Producer Q&A - Brackles
September 8
Following on from last week's post about Brackles and the secret of the free tunes, we managed to persuade him to answer our Producer Q&A series too. I agree with his point on the Burial ripoff crew - it's starting to get almost as tired as the wobblers...
Don't forget that Brackles new mix compilation, Songs For Endless Cities vol 1, is out now through K7.
How do you approach a tune? Drums first? Melody?
Most of the time drums first, sometimes will start by sampling though.
Where do you get your inspiration / motivation from?
What do you do when you're not feeling inspired?
Listening to Tuff Jam/Marcus Nasty/Kyle Hall sets. Being out at raves and hearing a tune that pushes the boundaries. Listening to genres outside of electronic music and hearing an idea that could be applied to my music.
What do you do when you're not feeling inspired?
Do some sampling or try work out some chord progressions.
Do you start a tune from scratch, or do you usually have a drumset/template/etc to work from?
Do you start a tune from scratch, or do you usually have a drumset/template/etc to work from?
Yeah always from scratch, I'll make up a new drum kit and start with a fresh patch on the synths.
If you got a chance would you write pop stuff for a major label (if the money was good?)
If you got a chance would you write pop stuff for a major label (if the money was good?)
Yeah I don't think there's anything wrong with writing pop if it's good music. I wouldn't work on manufactured stuff like all the X factor / Pop Idol stuff though regardless of money.
What's the boring, workhorse plugin/piece of kit that you use all the time?
What production technique do you think is really overused / annoying?
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started out?
What's the boring, workhorse plugin/piece of kit that you use all the time?
I used to use massive for every synth on a track but I've bought some hardware over the past year. I still use massive on every track for something though.
What's the coolest bit of kit you've got and do you actually use it much?
Roland Juno 6, sounds incredible and great for chords. I've used on it every track since I got it.
Do you mixdown your own stuff? Reckon there's a stigma around this?
Yeh, I mix down my own stuff and all the other producers I know mix down their own stuff as well. I think with this kind of music you have to do you own mixdown, as it's part of your sound.
What production technique do you think is really overused / annoying?
The way everyone ripped off the burial style vocal chop. It was good when he did it 4 years ago, but everyone else is STILL doing it.
What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started out?
There's no secret formula for compression/EQ/mixdown, you gotta learn your own way and use your ears.
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Posted by bassmusic
