words: MICK WILSON
TECHPRODUCER
We reveal some handy tips and tricks to help you on the
road to wicked productions...
D
KILLER SOUNsouSs
freshest nd
How to create the
on the dancefloor...
LUCA LOZANO’S FREAKY
SAMPLE SOURCES
LUCA LOZANO reveals the inspiration that led to the killer
sound of his new album ‘Life in Black + White’...
“So to provide a little backstory on the album... ‘Life in
Black + White’ started out as a private side-project that I
would go to whenever I had the time. At that stage I was
producing a lot of music, mainly big stuff for the dancefloor
and I felt myself drifting away from those dynamics.
Making the album was the natural and organic process that
manifested itself out of those feelings.
“I didn’t start out with the idea of ‘having to make
an album’, I would sit in the studio and do what came
instinctively to me. At the time I was re-visiting a lot of
music from my teenage years, DJ Shadow’s ‘Endtroducing’,
RJD2’s ‘Deadringer’, various golden era hip-hop and jazz,
and I really think these influences shone through.
“I have been digging for samples forever and have amassed
a nice collection of weird and wonderful music that I can
call upon when I’m feeling uninspired or without ideas.
‘Life in Black + White’ is really a collection of all of my
previous musical interests, pieced together with other
records.
“My process for making the album was relatively simple
and I wanted to restrict myself from getting too complex
and ‘techy’ about it. I would keep parts to a minimum...
allowing the drums and bass to breathe. A very important
part of making this album was actually the time I took
away from it; after having put together the framework,
I put it away and didn’t give it a proper listen for a good
few months. Time is a very useful tool and making music
that stands the test of time is something I always strive to
do. When returning to the tracks, I could listen again with
fresh ears and really tell which would make the cut and
TECH PRODUCER
Welcome to Plug-in
Corner, our monthly
exposé of some of the best
plug-ins around for creating
electronic music
sponsored by
PLUG-IN: DAVE AUDE EMP TOOLBOX
DEVELOPER: IZOTOPE
FORMAT: VST, AU, RTAS AND AAX
PRICE: £199
PLUG-IN manufacturers Waves have teamed
up with US producer to the stars Dave Aude
to create an essential collection of plug-ins
for electronic dance music producers. For
those of you that don’t know, Dave Aude is
the man behind many of today’s pop and
dance hits and has worked with artists
such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Katy
Perry, Madonna, Coldplay, Celine Dion, Chris
Brown, U2 and Selena Gomez, so he knows
a thing or two when it comes to making hit
records.
which would be dropped.
There are of course some
things I would change but I
am very happy with it as it
stands, I see the strength
in imperfection and am happy with the overall feeling. It’s
a perfect summation of me as a person, highs and lows, ups
and downs, back and forth, black and whites.”
SAMPLETANK: UEBERSCHALL ‘NEUROFUNK’
Dave Aude EMP Toolbox is a collection of
essential plug-ins that are designed to be
the go-to tools for anyone who is involved
in dance music production. Hand-picked
by Dave himself from Waves’ extensive
collection, the Toolbox contains seven
cutting-edge Waves audio processors, the
same ones he uses most in his mixing and
mastering sessions, including the highly
intuitive Element synthesizer plug-in,
H-Delay, L3 maximiser and Trans X plug-ins.
As you’d come to expect with Waves, the
plug-ins in the pack are of the highest quality
and each one will help producers to fine-tune
their sound in a professional manner.
As the name suggests, the Dave Aude EMP
(Electronic Music Production) plug-ins are an
essential weapon in any producer’s arsenal
and come highly recommended — after all,
he has put his name to it.
THIS month’s sample tank is from German-based
Company Ueberschall. ‘Neurofunk’ is a tough-hitting
collection of sounds incorporating hard synths, deep
sub basses, space atmospheres and fast breakbeats
combined to deliver a powerful and melancholic
mood that sits perfectly with producers who are
drawn to the dark side of drum & bass.
‘Neurofunk’ includes four construction kits with
566 MB and 250 files of sounds and samples. To
make ‘Neurofunk’ easy and flexible to use, each kit
is broken up into a main part, a variation, intro and
outro as well as rise and break parts. The tempo of
the kits varies between 170 and 176 BPM, perfect
for energetic drum & bass productions. However
‘Neurofunk’ is not just limited to d&b, as the sounds
and samples can easily find a home in other styles
like techno, dubstep, house or any electronic dance
music production.
To get the most out of ‘Neurofunk’, users will have to
use Ueberschall’s Elastik 2 Player, which is available
as a free download for Mac and PC, 32- and 64-bit as
VST, Audio Units, RTAS and Stand Alone version, but
once installed it can be used with any of the popular
DAWs and samplers.
88
djmag.com
VERDICT
VERDICT
7.0/10
PRICE
£29.95
7.5/10
Plug-in corner is sponsored by
pluginboutique.com, your login for plug-ins!
BIG BASS,
LESS SPACE
Korg’s Volca range packs huge sounds into
tiny packages
IT is no secret that the Japanese are
obsessed with miniaturisation and
Korg are a company that reflects this
trait, having gone from producing
truly gargantuan synthesisers in
their early days to now producing
pocket-sized analogue synths like the
Monotron series. In-keeping with their
recent philosophy of creating pocketsized analogue monsters, Korg have
released the Volca range of analogue
synthesisers complete with built-in
sequencers, a move that is destined to
keep synth-fetishists’ mouths watering.
The Volca range consists of three
separate synthesisers: Volca Keys,
Volca Bass and Volca Beats — and while
these synths are clearly an evolution
of the Monotron and Monotribe, they
have a much slicker feel and more
professional set of features compared
with their younger siblings. Each of
the synths in the Volca series can be
powered either by battery or using a
power adapter, and each one also has
a built-in sequencer perfect for making
music on the go. Multiple