 Came For The Low in Marvel's The Falcon & The Winter Soldier 37:28 #partystarters EP 41:22 Lil Mama and the creation process 44:54 Don't put too much in your tracks 45:59 Upcoming shows in California 48:24 What's coming up in the next 6-12 months? 52:38 If you have a time machine, what would you go back and change? 55:29 Where can people find you online? EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#161: COPYCATT on Creative Burnout, Social Media & Bass Post-Processing Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

EDM Foundations → https://edmfoundations.com This week, COPYCATT sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Andre aka COPYCATT is a neuro hop producer originally from the Sunshine Coast in Australia, who is currently based in Melbourne. In this interview we dive deep into the reality of artist burnout, and how rapid success can be difficult to process and comprehend. We discuss the role of social media in his burnout and how seeking external validation was a big part of that, especially being disconnected from his main scene in the US. Later on, we explore his sound design process, and how post-processing with saturation, OTT, and other FX are key to getting his neuro basses sound massive. We chat about his latest EP, Trash, and how the sound design on that was representative of his detailed approach to processing and resampling. If you're wanting some key career and production advice, tune in for the whole thing. Links: MSaturator → https://www.meldaproduction.com/MSaturator Night Owl Collective → https://nightowlcollective.net/ Upscale Recordings → https://upscalerecordings.com/ Native Instruments Massive → https://splice.com/plugins/97-massive-vst-au-by-native-instruments Native Instruments FM8 → https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/synths/fm8/ Connect with COPYCATT: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/itscopycatt Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/itscopycatt/ Twitter → https://twitter.com/itscopycatt Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/5XmObiDv74Etc9tJFMRtC4?si=y8x460HmSOKNCS3gjHrisw Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/itscopycatt Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:21 Interview start and COPYCATT's background 6:03 Discovering KOAN Sound 8:05 The early 2010's dubstep phase 10:03 Changing your alias as you evolve 15:54 Reverse engineering success doesn't always work 19:09 Success in 2016-2018 & Tom's Battery 26:06 Burning out from success and the dark side of social media 33:50 Why he didn't want to make music anymore 38:00 Working on new ideas instead of overhauling old ones 41:54 Releases and the context of music 49:07 What have you been experimenting with in the DAW? 52:38 Post-processing and moving beyond one synth 58:01 Trash EP and bass sound design 01:02:40 What's coming up next? 01:04:25 If you have a time machine, what would you go back and change? 01:07:10 Where can people find you online? EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#160: Ali Story on Investing In Your Career & Balancing Work with Music Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

EDM Foundations → https://edmfoundations.com This week, Ali Story sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Marie aka Ali Story is a Tech House producer based in Northern Ireland, who is known for infusing her songwriting chops into a groovy dance music context. In this episode, we cover how she really invested into her career during lockdown last year and how it paid off. She covers how she went all-in after losing her job and that once she had momentum, things kept growing. We talk about her recent releases, Smile, and Higher Love, and how she uses the classic piano house sound in a modern context. During this, we talk about how she got signed to Axtone (Axwell from Swedish House Mafia's label) by being persistent and trying to get signed by many different labels. Marie's story is an inspirational one of persistence, collaboration, and going 'all-in', and as you'll notice, she's very switched on with the business and promotion side of things, thanks to her background in marketing. So if you're a producer who's looking to grow your music project, tune in. Links: Smile → https://axtone.lnk.to/SMILE Higher Love → https://loveother.lnk.to/HigherLoveLO Addictive Keys → https://www.xlnaudio.com/products/addictive_keys Spotify For Artists → https://artists.spotify.com/ Connect with Ali Story: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/alistorydj/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/alistorydj Twitter → https://twitter.com/AliStoryDJ Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ek5ExkJLsIHouFsiQyPpx?si=c68679b54952448d Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/alistory Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:58 Interview start & Ali Story's background 7:58 Do you need classical training? 11:25 Going 'all in' on music 15:40 Did working in marketing help your own social media and promotion? 19:02 Keeping your sound diverse 21:54 You don't have to be the best at everything 26:34 The last 10% of the track 30:45 Objective feedback vs subjective feedback 32:38 Combining underground and mainstream influences 34:25 Writing with the club in mind 38:05 Your sound evolves over time 39:50 The success of 'Smile' and working with Axtone 43:12 Spotify for Artists and editorial playlists 46:51 'Higher Love' and working with vocalists 50:35 How the 'Lily Mckenzie - Lovers & Friends' remix opportunity came about 55:38 What's coming up next? 59:36 How do you balance music and work? 01:01:49 Listening to audiobooks 01:05:47 If you have a time machine, what would you go back and change? 01:12:24 Where can people find you online? EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#159: Crimson Child on Organic Sound Processing & Writing A Genre-Bending Album Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Our courses → https://edmprod.com/courses This week, Crimson Child sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Yashar aka Crimson Child is an experimental bass music producer who has garnered the attention of industry staples in the past few years. His recent LP, Eleventh Hour, came out on Space Yacht this year, and in this interview, we dive into the process behind it and how he had most of the album done before it was even signed to a label. The sound design in the album is a particular highlight, so we cover some of his go-to techniques for achieving a gritty, cinematic feel in electronic music. We also talk about his future plans, including focusing on a potential techno alias and how working in different genres can help your creative process. Links: Eleventh Hour LP → https://shop.spaceyacht.net/products/crimson-child-eleventh-hour-lp 'I Won't Let You Fall' VIP Mix → https://open.spotify.com/track/3EKldHvRqW3WI6x03FYVVN?si=b4c74816a169489e Kontakt → https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-6/ Connect with Crimson Child: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/crimsonchildmusic/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonChildmusic Twitter → https://twitter.com/crimsonchild__ Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/3HfDytr1a4fQhrC2J29K6v?si=go7WqfmyTd-A7TWjNkyeoA Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/officialcrimsonchild Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:18 Interview start 3:17 Musical background 6:35 Going full time into music 8:01 How one song can change everything 9:02 Having a 'throwaway' alias earlier on 11:09 Evolving as a producer 12:45 Switching to Ableton Live through a mentor 15:19 Deciding on the Crimson Child sound 16:21 Learning from other genres 18:38 'I Won't Let You Fall' VIP Mix and its success 21:37 Networking and relationships for opportunities 24:01 Have value to add and something to say 26:15 Learn from everything early on 27:49 How mentoring and courses helped him grow 30:58 Vocal manipulation 33:03 Working with session musicians 35:22 Your favourite techniques 37:36 Recording live percussion and programming drums 40:42 Eleventh Hour LP on Space Yacht 42:57 How the album got signed through a livestream 45:31 Pursue unlikely opportunities and having things ready to go 47:24 The album art 49:20 His favourite track from the LP 51:15 Why do you like it? 52:32 The sum of the parts 52:57 Moving to Spain 56:13 If you have a time machine, what would you go back and change? 01:01:10 Where can people find you online? EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#158: Nick Sadler on Launching Never Say Die, Disciple & The Label Machine Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

Our courses → https://edmprod.com/courses This week, Nick Sadler sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Nick is best known as the co-founder of labels such as Never Say Die & Disciple Recordings, but is also known for his work with his company The Label Machine. After writing a book on helping people start-up labels, he turned it into a fully-fledged business where he coaches people along the process. In the interview, we dive into his background and how he transitioned from being an artist into the marketing side of things. We discuss how this came about through being open to the opportunities around him. Later on, we talk about problems that the modern artist faces, and why working with others is key to growing in your music, branding, and promotional skills. Nick also covers what makes an ideal candidate for a producer who's thinking of starting a label - that you have to be entrepreneurial, people-focussed, and dedicated. Links: Trial The Label Machine for $1 → https://thelabelmachine.com/trial The Label Machine Book → https://velocitypress.uk/product/label-machine-book/ Never Say Die → https://wewillneversaydie.com/ Disciple → https://www.disciplerecs.com/ First Flights → https://www.first-flights.com/ Connect with Nick Sadler: Instagram → https://instagram.com/nicksadlernsdmt The Label Machine → https://thelabelmachine.com/ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:56 Interview start 4:36 Nick's background in music 7:03 When he decided to pursue music 10:40 Transitioning to starting a record label 12:10 Moving from NZ to the UK 13:51 Early dubstep with Never Say Die 15:13 Helping label owners with The Label Machine 17:24 The accidental transition into marketing 19:04 Create your own opportunities 23:17 Self-releasing and DIY culture 29:03 Getting feedback on your music and marketing 32:08 Labels as just distribution and admin 35:00 Visuals and the future of artist branding 37:20 Sharing your face 39:07 Find a scene and imitate 41:28 Launching Disciple Recordings with Dodge & Fuski 44:33 Labels as a community 46:05 Running The Label Machine 49:07 What qualifies an artist to start a label? 52:05 Labels as a passive income stream 54:45 Monetize around your music, not just your music 55:25 Why design is a key skill for label owners 57:25 What's coming up next? 59:50 If you had a time machine, what would you change? 01:02:14 Wrapping up EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#157: Steve Duda on Serum's Success & Parallels Between Music and Programming Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

Learn more about Create 30 → https://create30.com This week, Steve Duda sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Steve Duda is the founder of Xfer Records and creator of the ever-popular Serum synth. He has been in the industry as both an artist and programmer and has a wealth of experience to share with producers. We dive into his background and how he studied music composition in college, which opened the door to many different opportunities (despite the 'normal' career trajectory of becoming a teacher). This set off a chain reaction of events, including a short DJ career in leagues with acts like Skrillex and deadmau5, which eventually lead him to learning programming and starting Xfer. We also cover the massive success of Serum, and how it performed better than how he could have ever imagined, including the rent-to-own partnership with Splice. Steve is excellent at drawing parallels between music production and programming and has many great pieces of advice for upcoming producers. Links: Serum Rent-To-Own → https://splice.com/plugins/15493-serum-vst-au-by-xfer-records Songwriting For Producers → https://www.edmprod.com/songwriting-for-producers Connect with Steve Duda: Xfer Website → https://xferrecords.com Twitter → https://twitter.com/steve_duda Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:38 Interview start & moving to Mexico 5:23 Studying Music Composition in college 9:26 The evolution of DAWs and computers 10:41 Rejecting the traditional 'college teacher' route 16:01 Being a jack of all trades 17:10 Pursuing the opportunities around you 18:33 Rich EDM kids and buying careers 21:09 What are you willing to do to achieve success? 23:51 Avoiding 'purist constructs' 24:41 Meta-music and influencing music in indirect ways 27:14 The Reverb filter and Riddim 30:36 Future updates and constantly innovating 32:15 Serum overtaking Massive & visual feedback 36:04 Teaching himself programming 39:26 Make what you would like! 41:24 Splice and rent-to-own 46:03 Serum 2.0 and not charging for updates 50:03 Serum's competitors 56:51 Imagine yourself but younger 57:46 BSOD and prioritizing the tools over writing 01:01:54 Customer support and being accessible 01:05:20 What mistakes are producers making? 01:11:45 If you had a time machine, what would you go back and change? 01:14:42 What's coming up in the next 12 months? 01:17:29 Wrapping up EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#156: Dan Giffin on The Mental Side Of Music Production & Performing As A Live Act Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

Our courses → https://edmprod.com/courses This week, Dan Giffin sat down to chat for the EDM Prodcast. Dan Giffin is an Ableton Certified Trainer who runs the website Live Producers Online and hosts the Ableton Music Producer Podcast. Currently based in Indianapolis, he has taught Grammy-winning artists and major acts like Mac Miller, Machine Gun Kelly & The Band Perry. He also produces under the alias Philia, where he writes bass music infused with jazz, soul, and other styles. Philia is also a band when they perform live, in which Dan does improvised DJing as well as playing the drums, along with a saxophone player and keys player. We dive into topics such as the mental side of music production, and why he believes the key to music production is mostly overcoming mental hurdles. Later on, he also emphasizes the importance of finding a mentor and learning in a structured way. Towards the end we talk production, some of his favorite plugins and devices right now, and some great techniques for staying creative. Links: Live Producers Podcast → https://www.liveproducersonline.com/podcast Ableton Live MasterClass → https://www.liveproducersonline.com/masterclass Ableton Live 11 Discount → https://www.liveproducersonline.com/buyableton Expressive E Touché → https://www.expressivee.com/1-touche Smooth Operator → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjqAFIaXvSs Connect with Dan Giffin: Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/PhiliaMusic Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/philiamusic Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/philia-music-official Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/6WS2tulZgvxGCX2OnxPbMg?si=3fkWImXcSUOwJIp5_IjJnw&dl_branch=1 Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:00 Interview Start & GIFs 3:52 Dan's Background & Becoming an Ableton Certified Trainer 6:26 Practice & Collab With People Better Than You 8:26 Listening To Different Types of Music (& Moving to NY) 11:02 Should You Move to A Major City for Music? 12:24 Does Playing An Instrument Help Production? 15:08 The Problem With Tutorials & Free Resources 15:45 Running Live Producers Online 17:40 What Holds Back Most Producers Mentally? 22:19 COVID's Impact on Writing Music for Live 24:45 The US' Explosion of Live Shows 27:40 How Performance Nerves Can Be Selfish 28:57 Working With Mac Miller & Major Artists 31:24 Finding Opportunities Working At Studios 34:04 Moving Cities For Music (Again) 36:35 Online Music Communities 38:26 Dan's Music Project - Philia 41:52 The Importance of Live Show Visuals 44:16 Developing His Live Show 46:04 Accidentally Throwing A Drum Stick At A Fan 47:37 DJing vs Live Shows 49:44 Pendulum's Insane Live Show 50:58 Redundancy in Live Shows 53:30 Dan's Writing Process 55:35 What To Consider When Working With Vocals 56:50 Sidechaining Things That Aren't The Kick Drum 58:16 Favourite Plugins & Techniques 59:59 Favourite Ableton Live 11 Features 01:04:36 The Power of Stock Tools 01:07:51 What's Coming Up Next? 01:09:11 If you had a time machine, what would you change? EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#155: UMEK on Losing Fans By Selling Out & Starting A Scene from Scratch Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

Courses → https://edmprod.com/courses This week, UMEK sat down to chat on the EDM Prodcast. UMEK is a techno producer/DJ from Ljubljana, Slovenia who has been a scene staple for nearly 3 decades. Over the years he has moved from the classic techno sound, through to tech house, and then back to techno with a distinctly dark and melodic sound. We dive into how moving genres and selling out was a bad move for his career, and that having a core fanbase is important. As a result, UMEK has side projects such as Zeta Reticula which allows him to explore other sounds without compromising his main project. We talk about how he almost exclusively uses software for UMEK tracks, and why he got rid of over 20 synthesizers in favor of synths like Serum. UMEK discusses his writing process and that he doesn't overthink the story behind a track - he just writes music that he thinks will sound good in his sets. He also describes how his DJ sets are a sprint rather than a marathon. Cryptic Speech EP → https://www.beatport.com/release/cryptic-speech-ep/3337925 The Thrillseekers - Synaesthesia (UMEK Remix) → https://www.beatport.com/track/synaesthesia/15399183 Viberate → https://www.viberate.com/ Show notes → https://edmprod.com/episode-155 Connect with UMEK: Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/umek.si Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/umek_1605/ Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/umek Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Hini2nQyoglzpdKe41cZt?si=7hZEpRmbT4u2eoLOE5GJZw&dl_branch=1 Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:09 Interview Start & Background 6:23 Accidentally Moving Into Tech House 12:40 The Value Of Side Projects 16:04 Switching To Software from Hardware 23:06 Hardware is Different, Not Better 26:05 Good VSTs are Enough To Make Good Music 27:10 The Main Reason You Shouldn't Hoard Free Plugins 28:24 Using Logic Pro X 30:15 Switching Your DAW Takes A Long Time 32:05 Loudness & Limiters 33:42 Mastering Tracks for 1605 37:09 Why You Should Know How To Master Yourself 42:07 Going From Releasing A Lot To Fewer Releases 47:08 Cryptic Speech EP & Not Overthinking The Story Behind The Music 51:56 Detaching From Your Music 55:50 Success On Beatport 01:01:07 Should You Invest In All Platforms? 01:05:11 Viberate & The Future of Music Analytics 01:08:25 Spotting the Buying Of Fake Plays & Likes 01:10:32 What UMEK Looks to Sign An Artist EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#154: Tisoki on The Dangers of Chasing Success & Why You Should Use Samples Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

Courses → https://edmprod.com/courses This week, Tisoki sat down to chat on the EDM Prodcast. Tisoki is a multi-genre producer who is signed to Monstercat, who came up through the dubstep and bass scene. He’s previously been on the podcast for episode 92, three years ago. In this episode, we dive into how Tisoki has matured as both a producer and person and how previously he was caught up in the trap of chasing success. Tisoki also covers what he’s been up to for the last few years and how COVID-19 has affected his career and touring prospects. He dives into the very real battle of dealing with no live shows, which has been a reality for many artists the past year and a half. We also talk about his new album 01953 and how it has been a more experimental album in comparison to his previous releases, with a lot of tracks venturing outside of the realm of bass music. We talk about one of the singles from the album, SENSITIVE (ft. Charity Vance), and the production behind his unique take on the garage genre. Towards the end we talk production, diving into topics such as why producers shouldn’t be shamed for using samples, the trap most producers fall into with layering, and how to add imperfections into your tracks. Stream '01953' by Tisoki → https://listen.monstercatmusic.com/01953-ykeb Connect with Tisoki: Facebook → https://facebook.com/tisoki Instagram → https://instagram.com/tisoki Twitter → https://twitter.com/tisoki Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/tisoki Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/0XW7mqhbaQnRtHmwfAVg64?si=piT0NKtrQS2iNAIlDnS36w&dl_branch=1 EDMProd: Website → https://edmprod.com Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod Aden Russell (Artsea): Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea

#153: RAC on Honing in on Simplicity and Finding Sustained Success Oct 15, 2020

Show notes

Show Notes: edmprod.com/153 This week, RAC sat down to chat on the EDMProdcast. RAC is a Grammy Award winning musician and producer currently based in Portland, OR. He’s fresh off releasing his third full album BOY, an 18-track journey featuring collaborators like Louis The Child and Jamie Lidell. He’s also well known for his remix work, gaining a Grammy nomination for his remix of ODESZA’s Say My Name, and winning a Grammy Award for his remix of Bob Moses’ Tearing Me Up. We start off with RAC’s background, discussing his upbringing in Portugal and his early experiences with piano and guitar. We discuss his first DAW that he found in a cereal box, and the albums worth of music he created before graduating high school. We talk about his initial idea for the RAC project, which began as a collective of remix artists. He discusses his unique vision for the project, and how he made the pivot into releasing original music. RAC explains the driving forces for each of his albums, distilling what he feels has helped him sustain his success in the music industry. On the production side, RAC dives deep into his songwriting and technical workflows. He explains his refined production process that allows him to write polished demos in under two hours, the key components of his impressive home studio, and why he boiled his SM57 microphone. He also breaks down his guitar rig and recording setup, his favorite plugins for mixing, and his detailed approach to find simplicity in his writing. Later on, RAC explains his process for remote collaboration, which has become increasingly useful during the Covid-19 pandemic. On that, he explains how he and his team have adapted during the pandemic, questioning the norms within the music industry and pushing his project further. RAC also explains his more recent projects, including a creative approach for Twitch streaming, as well as his foray into cryptocurrency. Connect with RAC: Facebook: facebook.com/remixartistcollective Twitter: https://twitter.com/rac Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rac/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4AGwPDdh1y8hochNzHy5HC Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rac

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected