Words by Hector Plimmer
Whilst making music, I generally try to be as open to experimentation as possible. I use the initial creative process to explore without thinking too much about the end result or which direction I’m going in. Once I’ve got an idea of the bare-bones of a track I’ll spend more time refining sounds and tidying things up.
I produce everything in Ableton but I love using physical instruments such as synths or effects for their tactility. There’s something that feels really good about adjusting something physically, hearing it’s direct result & manipulating it in real-time.
My music is electronic but my interest in music spans way beyond just that. As a consumer of music I try to keep an open mind and search for sounds that excite me rather than what stylistic category they fall into. As a result, aspects of a few different styles & genres creep into my tracks & I welcome that. I also enjoy playing with the contrast (or sometimes resemblance) of organic & electronic sounds & I’m interested in the ways in which they can work with one another.
As a consumer of music I try to keep an open mind and search for sounds that excite me rather than what stylistic category they fall into.
I’ve been playing the drums on & off since my early teens, the majority of my music is rhythmically led in one way or another & I’m fascinated by the ways in which percussive layers can work together. As well as using recordings of my drumming in my music, I also like to program drum parts. I find great satisfaction in the programming aspect of producing a track, often spending quite some time on putting drum parts together, automating aspects of different sounds & fine tuning them to sit right in the mix.
I don’t have a vast theoretical understanding of music or music production, most of what I know today has been a product of experimentation. If it feels & sounds right to me then I’m happy & if it doesn’t then at least I tried something & learnt that it didn’t work! I try to follow my intuition & find enjoyment in the process of playing around until things fall together.
*Part of our Composer Magazine At Home series.