[neon-records]

Throw Back Thursday. Top 5 Sax Solos

We've hand picked five of our faveourite and oh so classy Sax Solos for you to get your throwback on. It Features some classics form George Michael, Sade, INXS, Gerry Rafferty and of course our most recent favourite Klingande. Enjoy

[neon-records]

Meet Dave Winnel; Artist, Ableton Guru and all round perfectionist… Last year this kid showcased his debut release on Neon Records, delivering a buttered up bit of nostalgia with a wild western flavoured weapon called ‘Draw Your Guns' (feat. Las Vegas-based vocalist Sherry St. Germain of ‘Steel Eyes‘ fame). Since then he has released three other smash hit club records including his festival anthem ‘Atchung’, which captivated every A-List DJ from the likes of Tiesto, Axwell, Showtek, Alesso, Steve Angello, Porter Robinson (and the list goes on…). His next release “Remember to Breathe" with fellow Aussie Chris Arnott garnered huge local support, hitting the ARIA Club Chart Top 5 and spending a solid 8 weeks in the Top 50. But his latest progressive house collab “The Great Valley” with ARIA & APRA Award-winning duo Denzal Park may be his biggest masterpiece yet. The track has so far propelled itself into the Beatport Progressive Chart Top 30, with early international support from Avicii, Dada Life, W&W, Afrojack, Laidback Luke, Chuckie, Ivan Gough, Gareth Emery, Michael Woods, Max Vangelli and Promise Land.

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) I’ve been using Ableton for 6 years now. Before that I used Reason and Fruity Loops. I find Ableton the quickest but at the end of the day its all about the Chef and not the kitchen.   2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? ..tough one. I’d have to say the Native Instruments ‘Guitar Rig’. It comes with a whole array of effects that sound really unique and I love how it’s all in the one box! Also the waves CLA & Maserati plugins are Dope!!!   3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? Axwell… No matter what he does he keeps it soooo cool. I feel he ignores the current trends but at the same time creates his own, and pushes this hard through Axtone. And this goes for his DJ sets as well as his productions. Also everything he touches has this signature Axwell ‘touch of gold’, it’s so inspiring.   4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Developing this ‘Copy cat syndrome’. Copying your favourite artists is a great way to learn new techniques, but it’s not going to get you noticed. If you look at all the big players of the industry like Wolfgang Gartner, Tommy Trash, Zedd, Skrillex, you can pin point their tracks a mile away because they are so unique. 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? I know everyone says this but honestly stick to your guns and find your own sound. I see so many people floating around aimlessly copying the trends… It’s happening right now, dubstep producers are now making deep house to make a quick buck. If you truly believe in something, keep thrashing away at it till you come out on top. Also ‘OK or FINE’ is not good enough. Keep working on your music until it’s ‘PERFECT’. Don’t settle for anything less. 6. (Fan Question) Why do you prefer to play out on Ableton over other platforms (CDJ’s / Serato / Traktor etc.)? Does it take you a long time to prepare for your sets? Honestly I was becoming a bit bored with the CDJs, this was back in 2008, so i started looking for something new. I got the idea from Deadmau5 at the time because that’s what he was using. At first I used the DJM 800 as the midi controller than ran the audio back into a spare channel on the mixer, now i’m using the APC40. I’d say I spend about the same amount of time preparing my sets, as people spend preparing their tracks in tractor, or record box. Over the years I’ve developed a really unique DJ template which allows me to do crazy build ups midset & even side chain accapellas & loops. I’ve made this available from my Facebook page for everyone to download.

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Buy The Great Valley on Beatport Find out more about Dave Winnel FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

DOWNLOAD Dave Winnel’s Ableton Live DJ Template

[neon-records]

First making his mark as one of Australia's hip-hop DJ elite, DJ Kronic is now building a reputation as a dance production mastermind. With a series of remixes landing in ARIA's Club Chart Top 10, Top 20 Beatport smash club tracks, support from Hardwell, Bingo Players and Deorro (amongst others) and tours supporting Afrojack & David Guetta, there's no questioning Kronic's dance music cred. Fully aware of Kronic's knack for big club tracks and high octane performances, and recently releasing 'Turn It Up' with Neon's resident party boy Apocalypto, we thought he would be a great source for music production and on-stage DJ'ing tips.

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) Ableton 9, love it! 2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? Sylenth, I know how to use it better than the other VSTs. Sylenth has great preset packs that are dope and easy to manipulate. 3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? Uberjakd, Deorro and Showtek. My fav producers at the moment, they just keep coming with dope cutting edge sounds in their tunes. 4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Oh thats a hard one. I'd say rushing a project just to get it out. Take your time to make it right. 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? Finish things, don't just put ideas down and think you will come back to it later. Push yourself to finish it, then test it out when you play. 6. (Fan Question) Your crazy on-stage antics have become quite renowned. How important do you think the performance element is to DJing these days? Its very important. I like to give more than just playing records when I'm on stage. I like to interact a lot with the crowd, be a part of the party then try to take it up another notch. Fast mixing, scratching, a lot of mic work, handstands and crowdsurfing! I feel like I need to try to put on the best show I can on stage. With music being so easily accessible online you need to give the crowd something that they can only experience from being there live.

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Buy Turn It Up on Beatport Find out more about Kronic FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

Australian singer-songwriter Penelope Austin co-wrote two of Neon’s major releases, Denzal Park’s Animal Heart and Ivan Gough, Walden & Jebu’s Home.  Her vocal style has been described as "beautiful darkness" with “an element of melancholy”.  There is an ethereal sense about her that begins with her voice, at times delicate and other times raw and then stretches into an invented landscape populated by Austin's ability to express herself with a depth of emotion that translates almost visually.

With a highly-acclaimed EP titled The Beautiful Dark, support from Triple J’s Unearthed, Vogue and David Jones, plus being chosen to write a track for Star Trek: Into Darkness, it’s clear Penelope Austin has a soaring career ahead of her.

1. Aussie duo Denzal Park hand-picked you to write their vocal for 'Animal Heart'. What inspired the lyrics and what emotions does 'Animal Heart' evoke for you? When I first listened to the track, I felt the undercurrent of the jungle beat and that's what kicked my imagination into gear. I have a fascination with lions - they're masculine, they're sexy - they hunt. It seemed fitting to write about being hungry for prey and the obsession of the chase. 2. You've mentioned that you're a visual person and your music paints imagery of landscape and natural elements (such as fire, water & wind). What imagery came to mind when you wrote 'Home'? I lost my 'home' metaphorically at a young age. At night I would find peace when I closed my eyes and imagined running through a desert…in the pitch black. I would run until I found an oasis…my own home, a safe haven. Everybody has a past with hidden truths and twisted histories - these are what shape us. Finding a place to call home is especially fitting for me. I feel I’m still running through deserts but I’m getting closer to finding my peace. 3. You have an incredible talent for writing lyrics that have emotional resonance. What advice can you offer aspiring music-producers that want to write their own melody and lyrics? Don't overthink it. Respond to a note a feeling a chord naturally. I find my best work happens almost instantaneously, like it comes through me from somewhere else. When you tamper with what comes to you, that's when the process becomes muddy and often a difficult one to nail. Don't let the outside distract you from what's ultimately coming from within you. 4. You've been a singer-songwriter since you were 15, with your previous solo music being sonically very different to 'Animal Heart' and 'Home'. What drew you to branch out into the electronic music-sphere? It was fun! My music has been described as a 'beautiful darkness’, which I guess, comes from a history of wonderful highs & extreme lows. I had already written 'Home' before it became a club track, however with 'Animal Heart' I was given the track and I wrote the lyrics to it in my bedroom. Being playful and experimental with that song took the edge off my usual dark & stormy! 5. What's next for Penelope Austin? I’m buzzing that these doors have opened for me in the EDM world - it's a whole new & wonderful experience for me & I’m enjoying the rollercoaster ride!

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Buy Home on Beatport

Buy Animal Heart on Beatport Find out more about Penelope Austin FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

Aussie DJ/Producer Nordean earned the world’s attention when his remix of Dirty South’s ‘D10’ was championed by Pete Tong and Dave Spoon on their coveted BBC Radio1 shows in 2008. Since then he has heralded an impressive level of success and recognition remixing for the likes of Dirty South, Zoe Badwi, D. Ramirez, Paul Harris, TV ROCK and Funkerman just to name a few. His remixes quickly found their way onto an array of world-renowned labels (including Toolroom, Sneakerz, Neon Records and Azuli). Nordean’s career continues to boom with Dirty South’s edit of his new single ‘Wolves’ (Phazing/Neon Records) recently entering Beatport’s Progressive House Top 20. 1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) Logic 2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? Sylenth1 & Razor - I love Sylenth1 because you can quickly work a sound and get a vibe going in the track..Razor has some unbelievable sounds that really make your track stand out! 3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? I think DJing and Producing are 2 different things! Favourite DJ: Dirty South (not being biased) - i don’t think there is another DJ like him…his sets are filled with huge variety and knows how to adapt to any crowd. Favourite Producer: I have so many!! Axwell, Stuart Price, Dirty South… They all have a signature sound which makes them stand out for me. 4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? I think the answer is in the question… being a DJ does not make you a producer, and visa-versa! They are both different arts that should be learnt before anything! Also, the biggest mistake “Producers” are making is that they are copying each other…it’s so important we get out of this habit so dance music can move forward! 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? - Really take the time to practice and learn the what you are doing - Find inspirations that will motivate you - Just have fun!! 6. (Fan question) Do you use any live instrumentation (hardware synth’s, guitars etc.) in your productions and/or do you think it’s important to? Yes definitely! I come from a sound engineering background and there is nothing like recording a live musician! You are able to capture a vibe that you wouldn’t be able to with just a VST.

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Buy Wolves on Beatport Find out more about Nordean FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

Melbourne youngster Apocalypto's first official release premiered on Pete Tong’s BBC Radio1 Essential Selection, garnering support from Afrojack and Thomas Gold. He then went on to remix for the likes of Icona Pop, Bombs Away, Rebecca & Fiona and Zoe Badwi, all by the age of 18.

Apocalypto’s recent collab track ‘On Fire’ with Marcus Santoro gained support from Morgan Page, Thomas Gold, Digital LAB, Walden, Feenixpawl, Stafford Brothers, Uberjak’d and more.

Keep an eye out for his upcoming track ‘Gone Bad’ with Press Play which will be released as a free download for a limited time via Apocalypto’s Facebook page November 19th.

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) I learned on Ableton and recently switched over to FL as I find it easier and faster to work in. People ask me all the time which “DAW” is best to work in, at the end of the day they all do the same thing, its how you use them. I use FL because I can work quickly in it, I don’t use many of the built in plugs, mostly third party VST’s.   2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? For creating sounds, Sylenth is always my go to synth. I like how you can manipulate sounds easily in it and the fact that I can achieve what I want easily, almost every project/song I’ve made has at least one Sylenth sound in it. For audio processing you cant go past the Waves plug ins, in particular the JJP set of plugins, these are what help achieve a great sound and a clean mix, if you haven’t given these a sus I highly recommend you do and do some research on the mixing engineer they’re based around, Jack Joseph Puig.   3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? Ever since I started getting into dance music, I’ve always looked up to and respected Hardwell (way before he was the superstar DJ he is now). I’ve always admired his productions, clean and loud, taking it back to his early remixes of tracks like “Louder”, “Nobody Loves Me”, “Boy” and “Ready 2 Go”.   4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Thinking that there is a set of rules in which how to produce music. That is the great thing about producing music, there is no real right or wrong way to produce music, more like guidelines in which then each artist gets to discover their own unique style and build upon. Obviously there are some really wrong ways to do things but just because someone else is doing something one way doesn’t mean you have to, if it sounds good then go with it, always trust your instincts!   5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? YouTube tutorials, if you like a sound, Youtube how to make it, most times someone has already made a video on how to do it and you can learn from this and then add your own unique touch to it. Adding to this though, the best way to stand out as an artist, and even to stand out in life, is to be different and unique. These things will make you memorable and get you the attention you want, its ok to draw inspiration from other artists but make sure you add some originality to it.   6. (Fan question) How did you get your “On Fire” kick to sound so heavy? Is it layered? It’s all in the way that I’ve mixed it down, I mix everything to -6db so that the most intense part of my track never goes over -6db, this gives whoever is mastering it plenty of head room to work with, but even before I hit the final stage of mixing, I first mix my kick drum, bassline and drums and make sure these don’t hit over -8db. In “On Fire” I just happened to mix the kick drum a little louder in comparison to the rest of the track and it ended up with a great result with a kick that thumps very hard / holds its own.

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Buy On Fire on Beatport Find out more about Apocalypto FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

At the tender age of 16, Pioneer Pro DJ / producer / remixer Will K has accomplished more than most kids his age. Signed to Neon Records and 360 Agency at age 15 and releasing three tracks worldwide before his high school graduation, young Will's talent proves well beyond his years. Debut collab single Open Your Eyes with fellow youngsters Marcus Santoro & Daniel Gregorio hit the Top 20 BPM Dance Chart (USA), and received international support from Nicky Romero, John Dahlback, Swanky Tunes, Matisse & Sadko, Promise Land and more. Will has recently been booked to tour nationwide with Good Life Festival 2014 supporting a world-class line up including Hardwell, Deadmau5, Knife Party and Martin Garrix.

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) I work with Logic & Ableton. Ableton is great for writing melodies & getting ideas down quickly, but for shaping the record & mixing/mastering I use Logic. 2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? In terms for Synth/Instruments I use a combination of Sylenth, Nexus, and occasionally Massive. Processing wise the Waves bundles are super great for colouring/ cleaning your sound. 3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? Kryder is definitely one of my favourite producers this year. His ideas are creative & his mixes are incredibly tight. 4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Most producers these days will not think outside the box while making music. There is no rules, don't be scared to break the rules and try different things. If it sounds good that's the main thing. 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? Reference your music to your peers tracks. Question yourself if you can make your mix sound any better, or change your arrangement ect. 6. (Fan question) How do you stand out from the crowd and get your productions noticed by record labels? I think the most important key is to create your own "sound" of music, you want someone to tell it is your track without them having to check the title!

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Buy Toca on Beatport Find out more about Will K FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

Feenixpawl are fast becoming Australia’s most prominent house DJs/Producers. Having claimed a coveted Beatport number 1, an ARIA award, signing with globally renowned Axtone Records and garnering international support from the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto, Avicii, David Guetta, Kaskade and more.

We pulled the popular pair aside to ask them a few questions...

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.)

Ableton. We did stray briefly to Logic, but its always best to stick with what you know. 

2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why?

T-Racks. The T-Racks bundle can do everything from EQ to compressing to mastering. We generally use at least one T-Racks plug on every channel.

3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why?

Axwell has always been a huge influence in our career. He obviously gave us a huge leg up with "In My Mind" which really opened some doors. He's always trying to be one step ahead of the electronic music world, and has played a huge part in what dance music is today. 

4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today?

Conforming to whats "in". 

5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers?

Keep your head down and work hard. Things don't happen overnight. Try and catch the ear of someone influential and always be networking. Surround yourself with like-minded, driven people.

6. (Fan question) How do you find inspiration when writing a new track?

From anywhere really. Other music genres, other producers, or even just life experiences. Sometimes we start by just trying to write nice chord progressions, other times we start by working with a vocalist and trying to create something that we find captivating and build the track from there. 

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Buy Together on Beatport Find out more about Feenixpawl FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

As TV ROCK (with Grant Smillie) Ivan Gough produced eleven #1 ARIA Club Chart dance tracks, more than anyone else! In 2006 their smash hit 'Flaunt It' broke all the records, garnishing two ARIA Awards, selling more than 175,000 copies and going double platinum, as well as holding the record for the longest running Australian track in the ARIA Top 10 ever. He has since established a hugely successful solo career with releases including #1 Beatport Chart, Grammy nominated and ARIA Award winning track 'In My Mind' with Feenixpawl & Georgi Kay, followed by Top 10 Beatport collaborations 'Kukatu' (with Jebu), and 'Not Taking This No More' (with NERVO & Beverley Knight). So who better to offer production advice than Ivan Gough…

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) Logic Pro X, Ableton 8 and FL Studio, depending on what I'm doing 2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? The "Synplant" synth by Sonic Charge. Totally different interface and you can come up with truly unique sounds. 3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? Eric Prydz is the man. He has a unique sound, and he doesn't follow trends, he sets them. 4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Copying whatever tracks are already working in clubs. By the time your record is released, it will sound dated. 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? Try and make a great record, but do one thing different and give it some identity. You need your track to stand out from the crowd. 6. What makes a good mixdown? Do you have any tips or rules that you live by? Dance music mixing is different to pop, rock, etc.. Start with a good bassdrum, and mix your sounds around that. If you keep the kick tight and defined throughout, you're halfway to a good mix.

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Buy Not Taking This No More on Beatport Find out more about Ivan Gough FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

Nineteen year old Sydney DJ/producer Walden has been labelled a ‘musical prodigy’ for his incredible production talents. Since being signed to major New York dance label Big Beat Records, he has released series of impeccable productions including Brightness EP, Warmonger, Ciaco, A Million Lights, Intropial, and his Machine Land EP. But his latest track ‘First Day’ is his best yet. Already supported by Hardwell, Pete Tong, Nicky Romero, Morgan Page, Afrojack and Matisse & Sadko, his first full vocal track showcases his flawless and diverse production skills.

Walden had a chat with The Frontliner Producers Corner (definitely worth checking out!) last week for an in depth interview about production techniques including a full breakdown of his track Ciaco.

Source: http://thefrontliner.com/producers-corner/walden-producers-corner-34523

Can you tell us what of some of the most useful production techniques are, in terms of both creating your music and mixing it? 

EQing, compression and sidechaining are the 3 of the most important things to me. What frequencies of a layer stick out most in the mix, how they are compressed and how the instruments revolve around the kick – all of these, in my opinion, are what potentially make or break a dance record.

A lot of new producers struggle with multi-band compression. Is that something that you find yourself using to good effect? 

Absolutely! Multiband compression is great because I’m able to compress particular areas in the frequency range without affecting the rest of the mix. I generally use Multiband Compression in the mastering/mix down stage rather than the production stages, though I do find myself using it more often on live instruments like vocals, pianos and guitars etc. It’s great for cleaning up any mishaps or particular sounds/frequencies that stick out to much during the recordings.

Do you ever find yourself using distortion creatively?

Sometimes I like to use it on percussion, to give them a bit more punch/aggression. Generally for me, distortion on amps and bass-lines are mandatory. Sometimes I’ll use it on vocals as well, though I think it depends on the effect that you are going for. Obviously, distortion is great if you are going for that really aggressive, in-your-face electro-style sound.

Automating distortion can also be cool, by using it to slowly distort a synth over time, or only distorting that synth in particular areas. This is something that I have been experimenting with on my tracks lately.

As someone who uses FL Studio, can you tell us about some things that you think you wouldn’t be able to do in another DAW? 

I love the way you can manipulate the samples in FL through the Sampler – fattening them up, lengthening or shortening etc. It has done wonders for me when molding samples together and creating new kicks and percussive sounds.

Another thing that I really enjoy is the pitch-bending feature in the piano roll – it only works for FL VST/Synths (though that suits me fine, as I use most of them anyway) and is extremely handy when creating FX, or making a melody/chord progression a little bit more interesting.

The Pattern feature is also super useful! It really does speed up the process of placing down beats/rhythms etc.

FL overall is a very quick program to work on, and great for sketching down quick layouts and ideas.

What would you say is FL Studio’s best kept secret, and how do you use it?  

Harmor and Harmless. They are some of the most useful VST synths that I’ve used when creating bass-lines and FX. I think a lot of people underestimate what those 2 plugins are capable of doing.

As someone who’s successfully transitioned from newbie producer to professional artist, what advice would you have to offer to the sea of noobs and first-time producers out there?

Here is some of the most important advice that I have received over the past year.

1. Create space – if you want something to sound larger, do not think about what you need to add, but rather what you need to take away, to further emphasize on the aspects of a track that you want to bring out more in the mix.

2. Loudness isn’t everything. Don’t feel the need to completely sausage your record in the mastering process, as it risks making the track sound smaller – sometimes it’s good to have a little bit of dynamics. If you want something to sound really loud in the club, turn up the gain volume on the mixer!

3. Split up the sounds, that is, low and high ends of the bass line. I generally have a 2 or 3 separate instruments to make up a bass-line: one for the sub, the 2nd for mid-range, and the 3rd for the top – generally 200-300hz and upwards. Likewise for kicks. It’s a great way of having full control over the individual layers/aspects of a sound.

TRACK BREAKDOWN – CIACO

Can you tell us what musical element of “Ciaco” you created first? Drums, lead, FX? How did that inspire the rest of the track?

The chords and synth sounds were where I started. I think they really set the tone for how the rest of the track would pan out, sound design and arrangement wise.

Care to share what some of the synths you used for this projects, and what sounds they are?

Harmor, Harmless (most of the presets I myself) a little bit of Nexus for layering and adding texture. Toxic Biohazard for other FX, and I think Sylenth was in there somewhere too.

You have very sharp percussion hits in this track. Was that something you achieved in the mix-down stage, or did it come from picking the right samples?

Picking the right samples and then manipulating them in the way that I needed to, through the use of FX, EQing, compression, layering, etc. Maximus  (an FL plugin) has also been a great tool for me over the past 2 years, with compressing and fattening up my percussive and synth layers.

“Ciaco” sounds very loud and in-your-face (which is great!) Did you have any technique for achieving that, like group FX chains or master buss processing? Or was it something that was handled at the mastering stage?  

It was mainly something that I handled in the production stage, by processing the sounds and layering them together. Maximus definitely played a big part in terms of getting that big fat aggressive sound with the synths and drums. Looking back on the record now though, I think that overall, it could have sounded much cleaner and a little less squashed/compressed.

What were some of the most creative mix techniques you used for this track?

For this record, nothing too outrageous. This was however one of the first records where I really started to split up my sounds, that is, the subs and top-ends, like with the kicks, bass-lines and even some synth lines. Panning and stereo enhancing hi-hats and upper register instruments so that they stick out a bit more in the mix, and don’t clash too much with the middle and lower sections of the mix, etc.

Did you make any of the FX for this track? If so, which ones?  

A lot of the risers and a few of the white noises – the rest of the booms and clashes were just FX samples and reverbed kick drums, etc.

What was the hardest part of producing this track, and how did you end up solving that problem?

I think the mix down/mastering stage was the hardest bit to get right. I mean, obviously it could have been better, but I have learned a lot since then.

The most striking part about “Ciaco” is how you managed get so many melodic elements to fit together in the mix, without blurring any sounds. Would you attribute that to? EQ’ing, compression, automation, etc? 

Yes, absolutely! EQing, automating the filters on the chords and melodies to control how they would transition from section to section, and also how they would interact with each other. The right choices of sounds, melodies and chords  played a big part in this as well.

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Buy First Day on Beatport Find out more about Walden FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

With a string of Beatport & ARIA Club Chart #1 records between them, there’s no disputing duo Denzal Park are part of Australian dance music royalty. Kam & Paul took some time out of their busy touring and studio schedule to share some useful production tips.

1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) We use a combination of FL Studio and Protools HD.. usually starting initial melody ideas in FL as the midi functions are very quick and easy to use and then we move it over to Tools as things develop. 2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? Depends on its application. In terms of Synths/Instruments we often use Nexus, Massive and Sylenth as a quick go-to for patches. Sylenth is our favourite for building a synth or effect from the ground up. With processing there are so many.. Waves plugins probably give us the most bang for buck in terms of EQ, compression and general sonic enhancement.   3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? Hard to nail it down to one specific producer. Anyone that is able to continually deliver… from patch selection, writing and arrangement through to engineering and mixing deserves a tip of the hat. 4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Everyone makes mistakes  - Not learning from them is probably the most common and worst mistake of all. 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? Keep it simple - Get your ideas down, focus on the objective and narrative of your song -then work your moments.

6. How do you process your vocals?

We like to get each vocal take in and make sure it’s musically tight first, nudge any notes that are a little out of time or off-pitch, then we apply EQ and compression. Lastly we apply delay, reverb, chorusing etc.  to help it work in context with the music underneath.

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Buy Supersonic on Beatport Find out more about Denzal Park FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SOUNDCLOUD

[neon-records]

Nineteen year old Jebu's experimentation and self taught skills have led to three releases on Neon Records in the form of Are U Ready, 3NCODE (with fellow Neon favourite MITS), and Beatport Top 10 collaborative release Kukatu (with Grammy nominee & ARIA Award winner Ivan Gough) on Neon Records / superstar-Swede Steve Angello's imprint Size Records. Jebu has a list of ever-growing international supporters that includes Hardwell, Tiesto, Fedde Le Grand, Chuckie, Morgan Page, Matisse & Sadko, Daddy’s Groove, Paul Oakenfold, Martin Garrix and more!

We sat down with Jebu recently to ask him few questions about music production… 1. Which DAW do you use? (Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic etc.) Primarily Fruity Loops Studio. I like the speed you can sketch down ideas and the sandbox style arrangement (which can easily get confusing and messy). 2. Favourite VST/Plugin and why? Ozone for making stuff sound expensive and the Waves stuff. They just get the job done for me. 3. Favourite DJ/Producer and why? At the moment I like Tom Staars stuff. His production is really tight and has some great grooves. Also Axwell for sheer quality of production. 4. What would you say is the most common music making mistake made by DJ/Producers today? Probably the fact that a lot of producers are just trying to copy everyone else. I hear a lot of tracks that are really un-original and sound like other tracks. Be different and make interesting music, Don’t play it safe. 5. Best advice you could give to any up and coming DJ/Producers? Less is more. _______

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