Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Ainsworth

Currently in Canada, he makes original music for himself but also for TV 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My Name is Ainsworth, I'm from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I post original music, mostly made with synthesizers on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube almost every day. I've been doing that since 2020 when I created my Instagram profile.

I make music for TV, play on other people's records and make my own full length songs as well.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

I never write a song, or record a jam without using some kind of hardware instrument. It's something different every time I sit down in my studio to create. I come into every session with an idea in my head. The piece of gear I use is based on my mood, what sound I need and a loose sort of rotation to make sure all my gear is getting used.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

TASCAM DR-05 was an early pick up for me and very useful still to this day. I record my instruments into it or another digital recorder like the Zoom H6. Also great for recording rehearsals, and just having it run in the room while I riff on ideas. Even for vocals. Excellent buy. Highly recommend.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I think about music all the time, so when it's time to record something I've usually got an idea ready to go.

I record every morning, some kind of part.. drums, a melody, sometimes a full chord progression. I try to do this in as few takes as possible.

Then I take that part or parts and put them into my DAW (FLStudio) and I draw in the rest of the song or jam with midi.

Sometimes I'll add more performed parts as I go, but usually I try to keep my sessions from 1 to 3hrs so I don't burn myself out.

When I'm happy with what I've got, I'll bounce the .wav and give it a quick "master" with Cloudbounce. Then I dust my hands and I'm on to the next one.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Lo-Fi production quality and self-made, human sounding music. It just sound so nice to my ears.

So I spend most of my time messing with how things sound to achieve that. I have no idea if this effect appeals to anyone else, but I'm all in on it. The Casio VL-1 is a perfect example. That warped nostalgic sound. Makes me feel good. My studio has that vibe to it.

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How would you describe your style?

An explorer of the musical universe.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

I have a hard time marketing myself and pushing my music and art on people. Instagram has made it easier for me to just post everything I'm making and not feel like I'm bothering my friends and family all the time. It's nice to build a following and get feedback.

Getting people to leave one social media platform to see your work on another is a big challenge as well. I don't get many streams on Spotify and my growth on YouTube has been very slow. But I've noticed over the past year that's slowly changing. My advice is to just be consistent and keep focused on music and growing and a musician.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Yes, buying gear has made me take making music more seriously. It's like building yourself a boxing ring or setting up a home gym to get in shape.

Now whenever I sit down at my desk in my studio, I think to myself... I better make this next jam slap or what the hell is all the stuff for. Motivation.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Stop only playing what you are comfortable with.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

The Prodigy, The Fat Of The Land

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

@ainsworththemusician on all social platforms.

And just Ainsworth for streaming.

You can find all of that at www.ainsworthstudiolab.com 

Gear List

It's way too much 😵‍💫 I'll list some favs:

• Korg - Volca Drum

• Teenage Engineering - OP-1 Field

• Roland - VT-4

• Yamaha - Reface CP

• Roland - SH-01A

• Casio - VL-1

• Elektron - Digitakt

• Hydrasynth - Explorer

• Fender - Mustang

• Arturia - Keystep

In Case You Missed It

151 - Silence Castor

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Silence Castor

Currently in the United States, he got burned out on the band life and decided to focus on making music on his own 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I'm Nate Hicks aka Silence_Castor and I produce Ambient Electronic up in Vermont, USA.

I work during the day as a designer/developer, so music has always been one of the last passions that I was able to keep alive outside of work.

It's a huge stress reliever and outlet for me.

I've been playing instruments and making music since 2001, ranging from a trumpet back in school band, piano with my Mother, and eventually Electric Guitar and Bass. Guitar eventually became my main instrument and I had a few bands through Highschool and College. A little over 5 years ago, I got a bit burnt out on the band life and decided to start writing music on my own again. This was around the same time I purchased my first synthesizer. And the rest is history!

I quickly became enamored with synths, samplers, and sequencers, quickly building up a fun setup consisting on Elektron, Sequential Circuits, some guitar pedals from my past, and a small eurorack build. Today, I put out my music on all streaming hubs, work frequently on collaborations with other producers on Instagram, I'm in a few record labels, and I've even started writing soundtracks for short films.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

So even though I now have an Octatrack, the Elektron Digitakt is still my bread and butter.

I love how portable it is, how powerful it is, and how quickly you can start building a song on it. The workflow really clicks with me, and I really admire how they've kept up with actual substantial firmware updates (including adding a master compressor with sidechain, a second LFO per track, and the ability to choose FX routings on the 2 Audio In's). I often bring it with me on trips (even outdoor camping trips), and can power it with a tiny power brick.

If I ever had to sell everything but 2 pieces of gear, the Digitakt would be my first pick, closely followed by my Prophet Rev2. I think those 2 pieces of gear together are insanely powerful.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

This is a tough one, because as we all know... most of this gear is pricey. I'd say the least expensive piece of gear that gave me the most results is a hard tie between the Alesis Micron and the Korg Minilogue.

The Micron was literally my first synth and I bought it used from a friend. It fully opened my mind to the world of synth sounds and waves. On the other hand, the Minilogue was my first ever fully analog synth with more "synthy" controls, like ADSR, Filter, Env, etc. The original Korg Minilogue is an absolute dream and I plan on getting another one eventually.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

It's often very sporadic and rarely syncs up with when I actually want to work on music.

When inspiration and motivation finally align, I tend to jump onto the Samplers first and curate a nice little library of sounds (drums, backing samples, noise/bg sounds). On the Digitakt, I will focus on drums, one hits, and any cassette/vinyl samples I may have pulled from my collection (if you can afford a used cassette player/record player and have a sampler, DO IT).

The Octatrack on the other hand primarily gets used as a performance mixer these days. I will run my Digitakt into the A/B in and my synth voices into the C/D in, then using templates made by the Octatrack God, EZBOT, I get full control over the mix of both sides, transitions and fx, and the ability to grab quick 4 or 8 bar samples from the incoming audio.

The last part I usually pull in is any synth voice. I tend to lean into the Prophet for beautiful leads, chords, or phat bass, then the eurorack/Bastl Softpop2 for added synth parts or any parts the Prophet isn't covering. These parts get baked into my Digitakt project as MIDI tracks, so that everything is saved for recording or live play later on.

The final step I take past recording into the DAW, is bounding parts down to the Octatrack to be played live. This step eliminates the need to drag my entire setup to a show, allowing me to use the OT as more of a turntable with the song all laid out.

Then I can just hone in on transitions, builds, drops, and FX.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

One I always come back to is recording either 1 part, or the whole mix, onto 4-track cassette, then resampling it from there.

I love doing this, because you get a lot of nice noise/artifacts, the sound gets warmed up a bit, you can push the capacitors in some old cassette recorders to get a very satisfying soft clipping effect, and you can even physically degrade the tape itself to texture your sounds.

On top of all of this, using cassettes gives you the option to make tape loops, which are super fun to work with.

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How would you describe your style?

That's a tough one.

I'd say my style is experimental, but with a lot of focus put on society and some of the more questionable things we do as a species.

I tend to try and do this by creating some sort of alternate warped reality as a setting. I feel that this gives most people a better chance at seeing the subject from an outside perspective.

My hopes are that they can take those new perspectives back into every day life and be more willing to question things and be more open to change.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

My biggest challenge as an artist is definitely creative block and outside noise.

When I first started into art, I was doodling constantly and illustrating in a vacuum. I didn't share my art with anyone until the end of highschool, when I got to be in Art AP. I went to college for Graphic Design, and there I learned the true pain and beauty in critiques. Now that I make music as my primary creative outlet (especially now that I SHARE my music online), it has become increasingly difficult to keep putting out music.

There are so many at home producers now and IG is full of desktop setups and DAWless jams. Many days, I'll sit down at my desk to start a project and instead of just riding the inspiration wave, I'll be in my head asking "will this perform well on IG?" or "this person did this or that, maybe I should to." Luckily, I go in and out of waves of this school of thought and soon after, I often get back to my inspiration wave. I do my best to harness those moments and get as much new music made as possible, before the intrusive thoughts come back.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Definitely!

I suddenly found myself picking apart songs and kind of reverse engineering them in my mind. We'd be listening to some new Clark, or even some oldschool 1970s tracks with early synths on them, and I'd be sitting there figuring out the oscillator wave shape they were using, what was being LFO'd, whether or not there was a LPF or HPF being used.

I think all of this knowledge and these eye opening experiences gave me a lot more confidence in myself.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Nothing works better for me than breaking of 1 piece of gear from my setup and sitting down with it somewhere other than my desk.

This is huge, because it gives your brain a break from trying to wrangle all the parts at once. I will often pull the Digitakt, Octatrack, or Eurorack off the desk and spend a night jamming with it on the dining room table, on the carpet with my Cat, or even out in nature.

I think the limitation is what really pushes me.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Ask The Dust by Lorn

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram | spotify | soundcloud | deezer | apple music | youtube | facebook

Gear List

• Sequencers:

  • Elektron - Digitakt | Octatrack

  • Arturia - Keystep 37

  • Eurorack (primarily Erica Synths)

• Synths:

  • Sequential Circuits - DSI Prophet Rev2

  • Bastl - Softpop SP2

• FX:

  • OTO - BOUM

  • Hologram Electronics - Microcosm

• Mixing/Recording:

  • Tascam - Model 12 | 424 MKII

  • Audio Technica - AT-LP120XUSB

In Case You Missed It

150 - Evan Surmaj

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Evan Surmaj

Currenty in the United States, he’s always been into music. He has dabbled with making music in the box, but hands-on is where he is creative the most 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Just a dude trying to make his way through the sonic space. I was born and raised in Virginia USA.

Started playing drums in middle school, picked up classical/flamenco finger style nylon guitar stuff in high school. I played in various bands both on drums and guitar (mostly electric guitar) in Richmond VA while going to VCU. Had a few experiences recording in local studios cutting a record here and there which is where I got my first taste of messing with gear.

After college I landed a good corporate job and kept playing in local bands. Once the pandemic hit a buddy of mine suggested that I get a laptop and try and make some music of my own. That was around the same time I started getting in to guitar pedals and synths. I was messing around with garage band on an iPad before the laptop so the most logical (pardon the pun) progression in choosing a DAW was Logic Pro. From there I slowly learned some of the dark arts that is working in a box. I realized pretty quickly that I was more into hardware so the bulk of my music making is in a DAWless kinda set up but am not opposed to hybrid work flows.

So I just work the 9 to 5 thing and music is just a hobby.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

I would say my keystep pros and my digitakt for sure.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

For sure the Korg Volca Keys. I bought it used and if processed right, It'll give you some real tasty bass and arp sounds which I turn to often.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Depends on the day but off the top of my head I'd say most my jams/ideas start with the drums (usually chopped up DnB samples or some techno house 4 on the floor grooves) OR a sequence that I will input in the keystep pro. My favorite thing to do is usually start in like F or C minor, then randomize the octaves and go from there.

From there bass or pads will come in with random synth textures sprinkled about as well. Bass is usually the Roland SH-01a and pads are usually the Roland D-05. Once I establish that foundation I will pan and EQ everything all on the two mixers I use. Both are Soundcraft analog mixers. From there I'll pipe it all into a Roland Go-Mixer and straight into the phone and play/perform live. I tried doing multi-track out into Logic Pro then sync'ing the video later but that is just too annoying for me personally. I do it all for fun so I don't take it all too seriously.

I usually just throw them on insta once or twice a week. I usually take part in Jamuary where I find myself being the most creative because I sorta force myself to do it. It's tough because is 31 straight days of producing something and posting everyday but there are usually some choice ideas that will come out of it at the end of the 31 days.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Less is not more.... More is more!!!!

Just kidding! I just try and do what sounds good to my ears. It's usually just tweaking stuff to extremes and then pulling back until its not deafening. But sometimes extreme can be awesome in the analog domain. For example running an Korg MS20 through a super fuzz pedal.

Another thing I am doing is on my current set up I have synths and drums on different chains and those chains have their own compressor/limiters at the end. This is all dawless and all hardware. I use a FMR Audio Really Nice Compressor for the drums and the EHX Platform for the synths.

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How would you describe your style?

Eh, I am a bit all over the place as far as style. Really just depends on the day and or season.

Liquid/Atmospheric drum and bass is a genre I've been really into lately and can not resist those drum grooves and the etherial pads...... there is just nothing like it in my opinion. I also really dig older techno sounds with plucky 16th note bass lines. I usually go synth for that sound is my Pro-1 clone. I really like weird experimental ambient stuff too.

I also have an acoustic side to me too. My last EP was my take on like 1960s beach music you'd hear on a PBS program on TV. For that I was using my guitars, and more traditional sounds and recording techniques.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

My biggest issue is when I decide I want to really flesh out an idea and or a jam and record it properly meaning: arrange, record, mix and master etc...

I found that the process in doing that just is never inspiring enough or it just takes me ages to do it. That is, doing it in the DAW -Logic. I know I am not the only one but when I get comments like, "Hey, I really like this jam, you should release it!" I think to myself yea for sure! But when I come back later to actually sit down and recreate it, the magic is gone and I just am not into it anymore.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Eh not really.

So I try and live by this like rule I have where if you have a piece of gear, let's say a synth, and a month goes by and you don't touch it....... It's gotta go!

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Listen to music that gets you juiced!

Try and set limitation or challenges for yourself. It usually work for me if I am having option paralysis. Like try and make a jam or idea using only two synths or having only one effect or something like that.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Not too much into books anymore since college.

The Thing, Terminator, Escape From New York, Blood Sport, and Alien are movies that always inspire me.

And as for Albums... off the top of my head and currently I am listening to UFO Onderzoek 1983 by Smackos (Legowelt)

Anything else you'd like to say?

Listen to Legowelt. He was and still is my biggest inspiration in the electronic music realm.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

My instagram is where I post the most. When I release music its on all the platforms under the name Surmajesty. I have a youtube channel too that has a few longer format videos and also deep dives on my setups. They are different iterations of the studio setup but the work flow is more or less the same.

Gear List

• Arturia - key step pro (x2) | keystep 37 | key lab 61 | Microfreak

• Elektron - Digitatk

• Roland - SP404 MKII

• Behringer - Pro 1 

• Korg - MS20 Mini | Volca Keys | Volca FM 2 | Volca Bass

• ASM - Hydrasynth Explorer

• Roland - SH01a | D-05

• Dtronics - DT01 

• Soundcraft - EFX8 | Signature 12 Mixer with USB multi track | Midi Tech 4 thru box

• Kenton - 12 midi thru box

• Boss - RC505 

• FMR - Audio Really Nice Compressor RNC 1773

• Chase Bliss - Generation Loss MKII

• EXH - Platform

• Moog - Moogerfooger analog delay MF - 104Z

• Berliner - Super fuzz

• Ibenez - Tube Screamer TS9

• Zoom - MS 70CDR

• Eventide - Space

• Hologram - Microcosm

• Talk Audio - 144 preamp pedal

• Modified EHX - Canyon Delay

• Roland - GoMixer Pro

• KRK Systems - Rokit 5 Speaker

• Behringer - U-Phoria UMC404HD 4x4 USB Audio Interface

• Fender - Stratocaster

• A. Dotras Córdoba - Classical Guitar

• Catalina Gretsch - jazz club kit

• Zildjian - 14 inch K Custom Dark Hi Hats | 21 inch Avedis Sweet Ride

• Meinl - 18 inch Byzance Dark Crash

• Mix Drum hardware

In Case You Missed It

149 - Marco Zanibelli

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Marco Zanibelli

Currently in Italy, after a period of studying music and being part of bands, he decided it was time to make his own tracks 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hi! My name is Marco Zanibelli, I am a composer and sound engineer based in Milan in the North of Italy.

My relation with music started when I was 10, so 29 years ago (uh!!), when I first discovered a keyboard and I decided I wanted to play it! So I started to study the piano and keyboards with a teacher.

As a teenager I started to play with my friends in some bands, rock and metal music above all. At about 20 I decided it was time for me to record my own tracks and so I started to play with Cubase and try to learn everything form the other engineers in the studios where I was going to record my songs!

I started to produce some bands in my bedroom and to compose some soundtracks for theatre, then when I got married I moved to a new house with the space dedicated to my actual studio.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Two years ago I started to compose electronic music and changed a bit my setup.

So now, my essential equipment are above all my synth, especially my modular, but to produce and record my essential gear are my Dynaudio speakers, which I love for its transparency and details, my Antelope Soundcard... and my Mac of course!

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

I think it's my Lewitt LCT440 microphone. It's not a cheap microphone, but neither expensive, and I recorded a lot of vocals and instruments with it. I think it's a great microphone for the price, very clean and balanced.

I love it!

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I love to think about the sound I would like to have and start a sound design process in order to find it.

Then I compose the main chords sequence and I create the textures and melodies with the efx, if it's an ambient track, or I first compose the grooves if it's a techno, electronic or even a rock track.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I don't like loops or samples very much, I prefer to have a keyboard in front of me and start jammin' and create my own sounds. Then with the main idea in my mind, I search for the main parts of the track.

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How would you describe your style?

When I compose a track, both for work or personal projects, I always try to find a melody that will remain in the listener. I think that the main melody is what we keep the most. It's like a signature and will survive to time.

So I can start from a groove, an arp or chord sequence, but I know that the melody will arrive!

My style is usually a mix between ambient, electronic and classical music, but sometimes you can find rock guitars too. I think that I put all my musical background in my songs!

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

I'm usually very creative, not only in music, but in life in general, so my challenge is usually not to compose or finish a track, but to sell myself!

I don't like promotion, marketing or communication! I prefer to play, record and produce music!

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Absolutely yes!

My setup is very important for my work and music. When I change my setup or part of it, my music changes with it. It's like a symbiosis between my music and the instruments I use to produce it.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Don't focus only on music! If you need inspiration, go out for a walk, go to the beach, mountain, nature or crowded city, stay with the ones you love.

Free your mind and creativity will come!

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Actually Hélène Vogelsinger is a great inspiration for my music. In the past many other artists inspired me a lot, like Hans Zimmer, Ludovico Einaudi, Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree.

Anything else you'd like to say?

I loved the questions and your website is really nice to discover new artists!

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

Here you can find all my links and channels: linktree

Thanks for your interest and if you want to follow me and my music, subscribe to my Youtube channel!

Gear List

• Antelope - Orion Studio

• Apple - MacBook Pro

• Dynaudio - LYD48

• Yamaha - HS7

• Modular synth

• Elektron - Digitakt | Digitone

• Moog - Grandmother

• Studiologic - SL88 

• Yamaha - Stage Custom Drum

• Fender - Stratocaster

• Ibanez - Acoustic Guitar

• Mesa - Boogie

• Some other instruments from all over the world and some microphones of course!

In Case You Missed It

148 - Funkinhell

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Funkinhell

Currently in Spain, a musician that is truly dedicated to the craft. He has deeply thought about his process and where he wants to be 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I am a lover of ancestral rhythms and powerful basslines. I'm also a big fan of funky sounds. The combination of these sonic elements gave birth to my name: Funkinhell.

My love for music began when I was young. My father used to play the saxophone, guitar, and bass at home.

My passion for electronic music began in my teenage years. In my hometown, Bari (Italy), I attended concerts and DJ sets of my favorite artists almost every weekend. During this time, it became clear to me: I wanted to be among the artists I respected the most and dedicate myself to music.

In 2012, I bought my first mixer and CDJ 100s. After a couple of years, I acquired Korg's Volca series and a Novation Mininova. I used Ableton to record, and it was clear from the start that a mix of hardware and plugins would allow me to achieve the sounds I loved the most.

Over the years, I organized events with other local DJs, and in no time, we became highly appreciated by the city's youth, who always came to listen to us.

In 2015, I moved to Spain, Barcelona. In such a large and entirely new city, I DJed at various events while simultaneously developing my production techniques. In 2019, I took a music production course at "The Bass Valley" school, where I was able to grow as a musician.

In 2020, we founded a collective called SURVIBE. Our members include DJs, music producers, and marketers. This is how we started organizing parties in Barcelona's clubs and building a true community.

Music has never been my main source of income; I always worked parallelly. Until this October, when I decided to take a break from my job and dedicate myself 100% to my great love: music!

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Currently, the cornerstone of my productions is the Akai MPC Live II. It's possible to create an entire track using only this machine.

Initially, the workflow isn't immediate. It's been akin to learning how to use Ableton from scratch but once you grasp the trick, it becomes an indispensable ally.

Besides being a fantastic sampler, it can also be used as a step sequencer to control all other machines (hardware and VST) in the studio.

I feel that with the MPC, my creativity knows no bounds.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

The Prophet Rev2 is my most expensive synth, and it truly brings satisfaction when I use it. The sounds I can create, both polyphonic and monophonic, are incredible.

Its modulation matrix is straightforward to use, and I love that. I'm not a fan of menus and sub-menus. I prefer immediacy and letting creativity flow.

The synth also allows you to "split the keyboard" into 2 parts, making it possible to play 2 different sounds simultaneously. It also has 4 audio outputs, allowing me to record the 2 sounds separately. This gives me much more flexibility during mixing in Ableton.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I don't have a predetermined workflow. Sometimes, I start with a jam session that leads me into unknown territories. Other times, I begin with a very clear idea of what I want to achieve.

I always try to be consistent with myself and with the type of sound that characterizes the Funkinhell project. Sonic coherence is the only limit I impose on the freedom to transform the feelings I'm experiencing into music at the moment. The rest has no rules.

Inspiration can come from something I've been listening to in the days prior or even from a sound that emerges from one of my machines during a jam session.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I don't think I have a production technique that I always turn to. As I mentioned before, I like to feel free and go with the flow of what I'm feeling at the moment. However, I know my hardware, and I know that each one can provide the sound I need depending on the result I want to achieve.

Certainly, something that cannot be missing is the humanization of my tracks: applying groove to what I've recorded so that it doesn't sound too mechanical and robotic, using distorters (like overdrives, amp...) to generate harmonics and add color... This is something essential for me.

Another thing I love to do is use old break beat samples that have drum parts and modify them, resample them, chop them up... to make them unique. This allows me to give a very organic touch to the drum parts and achieve a very "UK sound" if the track requires it.

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How would you describe your style?

My style is the result of the musical influences I've absorbed throughout my life.

The artist who has inspired me the most since I began to love electronic music is Jeff Mills. I've always been amazed by his technique, versatility, and the combination of his DJ sets with the Roland TR909... truly mind-blowing!

In the Techno scene, alongside him, Underground Resistance, Suburban Knight, Drexcya have always been great inspirations, to name a few.

I also love grittier, punk-inspired sounds like those of Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. Currently, I follow a new group called Working Men's Club. They have a bright future ahead.

I enjoy taking musical journeys with the psychedelic sounds of Pink Floyd. I'm also a big fan of classical music; I attend the theater several times a year to listen to my favorite composers (Gershwin, R. Strauss, Stravinsky...).

I could go on for a while longer listing all the styles I like, but I'll stop here!

In essence, my style is techno with many influences from house, breakbeat, and electro. I love creating tracks that have "surprises", never bore the listener, and get the dance floor moving.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

My current big challenge is to release more of my music. I'm highly focused on producing new tracks and determined to see them come to light soon. The part that gives me the most headaches is the mixing of my music: a crucial process to ensure every sound finds its place and flows with the entire track. It takes constant study, practice, and, above all, ear training to achieve a good technique.

In the first half of 2024, my first EP will be released, a collaborative effort with my dear friend Saverio Ricci, on a label based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, called Sufrimiento Records. We are thrilled they chose us; the personal interaction with the label's team has been really good, and they are doing a great job. If you haven't checked out this label yet, I recommend taking a look. They are releasing excellent music and promoting interesting artists.

The other significant challenge is for the collective I founded in Barcelona, SURVIBE, to continue growing and establishing itself in the city. We're a fantastic team, and little by little, we're achieving it! We're aware that this is a long-term journey

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Undoubtedly, building my hardware setup has been an incredibly interesting and educational experience. It's not just about buying a machine, unpacking it, and plugging in cables. Everything behind the choice of a specific machine involves a search for individual needs, the kind of sounds one wants to create, the most suitable workflow, and how it integrates with other synths in the studio: a never-ending list of variables that provoke reflection and drive study and research.

Today, there's an astonishing number of companies, all trying to introduce something new that fits into a fresh market niche or competes with existing hardware. Keeping up with all the novelties requires a significant level of nerdiness.

It's also crucial not to be swayed by every synth's advertising that hits the market; each one claims to be useful and indispensable. In reality, in my opinion, the mantra to follow is 'less is more.'

Knowing your hardware well is the key to being productive.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Creativity is fueled by consistency and experimentation. It's about pushing beyond one's limits, trying new things, studying, immersing oneself in new knowledge, blending ideas and generating something novel. To me, that is what being creative entails.

All great ideas come from rehearsal and making mistakes.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I've already mentioned Jeff Mills, but with this question, I'm compelled to do it once again. For me, his concert 'Blue Potential,' performed live with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra, was revolutionary and truly mind-blowing. Of course, I have this DVD, and I don't know how many times I've watched it. It brought together everything I love musically: classic techno hits, performed by an orchestra, with Jeff Mills playing his Roland TR909. Wow!

This has taught me that limits do not exist.

Certainly, we can list many more revolutionary musical cases, artists who have broken barriers and made history. But hey, this is the one that is most etched in my heart.

Anything else you'd like to say?

I would like to express my gratitude for being here and having a space to share more about myself, my experience, and my perspective.

I find it very important to talk about each individual's experience. This greatly facilitates the search for the 'perfect synth' or 'perfect setup.'

I hope I can assist someone with this article.

Later, I will leave my contacts; feel free to reach out to me on Instagram if you need any clarification or want to delve deeper into any topic.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

soundcloud | instagram (@funkinhell_) | instagram (@survibe_music)

Gear List

There's a lot of hardware in the studio; I'll mention the ones I like the most:

• AKAI - MPC Live II

• Dave Smith - Prophet REV2

• Roland - TR8

• Moog - DFAM

• Pioneer - Toraiz

In Case You Missed It

147 - Dimitris Pap

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Announcement: For the next weeks, I will send only the Friday issue. 

That is until I manage other obligations that I have. I am loving each and every issue aswell creating a place to shine the spotlight on the producer next-door. So shutting down GAS is not an option. 

This is just a small adjustment and the releases will come back again at the normal pace. 

Keep creating!

Today in the spotlight, Dimitris Pap

Currently in Greece, a self-taught musician that wears all the hats in music production 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I am an Electronic Music Artist, Composer, Producer, and Sound Designer from Athens, Greece. I’ve been playing/practicing and composing music for as long as I can remember. From my childhood, music was my call.

As a self-taught musician through the years, I’ve learned to play music through informal methods such as with books, videos, and most importantly, by ear, listening, observing, and exploring every melody or sound.

Even though music is my passion, it is not the main source of my income. I am also into the trading business world.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

I use both software and hardware in almost all of my productions.

Lately, I was thinking of how powerful computers have become through the years and how easily they can handle everything a sound engineer throws at them. Computer processing power nowadays is incredible.

I love my hardware synths but my iMac Studio M1 loaded with Logic Pro and various VST's, is the center of my studio and essential to my production process.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

My Tiny Yamaha CP Reface. If you pass the signal through stomp boxes you will be surprised.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

The center piece of my setup is my iMac. Every hardware Gear Audio signal pass through logic and logic sends midi notes to all my hardware synthesizers. It is the Master clock.

I always have in mind to be simple concerning melodies and chords, and minimal concerning sound mixing using channel plugins.

The best sound is the one that sounds great without the need of compressors/limiters and major EQing.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Playing live with clips (clips in ableton , live loops in logic) and when the result sounds nice I proceed to arrangement. When, sometimes, I have doubts for the result , I listen without looking at the screen.

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How would you describe your style?

My style is not very specific.

I am working on Electronic music genres but mostly blurring the boundaries of Ambient combined with Deep/Melodic Techno/Minimal/experimental/synth-pop/electronic orchestral music.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

If we go back in history , we will realize that great artists and scientists where totally dedicated to their "Craft". Focused without distractions. No family, no personal life.

Now I understand why they were so successful.

A huge challenge for me is to keep up being creative and inspired, while paying attention and spend time and effort in other essential tasks in life such as family and business.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

I am having fun in both worlds. From my point of view, hardware and software working together is the perfect setup with limitless possibilities.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Spend time on your craft and eventually, insights and inspiration come. They arise as if from nowhere.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Books: Gates of fire and War of Art. Both by Steven Pressfield

Movies: Braveheart

Album (Soundtrack): Blade Runner

Anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you very much for the space you gave me here. I hope my answers help other people in their music creative process.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

spotify | youtube | facebook | instagram | bandcamp | soundcloud | tiktok

Gear List

SYNTHESIZERS

• Alesis - Andromeda

• Novation - Summit

• Roland - JD990

• KORG - TR Rack

• YAMAHA - CP Reface

• Moog - Sub37

VST'S

• spectrasonics

• u-he

• nativeinstruments

• arturia

• rolandcloud

DAW'S

• Apple - Logic PRO X

VISUALS

• Midjourney

• Finalcut Pro x

• Pixelmator

• Apple - Motion

• OBS

CAMERAS

• SONY - ZV-E10

• NIKON - D7200

AUDIO INTERFACE

• UA - Apollo Twin X

MONITORING

• Neumann - KH 120 A

COMPUTER

• Apple - Mac Studio M1 Max Chip (Apple M1 Max/32GB/512GB SSD)

In Case You Missed It

146 - Alvord Loop

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Alvord Loop

Currently in the United States, a film sound engineer with an artistic pesona that makes music with instruments he builds 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My name is Lawrence and I am currently located in California. I create music under the artist name Alvord Loop.

I used to spend a lot of time in the Alvord Desert located in southeastern Oregon. It is a remote and beautiful region of desert and mountains that seemingly goes on forever. The beauty and dissonance of that area is a continual source for inspiration.

I grew up entranced by music and uninhibited by categories and genres. The cross-pollinations that occur when musicians pursue their vision never ceases to amaze me. I love to seek out new artists and new sounds with a bent towards electronic and experimental works.

I am a sound engineer focused on sound for film and my professional experience informs Alvord Loop. Alvord Loop is where I mix sound design with electronics to create soundscapes and experimental sound compositions. For some pieces I create visuals to go along with the sounds.

I incorporate electronics, field/studio recordings, guitar sounds. I build my own sound devices that I integrate with the modular setup and pedals. My current focus is on integrating wood and paper with electronics.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

I have a Eurorack modular setup and a series of pedals. The setup is continually evolving as I pursue new ideas. I record and edit in Pro Tools.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

Knob-Enough (Piezo Transducer & CV Attenuator) by Crank Sturgeon. It’s a piezo mic in a small hard plastic box with an attenuator on top. I have found many uses for it as both a contact mic and as a CV modulator.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I start with an idea, perhaps a specific module, or a type of sound or sometimes I start with a natural sound I’ve recorded.

I start small, experimenting and trying different things. I keep trying and tweaking until I hit a sweet spot and then dial it in. Then I search for additional sounds that complement the initial idea and expand the piece. Any noise, electronic or natural, can be a source for processing and discovering interesting textures.

For some pieces I setup the components and outline an improv routine that highlights the sounds I’m aiming for. Then I keep trying until it feels finished. For others I create a full soundscape from a patch and mix it live. Sometimes I record layers and bits that become parts of an edited piece done in Pro Tools.

For the pieces that I’m not performing live, I’ll add visuals, usually later. The soundscape will give me a spark and I build the visuals around it.

One of the joys of working with Eurorack modules is the infinite possibilities for creating sounds and textures. I am continually surprised by what I discover by just experimenting and going with the flow.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I love the stereo field and the movement of sounds within. I enjoy working with delays and reverbs to create organic depth of field and movement.

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How would you describe your style?

I lean towards ambient soundscapes and atmospheres with an experimental bent. My general approach is to organize a set of engaging sounds that start at one place and lead you through to some type of end.

My biggest influences are nature, outer space, and machines. Nature is filled with wide and narrow sounds. Outer space is vast and quiet. Machines offer patterns and textures both soft and loud.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Organizing my time is always a challenge.

I get excited about the different things I want to do, setting up a patch idea, doing field recording, creating sound experiments, building sound devices. I can get stuck where it is difficult to decide what to do next. Fortunately, after some prioritizing, I’m usually moving ahead again.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

When I began focusing on sound compositions I started with virtual synths. I liked the results, but I wanted a more interactive, hands-on feel.

The hardware setup really opened up my ability to improvise, to listen and react and evolve a piece in real time. It also gave me an expanded sense of building sounds and putting them together in different ways that broadened my whole outlook.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

I try to remember that one thing always leads to another.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Here’s a few people that inspire me:

• Ikue Mori - she’s a great improviser and master of electronic movement

• Aphex Twin - wonderful complexity of sounds working together

• Delia Derbyshire - innovative sound designer in the early days

• Karlheinz Stockhausen - early experimenter who created fantastic pieces from electronic pulses and early gear

• The Soundscape, book by R. Murray Schaefer - Identifies the importance of listening and that any sound is capable of inspiring us

• George Lucas’ film THX 1138 - mesmerizing atmosphere through sounds

Anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you for collecting this oral history of electronic artists. Everyday I find inspiration by listening to or learning about the work of others. The breadth and depth of electronic creativity is a positive force these days.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

Instagram (@alvordloop) is where I post improvs, short compositions and visuals. On YouTube (@lawrencedolton) I focus on improv soundscapes featuring my hand built devices and electronics. Bandcamp contains finished works. Soundcloud has some of my earlier works.

Gear List

I have a few favorite modules and pedals that consistently amaze me because they sound different with every new patch — very dynamic, great depth:

• Make Noise - Morphagene

• 4ms - Dual Looping Delay

• Mutable Instruments - Plaits | Tides

• Chase Bliss - Mood | Red Panda Particle | Vongon Polyphrase.

In Case You Missed It

145 - Ahck

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Ahck

Currently in Japan, after a break from music for 8 years, he is back and now creates beautiful landscapes 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My name is Ahck. I live in Japan. I started playing guitar when I was in junior high school and was in a band.

When I was in my 20s, I was making music in a DAW, but I stopped playing music for about 8 years because I was able to get into other things.

After such a time, in 2023, I am producing electronic music as Ahck.

For me, music is like therapy, and I think it's important for my life.

I don't have any income from music production, I live on other income.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

A personal computer is indispensable. This is because it is the final point of the sound that I have created, and I get various inspirations by connecting to the Internet.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

It is a handmade noisebox.

I want to make handmade instruments again.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

First of all, choose the sound you like at that time.

Synthesizers, percussion, guitars, etc.

Then, while playing the pattern, record or sample it on a tape loop to expand the image.

What is important to me is to change the pitch and BPM and listen to it from a perspective other than the original image.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

It's tape-loops and sampling.

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How would you describe your style?

I incorporate the nostalgia, fragility, and melancholy I feel into my music production.

Currently, I am only active on Instagram, so my songs are basically short.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

The challenges are many.

Performing live music, making albums, creating instruments, etc. However, these are not things that I should rush to, but I will achieve them little by little.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

By creating a hardware setup, I was able to do things that I hadn't even noticed.

It's easy to experiment and challenge.

Every day, I am stimulated by listening to the performances of many artists. You may not be able to live without electronic musical instruments.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

For the time being, I think it's important to try to implement what comes to mind.

I think this is true not only for creating, but also for learning.

Sometimes I try to change my perspective and learn things that seemingly have nothing to do with music.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I'm inspired by a lot of things, but probably the most important one is the sound of the video games I played as a child. Especially played a lot with PCengine.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you very much for this interview.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram

Gear List

• KORG - Volca Drum | Volca Modular | EMX | KP3

• Tascam - Portastudio 424 | DR-40X

• BOSS - OD-3

• TC Electronic - Skysurfer

• FERNANDES - TE-95T

• Handmade NoiseBox

• FL STUDIO

In Case You Missed It

144 - Phi Wolgast

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Phi Wolgast

Currently in the United States, he has immersed himself into music in all possible ways. From creating sounds, making videos about gear, to working in music shops 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I’m Phi, I’m a 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist and music producer from Tucson, Arizona.

I’ve always gravitated towards music since I was able to comprehend it and physically hold an instrument. Growing up, my dad had lots of instruments around the house for me to mess with. Even though I didn’t have a formal music education, I was sort of figuring out how music worked at the same time that I was learning English, so music became pretty much a second language for me.

I was lucky to have family, friends, and teachers growing up who supported my creativity. When it came time to think about my education after high school, I began at community college and hoped to take some music courses, but found that I wasn’t learning what I thought I needed to. I dropped out after a semester and spent months scouring the internet for every music resource I could find.

Since then, I’ve started working at a local music shop in Tucson (Metro Gnome Music) and spent every day doing as much as I can to learn about music. In a way, I guess music is kind of my whole job? I don’t make music for a living because I haven’t found a large enough audience, but I do spend my time at my job surrounded by it. I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to craft my life around music like that. I also teach drum lessons, which is still a little weird to me but I’m getting used to it.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Oh man. Honestly, if I had to pick something, I would say my phone.

I don’t even make music on my phone at all, I only really record or produce stuff on my iPad or my computer. But whenever I’m trying to fall asleep at 12:30 at night and a melody pops into my head, I hum it out into my phone and get back to it in the morning. Or when I have a new mix of a song freshly rendered and I need to give it the ol’ car test, I load it onto my phone and listen to it on the way to work. Or when I come up with a random idea for a song concept or a name throughout my day, I open up my notes app and write down as much as possible. I even have a whole note that’s like 15 pages long that’s just a list of ideas or song names or random lyric fragments or whatever.

It’s weirdly the most priceless music tool for me, even though it doesn’t do any of the recording or sound-designing.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

A couple months ago I sold it to make room for some new and different gear, but I had this Behringer Crave synth that I got used for like $175.

That thing was the most ferocious little bass machine, and it even did stuff like arpeggios and sound effects really well too. I’ve never heard a single-oscillator monosynth that sounds so huge and thick. It’s in more songs of mine than I can accurately count. It beat out any of my other more expensive synths when it came to basslines.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Usually it goes something like:

spend four hours making an 8-bar chord progression, be happy with it in the moment, come back the next day and hate it, forget it for three years, come back to it and be inspired, and finish it using the production techniques I’ve learned since then.

Either that or somehow randomly come up with a super catchy melody and bang out a song in three days. No in-between.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Get a hardware synth (doesn’t have to be analog, just has to be relatively knob-per-function, no menu diving) and mess with it.

I can’t believe how many songs I’ve started just by turning on my synth and messing with it. It doesn’t have to be playing a melody or chords or anything either, just press a key and move some knobs.

Easiest way to get inspired, guaranteed.

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If you’re enjoying these studio tours & the interviews, chances are your friends will enjoy them too. Help me reach more readers, and grow this community, by sharing this issue:

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How would you describe your style?

Vaguely electronic?

I find it hard to define, I take inspiration from lots of places. The typical electronic artists like deadmau5, Ronald Jenkees, The Algorithm, Battle Tapes, but also a lot of rock and metal bands like Nine Inch Nails, Gojira, Mastodon, Karnivool, so many others.

I think I’ve always had a soft spot for electronic music that can get super heavy. Lots of dynamics, not just like full blast all the time. So I try to mimic that with my own music, but put my own spin on it.

And I also get bored with one subgenre of electronic music from one week to the next, so it varies a lot.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

I’d say two biggest challenges are self-criticism and promotion.

As far as the criticism, I feel like I can work on something for months and scrap it because I don’t think it’s worthy of being released, even though other people would probably love it.

I’m probably much too hard on myself as an artist.

And on the promotion side of things, I just feel like I don’t want to shove my music in other people’s faces, I want people to casually happen upon it when their journey in life requires it, but I guess that’s probably not how you go about getting your music heard these days.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Absolutely.

I don’t think it’s a necessity, but it certainly helps with inspiring you. You can just get to your sound faster if you’re using a physical instrument. Lets me get the ideas floating around in my head to a concrete product faster.

Also does not help my G.A.S. - that’s one “downside,” if you could call it that.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Make music with other people.

Shoutout to my friend Aaron Trinh who I do studio sessions with every week, we bounce ideas off each other that would probably never see the light of day otherwise. It’s crazy how fast we can get from an 8-bar loop to an 11-minute house banger when we put our heads together. True story.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

There’s this video documentary made by Ahoy on YouTube about a (spoiler: non-existent) fabled video game called Polybius that is creepy and thrilling and dark and delicious in all the right ways. I even ended up writing a song called Polybius after being inspired by the video.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Keep making music even when discouraged.

I have thought about quitting too many times when I hate what I’m doing in the moment or I feel like I’m not making anything good enough. Keep doing it if it makes you happy, shelf a project and come back if you don’t like it yet.

Don’t be afraid to say no to projects or say yes to a project that’s out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to create the music that makes you happy - you create for yourself, not for your audience.

Your listeners will find your music naturally, don’t force it.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

Find me everywhere at @pulsarglitch or search up Pulsar Glitch on any streaming platform!

@pulsarglitchmusic on YouTube for reviews, demos, and other fun stuff. Feel free to DM me on Instagram to chat!

Gear List

• Korg - Prologue 16

• Roland - Juno-106

• Moog - Minimoog Voyager Electric Blue Edition

• Peavey - 6505MH & Mesa Boogie 1x12 cabinet

• Way too many Ibanez guitars and basses

• Motu - M4 audio interface

• AKG - C214 condenser mic

• Shure - SM57 dynamic mics

• Dynaydio - BM5A studio monitors

• Beyerdynamic - DT990 250-ohm headphones

• Canon - EOS M50 mirrorless camera (for videos)

• An overly-powerful PC I built

• Razer - Blade 15 & M1 iPad Pro for on-the-go music production and recording

• An honestly impressive collection of plugins I only use about 1/10th of regularly

In Case You Missed It

143 - Kuro Kasetto

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

All the best for you and your creative endeavours in the new year 👨‍🎤👩‍🎤

Today in the spotlight, Kuro Kasetto

Currently in Mexico, he has a true love affair with music and creates deep emotional pieces 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I'm a person who enjoys exploring and making sounds and I have a project called “Kuro Kasetto” a personal sound experimentation project which I enjoy sharing with people all around the world.

I'm located in Mexico City.

Music was something that has always caught my attention. Over time, different disciplines related to music have caught my attention and I have practiced some of these disciplines. At the university I discovered and studied audio engineering and discovered a new universe, which made me open my eyes and discover a whole world of things related to audio, something that I loved and I wanted to explore and learn in different ways, one of those ways is Kuro Kasetto's project.

I do have income from this project, but my main income comes from other jobs; Carpentry, working on a radio, freelance and other odd jobs.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

It's a difficult question since at this point I think there are many things that are essential to me and my work.

But if I had to choose one it would be my computer, a Macbook Pro. Without it I wouldn't be able to do anything I do and I wouldn't be able to discover and explore many things either, it's something essential in my life and work, It's the brain in my bedroom studio.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

A Sony cassette recorder. It was one of my first tools with which I began to explore and experiment. It is a very basic recorder but I love it. It has pitch control and can record and play at half speed or normal speed which gives many possibilities to explore.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Normally I try to experiment with different workflows that lead me to something I have in mind that I want to achieve sonically or some emotion or experience that I want to capture through sounds.

But I usually start with a base of sounds that I like, and then decorate with different elements depending on what I want to achieve.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Tape loops! It's a fun technique and I really enjoy it. Simple and pretty.

You can support G.A.S. Newsletter

If you’re enjoying these studio tours & the interviews, chances are your friends will enjoy them too. Help me reach more readers, and grow this community, by sharing this issue:

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How would you describe your style?

I think I still haven't found my style, I still have a lot to explore to be able to answer this question. But maybe, it would be, pleasant.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Self confidence.

I feel like I lack a lot of confidence in myself and in this project. If I took the project more seriously, I'm sure I would do it much better and enjoy it much more, but it's something I'm working on and improving day by day. Kuro Kasetto has helped me overcome that limitation and feel better about myself in that aspect

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Totally!

When I discovered that type of work flow and performance I was fascinated and it changed my way of seeing music and also my life since it is something that I enjoy listening to and doing every day and it has brought me a lot of joy and opportunities.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Trying to do things when you are not inspired, forces yourself to create things. And listen, watch and research what interests you, there are too many talented people in the world.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I try to look for inspiration in everything. But mainly I find a lot of inspiration in Mangas and Animes, some examples would be: One Piece, Berserk, Nana, Lupin III, Monster and many many more.

Also in books such as Tolkien's literature, articles related to audio and in any musical genre, two of my favorite musical artists who inspire me are Hainbach and Feid, one makes ambient-electronic music and the other makes reggaeton.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you very much for the invitation and the interview (:

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram | bandcamp | youtube | spotify | patreon | linktree

You can find my work on most social networks and streaming platforms, under the name of Kuro Kasetto.

Gear List

My Favorites:

• Arturia - Microfreak

• Make Noise - Strega

• Soma - Lyra-8

• Meng Qi - Wingie 2

• Monome - Norns Shield

• Suiko - ST-60

• Modular System

• DIY stuff

• Yamaha - Portastudio MT50

• Fostex - X-12

• Elektron - Digitakt

• Boss - Dr.Sample SP2303

• Casio - SK5

• Yamaha - VSS30 | Portasound PSS-11

• Walrus - SLÖ

• Paradox Effects - Obsidiana | Habla-Bla

• Chase Bliss - MOOD

• Hologram - Microcosm

• Mackie - 1202-VLZ3

• Zoom - H6

In Case You Missed It

142 - Last Issue of 2023

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Special Issue! ✨🎉

To send 2023 away I’ll share some noteworthy studios from the past 103 of the year. I wish 2024 comes the way we want it, but if it doesn’t, remember…

We are creatives.

Even if nothing goes as planned, with a little alchemy from our side, we can do whatever we set our minds to!

Keep creating 🎶

2023 Studios - A Selection

106 - TÆT

Always fan of dark but easy to use studios.

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My name is Vladislav Green, I’m from Saint Petersburg.

I think I make music all my life - since my childhood till now. I wouldn’t call myself a composer or a producer - I just organize sounds. Sometimes people ask me to make something special for a movie, a brandbook or for a game/app, I can say that I’m pretty busy with that kind of things now.

51 - A Last Picture From Voyager

What a cozy and warm studio. I can see my self living in there forever -huh!

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Guitar pedals, so my pedalboard(s).

This is what Ι use for every track and every practice. Ι use it for guitars, but also after my modular synthesizer, for keyboards, at with tape players ….

And I can’t chose one pedal in particular. But, Ι must confess that micro-loopers are my favorites.

42 - Harry the Hat

The most minimal setup of all, but listen to Harry’s music and be amazed with what he can do with so little.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

Most of my gear is pretty cheap but I’ve recently bought a Korg Volca bass and have been using it in almost all of my jams since. I Love the classic 303-esque sound/filter and the ease of sequencing bass lines. Fits perfectly with my current style of production.

My Monotron delay is certainly the cheapest piece I use though.

92 - Trucks and Coyotes

Unlimited… possibilities…

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I generally start with a texture sample, process it with granular, until I find something interesting to go further. Then I choose one or several oscillators and start to experiment with sequencers. I also use a lot stochastic sequences.

Afterwards, I add bass and bass percussion sounds, and I check that both do not cover each other. Then comes light percussion, often samples. Effects come at the end.

This is the process as I can analyze it right now. But most often I don’t even remember how I started one track. I don’t write any notes, and un-patch everything when I’m done with recording. I love starting from scratch.

I always use a clocked tempo from Pamela, but often with 7/8 or 5/8 signatures.

49 - Trentabyte

A turntable combined with a modular synth is not something we see everyday. Plus, Trentabyte really makes it sing.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I am very proud of my hands on syntablism skiff that is also tied to other modules within my rig.

My most favorite action is to touch an FSR pad (Korb Pusher Module) that is controlling the speed of an LFO module (Divkid/Instruo OCHD) that has 6 hand tuned LFOs splitting and spreading all over my rig. Talk about organic modulation that can be manipulated live through my entire rig! It's as if Ι am speeding up or slowing down a heart beat in any one person's human body! Ι always feel soo connected to the energy and electricity of my rig every time i touch that pad!

A gift for the first 5 people that reply to this email!

Josua Karlson was kind enough to give 5 BandCamp codes, of his latest release, to our GAS community. Read on to find out.

Josua has been featured on GAS before. This is his studio & interview:

With this setup, he creates lot’s of types of music. On of them, dreamy ambient soundscapes. His latest album, under the alias Arcane Earth Reboot, is Eons on Ahuna.

Based on the upcoming novel “Eons on Ahuna“ by his friend Alexander Blumtritt, this album is the soundtrack, telling a story of eternal space travel, alien entities and cosmic revelation.

Reply to this email and if you’re fast enough, you’ll get on of the 5 codes to get the album with no charge.

Thank you Josua for your music and your kind gesture!

79 - PaprTape

No, it’s not an Ableton ad. That’s a real studio.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

As an artist, it's hard to find something that defines you.

I first started making music for artists since I wasn't sure what style I wanted to go for. I also did some apprenticeship to see how the big boys do it, and tbh, there's an old saying of do as I say but don't do as I do.

Once you find that spark that clicks as an artist, trust yourself and put all your heart and soul into it. Because the big boys aren't doing anything special and sometimes you might realize you know more or are more capable than those in the big leagues. However, finding that spark that defines you as an artist is hard and there is no specific formula to how or how long it will take.'

66 - catbeats

The most cat studio ever!

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Organizing all my songs and creations and deciding what collection of tunes to put out.

Sometimes I sit on things too long and then get unsure — this is natural but I try and have a theme for each collection of tunes to help find where they should go.

I believe in the lost art of the album so this framework definitely helps me when diving into my bounced files to determine what fits.

90 - Recue

A studio in the attic is always inspiring. Extra points for style.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Not really.

I’m not the biggest fan of the debates between different ways of making music and to me there’s no right or wrong way.

The physicality and interaction that hardware can bring can absolutely be a fun and captivating thing, but the end result is something that I’m usually most interested in, and whatever gets me there, gets me there.

What building my setup has indeed enabled though, is a physical space to go to create and play in (in all the meanings of that word).

When performing live, that’s where a full hardware setup really starts to shine for me.

133 - Sulk Rooms

Just by seeing this picture I get inspired to make music.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Load up 5-6 tracks that you love at the moment and flick through them to various points. Try and pick out an interesting aspect (melody/rhythm/mood) and then build something around this. Think of a few words that come to mind when listening and use these to give you the right energy.

Keep Creating!

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Happy Holidays friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful time 💗💗

Slight change in release day for this issue, because of Christmas day! 🎄🎄

Today in the spotlight, Quim Font

Currently in Germany, a solo experimental musician that is involved in the making of modular synthesizers 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I am a solo electronic musician and a band musician, bassist and vocalist.

My electronic project is much more personal and experimental. I am from Chile, but currently I live in Germany, in a small town and I have dedicated myself to experiment with techniques, learn new instruments (from playing drums to tape machines and synths) and currently I design modular synthesizers with a friend who lives in Mexico.

Music has never been my job, but design, but this year both paths came together and I'm into it.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Delay/loop.

I had for a long time a Danelectro Reel Echo on which I created loops that I then recorded digitally. But nowadays the Memory Man is my favorite device, which I always use in my creative workflow to "photograph" the loop or base sequence on which I produce.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

A Sanyo cassette deck to which I did Circuit bending to modify the speed. With it I made a series of albums using my father's old cassettes. In them came the so-called “canción protesta” folk music of resistance to the Chilean dictatorship. It's a kind of dark and politically charged folk Eccojams. They are the last 3 albums on my bandcamp.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I'm currently using a lot of the eurorack modular system we are working on, making demos and videos. I just turn everything on without patches and look to make a sequence or drone that I like, whether it's through textures, a field recording, a melody.

Sometimes that loop goes through a cassette, through the tape recorder or simply in the delay. This functions as a trigger that allows me to dialogue with a musical idea in the same way as I would with another person. I generate a musical dialogue with chance.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Looping found tapes or sound landscapes and using minimalist techniques of repetition and overdub.

You can support G.A.S. Newsletter

If you’re enjoying these studio tours & the interviews, chances are your friends will enjoy them too. Help me reach more readers, and grow this community, by sharing this issue:

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How would you describe your style?

I don't think I have a certain style, but there are aesthetic factors that reappear, such as ambient drones and concrete music operations.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Being isolated in a new country. I was used to being part of an underground musical community in Santiago de Chile and now I am in a very different environment, far from the cities. So the challenge is how to not get discouraged even though I don't have that rich community with which I could play live. The Internet is useful, but the goal for me is to play live and with other people. The ritual of getting together to listen and make music.

I have dedicated myself to create diverse music, without thinking about gigs or albums. I have made music for dance and for short documentaries. That kind of stuff, I work online at a distance.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

It allows you to play alone. I was used to playing in bands where the creative process was organic and horizontal. Now I only have my own ideas, so I use a lot of chance and error, I try to use new techniques that surprise me and ignite the creative spark.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Going out into nature.

Music appears by itself, from the body or from the mind. You have to give it space, prepare a context for it, make experiments, try something new.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

“Irreales del Monte”, a mix of electronic Ambient with Chilean Guitarrón, a very rare country instrument even in Chile.

Αnything else you'd like to say?

I would like you to see the modular synthesizer we have been designing with my friends from Mexico.

There was a Kickstarter campaign that ended on December 18. We achieved 100% in 20hrs! We are now producing the units. And during the next year (2024) we will be making more commercial copies and other more specialized modules, not so generic.

This system is designed to be the gateway to the modular world. Designed from Latin America for the whole world. Oficina de sonido makes very peculiar and niche instruments like LGA Sirena Dub or the tropical machine Hanan Cumbia, take a look at it, the project is really fresh.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram | bandcamp | instagram (Oficina de sonido ) | kickstarter

Gear List

• Oficina de sonido - My First Modular | Eskite | Hanan Cumbia | Monotheremin

• Bleep Labs - Nebulophone

• Corazón de Robota - Copernica

• Arturia - Microfreak

• Elektron - Octatrack

• Yamaha - PS400 | PS3 | Reface CP

• HEX - Memory man | Cathedral | Platform | Pitchfork | BigMuff Pi

• Squier - P-Bass

• Tascam 4 tracks digital

• Tascam 4 tracks casete

• Uher - Variocord Tape machine

In Case You Missed It

140 - TASTEOFSLOW

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, TASTEOFSLOW

Currently in Bali, he’s been making music for more than 20 years and found filmmaking to be the medium where he can combine his music and other artistic pursuits 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hello, im Alex Grabchilev (TASTEOFSLOW)

I live in Bali for more than 10 years. My main source of income is filmmaking and photography.

I started writing music at 13 years old (now I’m 35). It was a way to feel real all the imagined worlds I had in my mind.

All my life I was switching back and forth between music and visual arts, until I found myself in filmmaking where I can join this parts of myself.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

It’s an iPad. i use it as a main sequencer for all my stuff.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

I think it’s the volcas.

Volca is an amazing little synth that is really difficult to replace. They are analog (most of them) and have midi cc control which unfolds huge amount of sonic possibilities.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

My whole process is around the concert of making live performance video. As I have a “computerless “ setup, I’m starting a new track only if I record previous one or I want to ruin it.

Sometimes I have sessions where I just explore synths and create patches.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I’m always doubling my bpm in the middle of the track. It’s like 72/144 . I intuitively stick to this bpm, and what is the funny thing , recently I discovered some magic behind this number. 72 is like 2/3 of 108 (which is sacred and represents wholeness of existence in Hindu and Buddhist culture.)

The production always starts with a patch. Sometimes I’m starting with a very raw idea of sound I want to create, then I’m trying to get this sound and on the way I’m coming up with the melody and groove.

But most important technique is to finish previous track before starting new one.

Sometimes if I’m not happy with the track and I don’t feel to finish it, I’m starting new with the base of previous one with patches and drum kit.

You can support G.A.S. Newsletter

If you’re enjoying these studio tours & the interviews, chances are your friends will enjoy them too. Help me reach more readers, and grow this community, by sharing this issue:

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How would you describe your style?

I grown up listening to IDM , BigBeat, Jungle, Electro, Ambient.

So I guess its Space, IDM, Synth-wave

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Uf, the biggest challenge is to fit all my studio in live setup rig. I love to plan and optimize the workflow and the space my synth takes from studio. So I came up with rack cases where all my stuff lives and I can take it with me without unpatching it.

Also big challenge is promoting. In the modern era of attention wars you should really force yourself to push your music everywhere.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Yes for sure,

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Easiest way to spark your creativity is to start creating without pressure that you need to create something. If you love to spend time doing music, tweaking knobs, just relax and enjoy.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I’m a big fan of science fiction movies, books, and futurology in general. I also have small collection of books of concept art, like Syd Mead, Chris Foss, John Harris.

Anything else you'd like to say?

I want to add that my genre can be described as musical storytelling. Many people told me that my music will be good as game soundtrack, I actually will be happy to try to write music for games.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram | soundcloud | bandcamp | youtube | spotify 

Gear List

• Apple - Ipad pro 11”

• Yamaha - HS8

• IK Multimedia - iLoud

• Behringer - UMC 1820

  • Extension for it - Ada 8200

• Korg - SQ1

• Akai - Midimix

• Novation - Nanokontrol XL

• Novation - Launchkey 37

• Behringer - 2600 Gray Meanie

• Mutable Instuments - Veils | Stages | Tides | Warps | Blades | Beads

• Behringer - Neutron | Pro 800 | Deepmind 12

• ASM - Hydrasynth 

• Novation - Peak

• Korg - Monotron Delay | Volca - Keys | Bass | Kick | Drum | FM

• Moog - Minitaur 

• Elektron - Analog Rytm MK2

In Case You Missed It

139 - Novak The Enjoyer

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Novak The Enjoyer

Currently in United States, he has a diverse background with Balkan roots and influences of Thrash Metal and Classical Music all of which, come out in his music 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Thanks for having me! I'm a Los Angeles native. Music has always been the way I've felt and understood the world around me. I'm first generation American. My parents are from former Yugoslavia, so I formed all of my musical structure on a foundation of Balkan music.

I grew up performing in a Balkan folklore tamburitza group where I mainly played the prima (similar to a mandolin). My big brother introduced me to Kill 'Em All and Master Of Puppets as a little kid in the 80's which got me into guitar and it was a combination of thrash metal and classical music throughout my youth. I could always pick up any instrument and get something out of it, so I attached myself to music pretty early on.

I was in a band with friends through the 2000's. It wasn't until about 2010 that I got more serious about composing music for TV/Film. I didn't quit my day job, however, working in the trades, running a painting business, and moving on to building and running the scenic department for an experiential marketing fabrication shop. Recently I formed a business with a partner composing music for TV/Film.

On the side, I have an online store at novaktheenjoyer.com where I share some products that I make. It's not much, but it's a way for me to extend the ways I express my creativity, and to learn how to start and run a shop. I'm excited to expand the product selection and find my niche there.

Youtube is the most recent thing I started doing and I'm really excited about it because it also feeds the creation station. Like the shop, it's another open-ended and undefined thing that is evolving. Between the music, the shop, and a family with young children, I have my hands pretty full.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

For the last 10 years I would have said my entire modular system. The only thing I wanted during that time was to be left alone, locked away in my office with my cables, studying and learning each module and different patching techniques. Disappearing into sonic multiverses became quite solitary. The only people into modular are the 300 people you connect with on Instagram, otherwise you're the wierdo at the party who is causing all the eyes to glaze over when you start talking about sawtooth waves and lowpass filters.

This year, however, I came out of that blackhole when I picked up the OP-1 Field. I'm back to songwriting on a 4-track with my acoustic just like when I was a kid. The two go hand in hand for me at the moment, but the OP-1 Field revived me. I've gone through creative dry spells that have lasted years. I would never have imagined it possible to go so long without writing, so I really do appreciate when the iron is hot.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

$5 Shaker, maybe? It just spices everything up.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Professionally, it starts with a conversation with my partner about the project before we distill it down into a few prompt and then I go to town on some sketches. It depends on what it is, but I usually start with the modular. It's a really easy and quick way to build a launchpad to take off from. If it needs some life, I'll mic in some organic instruments like guitar, piano, etc...

We reconvene and from there and drill further down. Hopefully after a few rounds of notes everyone is happy. My partner has a very good analytical mind and ear and is such a great resource of honest criticism considering how difficult it is to listen to the music you create with a fresh perspective. I'd say it's the most important part of our process.

If I can point my satellite in a general direction and then forget about transmitting signals, I find it hard not to come up with something fun I can operate on. I then take that idea and , at least lately, expand on it with the OP-1 Field. It's not easy, but the challenge of editing and honing my ears for the performances and production quality aspect of that machine is part of the process and the appeal. There's something about that brand of inhumane punishment that just gets me going.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I have to constantly remind myself that less is more. My ultimate production technique is remembering that sometimes the cello, backup vocal, doubled guitar, reverb, or whatever else shouldn't be heard as much as it should be felt.

You can support G.A.S. Newsletter

If you’re enjoying these studio tours & the interviews, chances are your friends will enjoy them too. Help me reach more readers, and grow this community, by sharing this issue:

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How would you describe your style?

Not a fucking clue. That's one reason why I'm throwing it up on Youtube at the moment. I'm hoping I'll be able to stand back at a certain point and see or hear a common thread connecting it all. Speaking of GAS, going from modular to cameras and video was not my best move.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

My biggest challenge with all of this stuff is committing. I find that in the endless variations of emotions, the infinite choices and possibilities, the countless ways of expression, it can be impossible to commit to anything. I can work a piece straight into the ground very easily. It's very hard for me to hold onto a vision. I can get into a frame of mind where the song could go anywhere, say anything, and then I just get frustrated.

I try to avoid that train of thought by working relatively quickly, using spur of the moment decision making, as opposed to potting and planning.

I find that it's more beneficial to spend that energy on tightening things up once they're in place.

One more thing that never gets fully solved, I think for most people but especially for me, is not having every piece of hardware hooked up and at the ready. My studio is always in a state of flux. Today it's a subset of my modular system, tomorrow it could be a pipe organ for all I know, but I can never have that dream state where I can just walk in, flip a switch, and whatever I touch is on and ready to record.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

My modular setup taught me one of the most important musical lessons I've ever learned. Don't be precious about your stuff.

I was a control freak before my modular. When you unplug that thing, that shit is gone and that was the best thing for me. It translates very well to the OP-1. Without that undo feature (please give it to us TE!) you just have to do something else. That something else is like lifting a barbell. The more reps, the stronger you get. After a while, you notice that it gets easier to just do something else and not worry about whether or not it's going to sound as good as the last, or be good enough to keep going.

Just create.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Mess with a piece of gear you haven't touched in a while. It works like a charm for me. It just takes one spark, and that spark typically comes from a happy accident. Two birds, baby. What better way to sharpen your skills than to pickup an old piece of gear and maybe write the next cultural revolution?

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Cosmogramma, by Flying Lotus turned everything inside out. It entirely changed my perspective.

Do you have a question in mind that you think I should have asked? Or anything else you'd like to say?

Question: GAS must cause some people to buy things they shouldn't. Any buyers remorse?

Anything else?: YES. My OP-Z hasn't gotten any of my attention. I know how valuable it is in terms of features, but it's been a dust collector ever since I bought it. I crossed the bandwidth threshold, and now I have too many things to learn and play with before I get to it.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

youtube | website | instagram | music production company

Gear List

• My white board

• Apple - Mac Studio | Logic X

• Teenage Engineering - OP-1 Field | OP-Z

• Martin - 000-15SM

• Moog - Sound Studio

• Yamaha - Hs5's

• Arturia - Keylab 61 | Polybrute | Minibrute

• Nuances - Midi Controller

• Young Chang - Baby Grand Piano

• All of my modules

• Fender - P-Bass | Jazzmaster

• Gretsch - Power Jet

• Ampeg - BA-115

• Orange - Micro Terror

• Marshall - VS-100

• $5 Shaker

• Chase Bliss - Gen Loss MK2 and other pedals

In Case You Missed It

138 - Anna Sharifi

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Anna Sharifi

Currently in Berlin, she got into singing from an early age but progressively found ways to fully express herself by producing and playing live 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hi, I’m Anna Sharifi, I’m a musician and electronic music producer based in Berlin.

I started playing music when I was a kid and got quite good at singing so I was admitted to a pre-conservatory training for youngsters in Denmark, where I grew up. During those years, it got clear to me that I was actually more hooked on songwriting than I was on singing.

Then when a friend from high school introduced me to the DAW Logic Pro, it clicked for me; Working in a DAW would allow me to produce music as I’d hear it in my head with beats and bass and harmonies and all that and no longer be limited to one track tape recordings of me playing piano and singing. It opened up a new exciting world to me.

I started to produce music in Logic myself; It was learning by doing but I’ve also taken quite a few courses in production and mixing over the years. At first I did electronic pop but with time, the music got more and more technoesque.

Then about 3-4 years ago, I decided to develop a live-set using hardware only. I am out playing live shows with that setup but I still need a part time job to make ends meet. I studied cultural and social sciences and was able to find a relevant job in qualitative market research with two bosses that are very flexible, meaning I can more or less arrange my working hours according to my other projects and my family life.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

It still is my DAW, Logic Pro X.

I've tried to switch to Ableton, but keep coming back to Logic. Especially for recording audio (which is all I do when recording - skipped midi altogether for now), the process is familiar and faster for me to execute than in Ableton. It’s all about the flow; When I struggle with DAWs or instruments, I get extremely frustrated and angry, you know - when you feel your ideas are slipping away just because of technical difficulties, it’s really the worst!

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

I bought this Indian bell construction in a souvenir shop at New Delhi airport some years ago. Recorded it, reversed the sound, layered it, transposed it and panned it. The song is still not out (lyrics missing), but those bells have become the most intriguing element on any of my tracks so far.

I also quite often use the vocoder setting on my Novation Mininova, it gives the songs a specific vibe that I like a lot. Thereby it’s just one preset of 200 on a relatively inexpensive synthesiser.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

It always starts with an idea of a pattern that pops into my head: a melodic theme, bass run, vocal melody or a beat.

Before I switched to my hardware setup, the creative part of songwriting / producing happened directly on the laptop. I would record the one element that initiated the process and then try/jam different layers on top of it until finding sounds and elements that would fit.

Now I go with that one idea to my live set-up and develop the rough idea there before I even start recording.

It sometimes takes months where I try out the piece at shows, then adjust, rearrange, change bits again before I record the piece track by track.

I always do some light mixing while recording, just pan, volume and some EQ and reverb. That gives me a better feel of the song and where I want to take it.

After the recording phase, I dive into effects and mixing and when I decide I am almost done, I usually record the vocals again so they are relevant to how the production turned out.

When I’m done with the mixing, I book a time slot in a rental studio to hear how the production sounds on other monitor speakers. I’ve found out that mine (Adam Audio A8X) are quite heavy on the bass so I am trying to polish the mix on more neutral ones.

Then finally, I send off the song to mastering!

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I love bass sounds around 200-300 Hz so I always give the EQ a little nudge up somewhere around those frequencies on my synth bass tracks.

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How would you describe your style?

Melodic, minimal, dramatic, driven, more rough than polished, I like when some sounds pop out and scratch the bobble of sound once in a while.

I blend different styles and musical traditions into my works inspired by my Danish and Iranian roots and my chosen home Berlin. I usually describe my sound as a mix of “Scandinavian clarity, Oriental longing, Berlin techno, and raw emotions”.

Elements I use a lot; vocals (vocal layers, different effects also vocoder), synthesiser themes / arp. / soundscapes, I also use synthesisers for the bass. My beats are samples of morphed field sounds and analogue drum-machine beats.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Self doubt. I can get really self conscious. Especially with tracks that I am releasing, so I often end up not really promoting them enough once they are out.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

The production possibilities are more limited, but that’s good in a way - limitations sometimes spark creativity. And my music has become more loop based. I develop the tracks on my live setup, where I’m working more with layering than with distinguished song sections.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Take a walk, or wash the dishes - anything you can do on autopilot, and then DON’T listen to any music or podcast, just wash the dishes or take the walk and thoughts and ideas will come by themselves.

It works for me most of the time, still I often feel some resistance towards this method because it can be strenuous spending time with one’s own thoughts, and listening to podcasts feels like the perfect entertainment when doing chores, but when I do find the discipline to NOT listen to anything, that’s when my brain is free enough to actually be creative and get new ideas.

When I have longer periods with low creativity or energy, I find collabs really fruitful, just to embark on a new project with someone else with a different mindset and different style and see where it takes us.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I rediscovered my fascination for M.I.A. and Banksy who use their art and platforms in non-apologetic, political ways forcing us to self-reflection, advocating for humanity. For me that is the absolute highest purpose of art and a reminder to myself to aim for authenticity and be standing for something, even when it means angry messages and losing some followers on social media (which I am spending too much time on anyway). I do get affected by negative responses and still have to learn to navigate them. Here M.I.A. inspires me a lot just speaking up.

Anything else you'd like to say?

A shout out and much love to the community of hardware producers and live-acts for the positivity and support.

I’ve previously felt reduced in the field of music production/ being a musician because of my gender but since I switched to this hardware setup and became part of this specific community, it’s been all good vibes. No demeaning comments or attitudes, only encouragement and genuine interest and am really grateful for that experience.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

website | instagram | tiktok | youtube | soundcloud | spotify

Gear List

Essential to my live setup:

• Tascam - Model 12

• Korg - Minilogue XD

• Boss - RC505

• Roland - TR8S

• Novation - Mininova

• Sennheiser - E 945

In Case You Missed It

137 - MitDemAll

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Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, MitDemAll

Currently in Leipzig, he started as a shouter in a Metalcore band where he found his way into recording engineering and later sound design 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hi, I am Jona aka MitDemAll from Leipzig, musician and producer.

I got in touch with the whole music production madness first at the age of 18. I was the shouter in a Metalcore band at that time. We practiced at a youth club where they had a small studio and a guy who run it. The moment I went in there, to do our first recording, I was hooked and tried to learn how to become a recording engineer. At some point I discovered that you could also make music with the software I used to do the recordings. (Cubase at the time)

I started out by making Hip Hop beats, because this was the other kind of music I listened to at the time, but my fascination for sound design and synthesizers soon drew me towards more electronic genres. I was fascinated by the idea that sound design could be a lead instrument.

Hardware was a way for me to get the experience out of the computer again. I really like producing "in the box" as they say, but I come from a band background so there was always the desire to play music live. The first years of producing music, I always had the thought of: How would I ever play this with a band... DJing somehow was never an option for me. When I saw people on Youtube performing live music with a few pieces of hardware this really resonated with me and I wanted to do this as well.

Since I moved to Leipzig two years ago I am trying to make music more the center of my live. I've played a lot of gigs with my new Live Techno Duo Sounds Friction, I organize a lot of shows, do some recordings for bands, started teaching drums and even got my first composer/ producer job for a commercial spot. So far all of these are side gigs and can't pay the bills but I think I'm getting there :)

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

By far, Ableton live.

I use a lot of Hardware Synths, as well as "traditional" instruments in my production, but the computer is where everything gets recorded, edited, arranged and mixed. I also use a lot of soft synths and samplers.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

The Arturia MicroBrute was the first hardware synth I've ever got over 8 years ago, and to this day I still find new sounds within it. It appears on roughly half the tracks I produce.

My latest discovery was plugging an electric bass guitar into it.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Most of the time I start with designing a synth sound either on the PC or on my modular and start playing it. Then I'll record a few minutes of me performing it and edit it down. This becomes the basis of the main part or even the whole song. This way I don't have to "get out of the loop" when arranging.

From there on its only recording in more instruments in places the song needs them and letting the arrangement arise organically. Here everything goes: Hardware synths (sequenced or played live) Soft synths, Piano, Bass guitar.. I even record Acoustic Drums from time to time.

But all of this is not a straight process. Most of the time I work on new Ideas as long as the inspiration is flowing and let them rest. At the time, when I want to make a new Album, I look though my old project files and put in the work to finish the ideas I like best within a few moths. Finally one or two weeks of mixing and mastering to finish the whole thing.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Experimentation - try out something new and then run with it and try to build a working song around it.

Even if at first glance, it obviously isn't going to work out.

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How would you describe your style?

I think I fit into a very small niche between Melodic Techno, Ambient and Hip Hop. I am also hugely influenced by my upbringing in Metal and Hardcore, but this leads more towards me wanting to try more extreme things when producing, and not to elements of these genres appearing in my music.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

My biggest challenge comes from managing my mental health, and keeping up the work on my art, when everything seams pointless. I've suffered from depressions for maybe half of my life.

The only thing that worked for me so far is, to make the music for myself and stop thinking about "if you're gonna make it big some day". Make the music for your self and treat it with the importance it has to you personally. This might be putting in the extra work while producing, or finally promoting it more.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Yes, building a setup, that is tailor made for me, has finally enabled me to play and improvise electronic music live. I love producing, but playing live is just something else.

But this was a long process of try and error, and I'm still working on it. The biggest challenge for someone like me, who puts together his tracks on a computer is to make a compromise between playing the songs like you already build them, and the limitations of your setup.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

This could be something simple like using a synth and fx combination you normally would not use, or something out there like using a cymbal stack and a brush to play them like bongos. (as I do on my latest single "Walls")

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Share your Work! by Austin Kleon

Anything else you'd like to say?

My advice to everyone making music at home would be collaborate more with other musicians to get inspired or even go out to jam session. This changed my outlook on music dramatically.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

You can find me on most streaming platforms (like spotify,..) at the moment new tracks is getting a video release on Youtube first.

If you want to get in touch, Instagram is the way to go.

You can find we everywhere as: MitDemAll

Gear List

• Laptop

• Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 interface with

  • ArtTech 8 channel Tube preamp expander

• an old Samson midi Keyboard

• Arturia - Microbrute

• Elektron - Digitakt

• Elektron - Octatrack

• modular Synth, most notable modules:

  • Moog - DFAM,

  • Noise Engineering - Basimulus Iteritas Alter

  • Make Noise - Mimeophon 

  • Polyend - Poly 2

• and an OP1 that crashes all the god damn time.....

In Case You Missed It

136 - Nicolas Melis

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Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Nicolas Melis

Currently in Cyprus, a musician with a classical background that recently started exploring electronic music and merging those two worlds together 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I'm Nicolas Melis, a Cypriot pianist and keyboardist.

I'm currently in Cyprus, where I work as a Piano Instructor, I perform, teach, and collaborate with various artists. In recent years, I've expanded into the world of synthesizers and electronic music. This led to the release of "Bach on a Synth," an album that merges my classical background with modern technology. While music remains my primary source of income, these explorations into electronic music have added a fresh dimension to my musical journey.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

One essential piece of equipment in my studio is my Sequential Prophet Rev2 synthesizer. It's a powerful and versatile instrument that plays a crucial role in creating the electronic and synthesized elements of my music, adding a unique and expressive dimension to my compositions.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

One of the least expensive pieces of gear that has given me significant results is the Arturia Keylab Essential MIDI controller keyboard. This affordable controller has been instrumental in enhancing my music production and performance capabilities, allowing me to interact with various software instruments and virtual synthesizers with great versatility and creative freedom.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

My music creation process starts with finding inspiration, which could be from personal experiences, emotions, or musical concepts I want to explore.

Then, I compose the music, shaping it according to my vision. I record live performances using my synths/keyboards or program electronic elements with MIDI controllers.

Sound design is crucial for electronic music, involving the manipulation and shaping of sounds using synthesizers and effects processors.

The arrangement phase is where I structure and layer the music, and mixing is vital for balancing and enhancing the audio.

Mastering gives the final polish, optimizing overall loudness and tonal balance.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

One production technique I consistently return to is layering.

Layering allows me to create depth and complexity in my sound. It involves adding multiple tracks or instruments that complement each other, resulting in a rich and textured final product.

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How would you describe your style?

As an artist, my personal style is a fusion of classical and electronic elements. I draw from my classical piano training to infuse emotion and depth into my compositions.

Simultaneously, I explore the world of synthesizers and electronic music, incorporating soundscapes and textures.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

A significant challenge I face as an artist is promoting my music effectively in the digital age, given the oversaturation of content.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Yes, building a hardware setup has changed my perspective on music and life.

It has deepened my appreciation for the tactile aspects of music creation and opened up new creative possibilities. In life, it has reinforced the value of dedication and continuous learning.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

To spark creativity, I recommend embracing a change of scenery or routine.

Sometimes, a new environment, a different time of day, or a break from your usual habits can provide fresh perspectives and inspire creative ideas.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Lisa Bella Donna's "Odyssey"

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

bandcamp | youtube | instagram

Gear List

• Fender - Rhodes

• Wurlitzer - 200a 

• Clavinet - D6 

• Roland - SH101

• Mellotron - M4000D Mini

• Dave Smith - Tempest 

• Sequential - Pro3 | Prophet Rev 2 | OB6

• Moog - Minimoog | Model D | Matriarch | Little Phatty

• ASM - Hydrasynth

• Nord - Stage 3

• Roland - Juno 60

• Yamaha - DX7

• Elektron - Digitakt

In Case You Missed It

135 - Serious Things Tomorrow

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

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Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Serious Things Tomorrow

Currently in the UK, a drummer that also honed the skill of producing his own music 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My name is Tom aka Serious Things Tomorrow and I’m based in London.

I’ve been making music my whole life as I come from a very musical family. I originally played the trombone when I was young but switched over to the drums which I still play to this day.

Around the age of 17 I got into electronic music and production as an ‘instrument’. Since then I’ve been producing music on and off in various styles and under different names, as well as playing drums in a few bands.

Back in 2020 I released my very first album, and this year I released a 3 track EP. I’m very fortunate to work in a couple of universities as a music technician, so I’m surrounded by gear every single day and I love it!

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Currently I’ve made the Elektron Digitakt the centerpiece of my entire studio, which I purchased back in 2021. It's been an absolute game-changer for me as it sequences all my other synths and also has insanely powerful features. I also love how it has just enough limitations to force myself to work creatively, but not too many limitations that I can’t make serious music with it. I am also extremely grateful that Elektron keeps pumping out major updates for it despite it being over 6 years old at this point - the 1.50 update with the new sampling machines has literally changed how I make music. Other manufacturers should take note!

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

I started my hardware journey with a single Korg Volca Keys back in 2018, and soon after caught the bug and paired it up with a Beats & FM. My early hardware jams were mainly pure Volca’s and I think a lot of people like to see them being used effectively, so I managed to connect to a solid audience of people online. I think there is now much larger competition when it comes to super budget synths, but the Volcas when they came out were pretty revolutionary for getting broke musicians out of their computer screens. They are also very useful for creating happy accidents with the unique sequencers. I am always conscious of saving space so I still use two Volcas in my set up to this day, I love them to bits.

I also technically got my 4 track Tascam cassette deck for free from my Dad, which I’ve used for lofi ambience and glitchy chords on everything, but to me it's priceless.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Since I’m a drummer I usually start with the beat, but occasionally I'll be inspired by a synth sound or a sample which can set the vibes. I like to create a 1 or 2 bar beat in Logic - usually at a faster tempo than I have in mind, and get it sounding nice and punchy and or crunchy before exporting it into the Digitakt. I like to use the werp or repitch algorithm to slow the beat down, the werp mode gives slowed down beats a really nice glitchy feel. From there I will add extra elements, reinforce the kicks/snares, and add extra percussion with the Volca drum, which is really useful for freeing up valuable sample slots on the Digitakt. From then on I usually create a patch on the Microfreak to find the melodic basis for the track, create some tape loops for ambience & figure out which elements or synths I actually need on the track. Occasionally I’ll actually decide that a track doesn't need one of my synths or any more elements - sometimes minimalism is key.

I used to find myself bogged down when creating tracks in a DAW, I would get caught in the dreaded 8 bar loop on repeat for hours, as well as pouring over the mixdown for an eternity. My current setup has been created in mind to combat this, so I can quickly create full tracks with much more emphasis on performance rather than programming. I used to utilize the Overbridge feature of my Digitakt to multitrack record everything, but now I just have 3 stereo channels to track and that's it; my Digitakt with synth inputs, my Tascam 4 track, and my reverb pedal which I can use to quickly add ambience thanks to a homemade knob. This minimalist setup forces me to mix mostly within the Digitakt, and allows me to worry more about the music itself.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

As I mentioned earlier, I love using tape loops as a way to add natural sounding ambience to colder digital sounds. I’ve modified a few cassettes to just play a 5/10 second loop, which can then be recorded on to create interesting sounds and textures. Often I’ll record 4 notes of a single chord which can then be played like an instrument, with a very healthy dose of reverb/delay. The Tascam unit I use has a colourful 2 band EQ which can shape sounds very nicely, as well as having a great sounding natural overdrive when it's pushed. It always seems to add the final cherry on top to whatever my Digitakt or other synths are doing.

I also always enjoy creative sidechaining; most people associate the word sidechain with compression, but there are a lot of different ways to use sidechaining in interesting ways, like with gates or saturation. For instance

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How would you describe your style?

I’d say I lean more towards darker sounds and styles, whilst still trying to maintain harmony and melody.

I have a particular fondness for older electronica/downtempo music, and especially anything to do with trip-hop. I feel like electronica can feel like a bit of a cop out as a descriptor since it's so all-encompassing, but I take influence from so many varied styles of electronic music, so I feel like it fits - whilst also being admittedly vague!

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

I have always struggled with discipline when it comes to finishing music, especially as my music is all self released, so I don’t ever have deadlines as opposed to my professional work. My current hardware setup has been created with this in mind, so I can just sit down and get creating as quickly as possible.

I also wrestle with the whole idea of self promotion, as I am not the biggest fan of social media in general, but there seems to be no other way of getting yourself heard these days and it's almost mandatory for any aspiring musician. I am hoping to be able to take my hardware setup out into the real world and play some shows, and hopefully in the process create some real connections with real people.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

It definitely has shifted the way I think about music creation - in a very positive way. We are constantly tied to computer screens in everyday life, so to be able to make an entire piece of music whilst only ever looking at a screen to hit record has helped me to use my ears much more critically. It's also great having invested in tangible pieces of gear that I have grown to become attached to in the real world, which makes me utilize them much more sincerely than a random plugin I got on a discount.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Resampling! I love going back to old abandoned projects and finding some great forgotten sounds, even if the tracks themselves are subpar.

Also, if you are feeling unmotivated, just sit down with one piece of gear (or softsynth) and hit record - see what weird sounds you can come up with. You might just make a sound that is unique enough to resample and become the basis of your next track.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

Ivar Tryti - Underutilized

Anything else you'd like to say?

Just wanted to say thank you so much for interviewing me, it's been fun talking about what I do for once instead of just doing it!

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram | youtube | bandcamp | spotify

I also have my music on most streaming platforms including Spotify and Bandcamp!

I also released a free sample pack on my Bandcamp page that everyone is more than welcome to download and use here.

Gear List

• Elektron - Digitakt

• Arturia - Microfreak | Keystep Pro

• Tascam - 414mkii Portastudio

• Korg - Volca FM2 | Volca Drum

• Behringer - TD-3

• Alexander Pedals - Space Force

• Digitech - Obscura

• TC Electronic - Hall of Fame 2

• Audient - EVO 16

• Kali Audio - LP-6

In Case You Missed It

134 - Ikigai Cosmonaut

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Ikigai Cosmonaut

Currently in Portugal, she started exploring the world of effects and synthesizers since very young. A love for rhythm is the glue that brings everything together in the universes she creates 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Based on Portugal, I go by the artist name Ikigai Cosmonaut.

It combines a Japanese concept based on a reason to wake up every morning, "a reason to be", and my love and curiosity for outer space and science knowledge in general.

When I choose my name, it made sense for me to put the music as the center of what I am (Ikigai) and also where my mind goes most of the time (all over the "spaces.") I try to overflow both of them to my music.

Music grew in me very early in my life. Since at the age of 5 I've started to build my own instruments with random combinations of objects, so to have a variation of source of sounds that I could play with. I wanted to be a drummer, so I was always following rhythms with some wood sticks.

Since it was difficult to have a drum kit in our apartment, at the age of 11, my parents gave me an acoustic guitar. I got an electric one at the age of 13. Then I started to collect effect pedals and stuck as a guitar player until my 20s or so when a friend gave me a Casio keyboard. I loved to connect it to the pedals and create instrumental and experimental sounds.

At my early age, Metal was the main music style I consumed, until I realized that I needed to open my window to new genres to grow as a musician. At the age of 15 I started to become obsessed with watching jazz instrumentalists and concerts. Later on, I become very passionate about electronic music. And this is when I started to get interested in music production. As a guitar player, I was waiting to meet someone to play with, and I realized that with electronic music I could do it by myself. So I did that.

Music was with me all my life, but I've become more serious about it when I decided to start my ikigai Cosmonaut project in 2019.

All this years I've been self-taught, independent, and it's not my day job.

I αlways knew that I wanted to make instrumental music (which is the 95% of the music I consume) and create my own universe.

Music is my Ikigai.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

At this stage, my centerpiece for music production, is still the Maschine Mk3 from Native Instruments.

When I started to become interested in music production I took a few classes of DJing and Ableton Live, which I don't use today. Αt that music school I had the chance to try the Maschine and I got myself the Micro 1 at the same month.

I was amazed by the device and I had it for many years. I used it alone for that long, until I upgraded for the MK3, a few years back, and started to combine it with other synths.

It's a fully self-contained and capable machine, and it's all I need to make music to be honest, if I didn't have anything else I could do it anyway, and I love devices that provide you options and a big range of sound and possibilities. The workflow is fine too, and since this is the groove box I've started with, it still has a nostalgic meaning for me.

The other device that grows in me is the Elektron Syntakt. Although I haven't use it yet on my released music, it’s my favorite box I've ever owned I love the sounds that I can reach with it, I love the Elektron sequencer and workflow, is very portable and totally capable to making music using it as a stand alone, which is a thing I love the most about music gear. I see gear as a kind of micro universe, so the thing I value the most is versatility and something I can explore by its own, and this one totally has that.

People ask if you had to take one piece of gear to a desert island, what would it be?

I don't think twice, I choose Syntakt.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

Aside from some pretty cheap pedals effects that I own that can do wonders for any combination of synths or drum machine I combine them with, I've must say the Korg Monologue.

The reason I choose the Monologue is the same reason I think that the Monologue is a very underrated synth in the musician community, the price value.

In my opinion, it is the best Mono synth that little money can buy. It's very capable, very wide in range of sounds pretty easy to learn and understand. In my personal case was the synth that I've learned the most about synthesis language when I started to explore dawless gear, and it's true that adds a bunch of sentimental value to it, but asides from that it's an amazing synth.

I forget about it from time to time, since I own other synths right now, but every time I turn it on I remember why I love it so much, it does what you need it to do and many, many more, so I stand by it.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I don't think I have a method, or I do things always the same way. I respect whatever I'm felling that day and go with it. That applies to music style and to the instruments I choose to begin with.

I don't believe in boxes, for the way I think and live my life, so my personal truth is just to be respectful for what I feel on that moment. Likewise, I also never think about the outcome or what I want to my music sound like. What I usually do is to choose a piece of gear and just explore it.

As I'm always saying I talk to the instruments and I think they tell me back what they need or where they want to be taken, and I just go with it and start to build layers over it. Every time I think about me, as a musician, it's like I'm jamming with a bunch of versions of myself that keep on coming to my home studio.

Freedom is the thing I value the most, learning and curiosity has been my fuel to keep me growning on -making music sonically wise.

At the same time, I consider myself a storyteller and most of my produced music have concepts or ideas behind the tracks, EPs or Albums. This doesn't apply directly to my first approach to music in terms of music aesthetically. I don't previously imagine the outcome of it, I always start by exploring sounds with no previous decisions, but it's easier to me to have motifs or themes to back up my will to release music. Usually they come from passion to learn stuff, and my will to think about stuff in general and expand my mind in a way. So I guess I expand my musicality at the same time my mind grows too, and I always respect what I feel at that moment without forcing anything.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

As I mentioned before, I attach my music with freedom, so I guess I do the same for the technical stuff. My thing is felling over technique, so I don't think I have plenty of tricks.

What I do a lot is to try combinations of sounds that usually don't go along with, and in a way forced them to work together. And I'm a lover of ear candy and a lot of textures, so I end up using a lot of layers in my music.

I do it since the day one I produce music, maybe because helps to humanize music in general, but also I think they work great as alternatives for hi-hats or details and adds some groove and felling to the beats. So I guess this is the one I use the most, not sure if it's a technique, but is a particular thing I always go back to.

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How would you describe your style?

My style aside from free, I guess it fits somewhere between fragile and aggressive.

I love composing melodic sad tones but also very aggressive sounds, textures and percussion, or the other way around it depends on what I'm felling at that moment.

What I end up doing is combining several styles that I listen and combined them in to one.

I have a very cinematic head, so I always listen my music more like a soundtrack for a concept or an idea than a musical genre, or conventional structured music.

Mostly I think I make a mix of organic and electronic experimental music, and obviously being an addict to space and science fiction stuff, I also bring that to my general atmosphere vibe.

So in the resume, I describe my style as a micro universe of instrumentals that can evolve and change in styles over the same track or an album or EP. I love progressive and fusion music, and I get bored very quickly, and I think that reflects in my work.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

For sure, keeping music simple.

I admire a lot of simplicity in music and I consider it one of the great achievements and I admire a lot of people who can do it good, because it's easy to hide behind a bunch of layers, but making music with few elements and keep things interesting, growing and grooving is a hard thing to do.

In my music, since I'm always hungry for more, I struggle a lot to use less layers and containing myself to keep on making music evolving to something else, both in structure and elements.

Over time, I'm learning to do that and also to let some things go, but I feel that journey is a bit far from over for me.

Also, the mastering part, as an independent artist I do all of my work alone, and I love composing and playing music, but technical stuff bores me a bit.

I get too much involved when I produce music, for me every track is like a full relationship and I just do one track at a time, so I live it all through the process and I became a bit obsessed about the creative part. So when the mastering stage arrives, most of the time, I'm already a bit tired of the tracks.

I create the structure of my work considerably fast, and usually details is where I spend most of my time, even before mastering itself, so when I arrive at that stage I see myself go back and back to details and struggle a bit on letting stuff go that I'm not totally happy about it.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Totally. I think building a hardware setup was the thing where I've leaned more about making music and kept me motivated.

Firstly, having a new piece of gear, for me, more than collecting things, is very exciting on the "learning something new" part. Every device is different from another, each of one has its character and functionalities, so every device I've ever owned had in important role in my learning and evolution as a musician.

I believe that is the artist that shows throughout gear and not the other way around, but it's also true that some devices connect more with us artists and help us to get different results, expected or not.

For example, I've learned a lot about myself and the way I think about making music with Elektron devices, and without having the chance to try them out I would never adapt my mind and technique to make music in the way I do today, using Elektron gear or not.

The knowledge I've acquired on having hardware crossed from device to device and also to music making in a DAW, so this was a big thing for me for sure.

In my life, this had an impact also, having more hardware keeps me motivated to make more music in general, and I end up exposing myself more with content aside from my released music.

Also, that motivation brought me more confidence to share what I do, whatever someone's is watching or not, and besides I do music for myself, nowadays is amazing to know that this alone gave me the chance to know so many people over the world that share the same passion that I do, and also get inspired by them every day too.

So besides the Knowledge, hardware also brought me a small community closer to what I do, and I'm very thankful for everyone who spends their time to enter mine.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

I believe that discipline is more important than motivation.

And that impacts in a hard way creativity in my opinion.

I like to surround myself with things I love asides from music, things like plants, rocks and crystals, the sea, the woods, nature in general, my dog "Trevas", watching documentaries, movies, painting, dig some art in general or just a great conversation. This will probably will sound a bit of a cliché, but I get a lot of motivation by creative people in general. I do believe that energy flows to energy, and having motivated people around me inspires me a lot.

Usually my creativity sparks more from external things than music itself, to be honest, so I think the key is to let the door open to whatever makes you feel good and that alone is very inspirational.

Also and most important, fall in love with the process and not the outcome. I believe that as long as you have fun while doing it and feel pleasure about it, creativity will hit you.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

The thing that inspires me the most is knowledge in general. I'm a bit of a nerd, so I'm always searching for learning new things, inside or outside music.

I must say that most of my released music ideas or concepts came through documentaries I've watched. I'm totally obsessed about it and is one of the thing I do the most when I'm not making music.

My inspirations come from anything, but to get to the question point I can choose one of my favorite movies of all times, "Big Trouble in Little China" from John Carpenter. It has influenced my passion for oriental stuff. One thing that end up on my artist name and also throughout some of my music.

Besides this, I love legends and also the idea that it is possible to create an imaginary scenario that don't exist in the first place and build so many things around it and expand it. I love the characters, the anti-hero exploration, the scenarios and all the surrounding artwork, also I'm a big fan of old "low budget movies" (I'm not sure if this is the case) but I think lack of resources build up creativity. With this, I can't leave behind the original soundtrack, also from John Carpenter, being the "Abduction at Airport", my favorite track from the movie and every time I listen to it gives me the chills, I love it.

Anything else you'd like to say?

In the first place, thanks for having me, this was pretty fun and the support means a lot. And I will take this advantage to promote some new music that is coming in the near future.

I will release a new Album called "Singularities", until the end of this year, and the New Single from it, called "Exoplanet" will be available on October 29.

So if you want to know me a bit more, I think by listening will be the way to go.

Thanks again.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

linktree | instagram | spotify

Gear List

• Native Instruments - Maschine Mk3

• Elektron - Digitakt | Syntakt | Digitone

• Dreadbox - Typhon

• Korg - Wavestate | Minilogue | Monologue | NTS1

• Roland - Boutique SH-01A

• Arturia - Microfreak | Keystep 37

• Nord - Drum P3

• Bass Guitar

• Pedal Effects

In Case You Missed It

133 - Sulk Rooms

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

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Giannis @giannis.kampiotis

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Sulk Rooms

Currently in the UK, he got into music production after observing the big heads of the scene performing. He is now making music for a living in his inspiring studio 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Sulk Rooms - an electronica producer and performer based in Yorkshire, UK.

I began making music by playing the guitar in bands as a teenager and then discovered electronic music through seeing artists such as Surgeon, Autechre and 65daysofstatic performing live.

How they were making music fascinated me and led me to investigate synths, drum machines and music software.

I've been making music as my only income for just over 13 years and I license a lot of my music to films, TV shows and commercials.

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

I would definitely say my guitar - any guitar! I can get ideas down with a guitar very quickly and I like to have a physical connection with music. I find that if I can get a few decent chords or melody ideas with a simple guitar sound they'll sound awesome on just about anything.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

Other than free plugins (which I have a lot of) I'd say my Octave Fuzz pedal. It's a clone of the Earthquaker Devs Life Pedal and was about £50. It's on almost every single sound I make and I have it as a permanent send/return from my computer. It doesn't do anything super interesting, but it has a great character and I've learned how everything works on the front panel 100000%.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I like to start with listening to a few tracks I've been enjoying over the past month or so and get inspiration and moods that I can use to get me quickly started.

I don't like to sit at the computer and hope something happens, I'd rather get a helping hand from another source. It's not necessarily the same music I'm making - I can be listening to Blink 182 and find an interesting chord sequence that I can play with a synth through some pedals.

Once I have this single burst of inspiration I can really settle in to working hard and see where the session takes me. I like to make lots of loops of random audio so that I can build up dense atmospheres and then I'll come up with a slow moving bassline to anchor everything down.

I want my music to be 'lyrical' (even without words/singing) and I want it to sound live, so I'll play as much as possible on instruments or control pedals manually.

I want to keep mistakes/errors in and I don't believe in having everything totally perfect and polished!

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

Looping! Most of my music is made from hours of looping synths and guitars, which is then exported as audio. Then I'll pitch these loops up and down various octaves and double everything up.

I love using loops that are out of tempo/off grid too, so that you can never feel totally at ease or comfortable with rhythm.

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How would you describe your style?

Dense. Weighty. Crushing. All words similar to these! I like maximum amounts of noise with minimal elements. I always tell people that I make atmospheric droning techno.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

It's definitely hard scheduling and managing social media, especially at the moment. It's an essential part of being a musician these days, but it can really drag you down. I try and limit my time on Instagram etc and take lots of breaks offline.

There's a constant feeling of paranoia and anxiety that goes with social media and it's difficult to get the balance just right as there are some amazing people to meet on there.

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

I think so, yes. I've always loved objects and things and I'm a very tactile person.

My house is full of antiques, taxidermy and curios. I like to touch and hold things. I feel the same about music equipment too - it makes me happy to have things and see things. Colours and shapes and objects.

I don't have hardware primarily for the sound, I have it because of its connection to making music and to make me feel happy. I recently found that the music I've enjoyed making the most has been when I've been having the most fun in the studio, so whatever it takes to have fun I'll carry on with!

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Load up 5-6 tracks that you love at the moment and flick through them to various points. Try and pick out an interesting aspect (melody/rhythm/mood) and then build something around this. Think of a few words that come to mind when listening and use these to give you the right energy.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I would actually say the video game 'Little Nightmares', which inspired my whole album 'Viewers' last year.

Αnything else you'd like to say?

The chances are is this music already exists and people don't want clones. We want your own style and something unique.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

instagram

Gear List

• Make Noise - Strega

• Soma Laboratory - Lyra | Cosmos

• Novation - Summit

• Sony - Reel-to-Reel

• Roland - Space Echo

• Echo Fix - Space Echo

• Many guitar pedals

• Fender Guitars

• Ableton - Live

• Elektron - Model:Cycles

In Case You Missed It

132 - Psychiceyeclix

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

Do you know someone who would like this email? Forward it to them 📤💗

As a means to support G.A.S. Newsletter, affiliate links might be included in the issue. If you make a purchase through them, I get a commission with no extra cost to you.

Giannis @giannis.kampiotis