CREATIVE STRATEGIES WITH INSIDEINFO
Tap into the neuro DnB technician’s inspiration-generating methods and workflow secrets in this in-studio workout
Inside the ride
“I know a lot of these video sessions are about breaking down entire tracks piece-by-piece,” DnB DJ/producer Paul Bondy explains, “but for me, making music isn’t about copying other producers’ kick-layering techniques, or replicating their fiddly EQ settings. That’s why I want to do something a bit different in this video…” When Computer Music stepped into InsideInfo’s cave-like studio, located just outside London, it became clear he’s a producer who prioritises creativity: from the collection of choice outboard within easy reach of the driving seat, to the field recorder sat dead-centre of the desk, to the four – yes, four! – monitor screens, each placing a key piece of software only a mouse move away.
This is no real surprise to us, as anyone familiar with Paul’s signature sound (or his previous tutorials for us as a Expert) will appreciate the underlying creativity in his music: a distinctive brand of technical, aggressive, neuro-esque drum ’n’ bass that satisfies dancefloors with power and aggression, yet still manages to traverse through different themes and agendas with more personality than your average festival banger. Take his 2012 hit Bottled, which ingeniously combines a “don’t bottle it up!” vocal sample with clattering glass rhythms. Or the epic string- and horn-driven hooks of Spychase – surely James Bond’s DnB anthem of choice.
At the time of our visit, Paul had just released his self-titled debut album on Viper Recordings. “It nearly killed me!” he laughs. “But for a producer, there’s nothing more satisfying than realising your musical vision across a meaningful body of work.” As a technical producer, how does Bondy juggle the endless possibilities of computer-based production with the act of finishing music? Paul’s answer: take time off! “Quite often, I’ll have a bunch of stuff down in a project, with different things going on. I’ll go away and come back to it, press play, and it’ll sound 20 times better than it did in the moment! There’s something about having a disconnect from what you’re doing that I find really, really important. When you’re sitting there tweaking and fiddling for ages, it’s easy to get sucked in and overly concerned about what the knobs are doing, as opposed to what it sounds like. A break focuses your mind on what sounds good, and not what’s technical or overly complicated just for the sake of it.”
As we caught him in the midst of the album launch, Paul had only just started to get his creative cogs turning again – so we rolled the cameras and sat down for a chat about his studio workflow. How does InsideInfo come up with such animalistic basses? How does he wrestle the spark of an idea into a fully-formed track with a distinctive theme and purpose? Over the next few pages, and in the accompanying video session, you’ll find out…
“There’s something about having a disconnect from what you’re doing that I find really, really important”