INTERV IEW: Mella Dee

Rave revivalist Ryan Aitchison is defined by his enthusiasm for driving techno fused with elements of house and hardcore. Danny Turner visits his analogue haven to find a producer beholden to an old-school approach

Yorkshire’s Ryan Aitchison takes time out of his busy DJing schedule to share some insight

His accent may immediately define him, but Yorkshire was not big enough to contain Ryan Aitchinson’s talent. A protagonist of Doncaster’s rough and ready rave scene, yet characterised by his willingness to experiment beyond the confines of the sounds that once influenced him, Aitchinson has strived to create his own take on warehouse music through his multifaceted productions and Warehouse record label.

From his early releases with Woozee under the pseudonym Mista Men to his breakthrough Rhythm Nation tape that found favour with Shy FX’s Digital Soundboy label, Aitchison often separates his own sound from the club scene he regularly narrates as a DJ. His studio, meanwhile, is jam-packed with synths, drum machines and outboard – a tactile approach to music-making that has very much positioned him at the forefront of the UK’s dark-edged bass/techno landscape.

Was techno where everything started for you?

“Really early it was hardcore and happy hardcore, which I got from tapes that were around at the time, especially the ones my sister used to give me. She’s a few years older than me, so I picked up on that, and my dad who was into Northern soul, reggae and Motown. Music was just there.”

Being from Doncaster, were there many techno clubs around or did you have to travel?

“There’s not a lot there, except for Doncaster Warehouse, which had a lot of hardcore and hard house. From working in bars, I saw producers like Mike Pickering and the Haçienda DJs coming through. When I was 16 or 17 I’d start going to raves in Leeds and Sheffield and listen to drum & bass and early dubstep – before it became just noise, basically. It gets diluted when everyone starts doing it, like any modern-day take on something.”

Did you start out just using software?

“I was more of a DJ at first, but I had friends that were quite computer-inclined. They picked up software like Reason, but although they could use computers to make music, they weren’t as clued up as to what was going on in the clubs. We did bits and bobs together, but I pick up more and more until I eventually decided I could do it myself. I didn’t have a single clue what I was doing at first; living in Doncaster, I didn’t even know hardware existed.”

To get a feel for production, did you start by copying the artists you admired?

“I just messed around, copying what I was listening to and doing my own thing with it. I’d make tracks and send them to people who’d play them out, but I was never a producer – I was just a DJ making some tunes. The original stuff I did with Woozee was 4/4 bassline music slowed down. It was only six or seven years ago that I realised people were getting into my stuff. People would email me and I’d go through all the CCs and cold call their contacts.”

At the time, were you DJing to make a living?

“I was about 27 and fitting roller shutters with my dad, so I was DJing and making music whenever I had the chance. Nowadays, I do play my own music out, but not as much as I could. I spend so much time living in this room that I don’t want to make music and play it in my DJ sets – it’s not all about my music. I used to test out tunes, but I don’t need to now because I know how they should sound. “

Did you feel as though you had to be in London to push your career forward?

“That was to do with my fiancé, who’s also my manager. She started doing an internship for a record label and another one for management, but I never thought I needed to move to London to make music. Although getting out and about down here has definitely expanded things. The hardest thing is getting your sound out to people, or working with record labels and having them make the decisions, which is why I started my own label.”

Do you DJ with vinyl and release on vinyl?

“I don’t always use records, but I do take vinyl out with me depending on where I’m going and whether the venue’s going to be set up right. Nowadays you turn up to a lot of clubs, turn the record on and the first thing you get is a massive feedback hum. I like records because they’re not digital files that are going to get lost in the mix of things, but in terms of using CDJs, the only downside is trying to get some tracks digitally. But it does make life easier when I can turn up with a USB and all the tracks I need are organised.”

Do you practise your sets here in the studio?

“I have CDJs here, but because I spend so much time DJing I don’t need to practise too much. Even if I don’t know what a venue’s got, I’ve used that many CDJs that it doesn’t matter. I used to do Pirate Radio in Leeds and got used to using a little Karaoke jog wheel CDJ, so I’ve gone from that to using the latest gear where even if you can’t mix, it’ll mix for you. After I’ve spent enough time figuring out how I can abuse them, I’m ready to go with a few button presses. The other week I used a proper old rotary mixer, and within 10 minutes I was there – equipment’s just a means to do what I gotta do.”

Do you use Beatport to find new stuff?

“I’ll use Beatport but not Top20 charts or what Beatport recommends. I’m not really interested in what people recommend as such. I’ll sit and listen to music on YouTube like most people.”

After Reason where did you go from there?

“Someone introduced me to Ableton and I’ve not moved away from that since. I’m still on Ableton 8, running on an old but powerful Mac. I’ve never been a big fan of programming in MIDI; obviously

it’s not that hard and all my friends used to use drum racks, but I feel like I have to be able to see the audio and understand it a bit more. When I started getting into hardware, I bought the Korg MS-20. Basically, I don’t like plugins and VSTs because tweaking stuff on-screen has never really worked for me. I’m always buying and selling things, usually because I don’t have the setup to use them, and that’s never really changed.”

So you haven’t become a gear hoarder?

“Even though I understand better what I’m trying to achieve, what I want still changes every day [laughs]. I’m part of about 20 groups on Facebook selling all sorts of stuff. I’ve been really lucky because I bought the Roland SH-101 for £500 when they were going for £800-900. You win some and lose some, but I’m never going to buy anything that’s crazy expensive – like a Jupiter-6; I don’t need that big of a sound.”

What about servicing old gear, is that an impediment to buying online?

“Well repairs are not easy, because not that many people can do them. I’m actually a trained electrician, but fixing gear’s not electronics. I didn’t realise at first, but that background definitely helped me to understand signal paths and how cabling connects. Latency still does my head in, but it’s useful knowing how a send and return works – it makes it easier to set things up on a mixing desk.”

So would you say the mixing desk is the heart of the studio for you?

“At the moment, I’m using Social Entropy’s Engine, which is a multi-track step sequencer, because I want a sequencer to be at the hub of my studio. I press play on that and everything starts recording into it. This setup allows me to make music, and if I want to change direction with a couple of button presses then whatever I wrote before is gone but I’m in another territory. I prefer that to getting caught up looking at a screen and forcing an idea to work. Ideally, I’m working towards Ableton being just an audio recorder. I do mix in Ableton, but I prefer using the EQs on my desk. It just makes more sense to me. If you give me faders and knobs I can really mess around with stuff, and although I know you can MIDI map everything on VSTs, computers don’t excite me – sound does.”

Would you say hardware is better when it comes to effects processing?

“I wouldn’t say one is better or worse, they’re just different. If you’re using a digital signal, you’ve got a clean signal. You can use UAD plugins and do what you want to that signal, within reason, but a UAD distressor’s not going to sound that much different to a hardware distressor. Technically, analogue sound is probably worse than digital because it’s noisy, but I love all that – I like the imperfections.”

And on the flip side, people are always trying to dirty up digital audio?

“Yeah, that’s true, but I’ve never worried about what’s right or wrong – as long as it’s got a vibe. If I’m enjoying the vibe then someone else will enjoy it, so if I record a synth line and further down the line I find there’s something on it that’s annoying, I don’t worry about it. The consumer couldn’t care less whether something’s recorded at 80Hz or has a little hum on it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to know all that stuff and it would have been good to learn from a proper studio engineer, but I’ve got friends like Redlight, who’s taught me bits and bobs.”

You still have your Korg MS-20?

“Yeah, the MS-20 Mini – I used to use it for reese bass lines and detuned sawtooths, but nowadays I tend to use it for effects. It’s semi-modular and I’ll never get rid of it. For anyone getting into synths, it’s a great one to buy.”

All your hardware goes into a mixer first then?

“It’s a Midas Venice 240, which is technically a live mixer, but it actually sounds really good and has great EQs. I’ve got everything coming in on different channels and my sends are set up to the Ensoniq DP/4. The settings in there can make you sound like Daft Punk, which isn’t why I got it, but the compression and reverb are especially good. Once I’ve gone through the mixer and DP/4, I don’t really have to do that much in the box. I also use a couple of Eventide effects units, the ModFactor for chorus,

“Computers don’t excite me – sound does”

flangers and tremolos and the TimeFactor for delays. They’re almost like plugins, but with hands-on control. Again, it’s what I’m all about because I don’t want to have to draw anything in on a DAW. A lot of it’s about commitment; once you use outboard you’re committed to it.”

As mentioned, literally everything you do is hands-on, including the sequencing…

“Yeah, the Engine sequencer is the centre-piece. It’s got eight separate sequencer tracks, but you can also break them down, so you can trigger a drum machine and it’s going to be in time with everything else. You can programme in chords and it’s got CV as well, so I can sequence my Roland SH-101.”

You have some other hardware synths?

“I’ve got the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak, which basically has six voices. The best way to describe it is a cheap, early Prophet synth. I’ve not delved into it too much, but it’s got some weird-arse sounds. The Jomox XBASE 999 is an analogue drum synth. I used a cheap Roland TR-8 for years, which is cool if you can’t afford an 808 or a 909, but I got bored of it so I do all my drum sounds on the Jomox because I like the feel of it and the way you can edit everything.”

You have a couple of other Roland devices?

“I’ve got a Roland JX-3P, which I’ll use for pads or weird little stabby sequences, but I need to fit a PG-200 programmer to it that allows it to take MIDI and use a controller at the same time. I’ll also use the SH-101, which is noisy but gives me that low-end bass, crazy leads and acidy sound. I know they did a reboot – the SH-01A, but I don’t know if it would sound quite as freaky as the original. The Yamaha TX81Z is quite a recent purchase – it’s a rackmount version of the DX-11. I’ve also got a DX-7 synth, but that’s got a massive footprint and because the TX is FM synthesis I can edit an FM patch with a few button presses. Again, because I don’t write that much heavy melodic stuff, I’ll just use the Engine as my keyboard controller.”

You prefer rackmount gear to plugins?

“I got the Roland JV-2080, which is full of classic rave sounds. These are sick machines, not that hard to use and some of the presets are amazing. I’ve got no problem using presets – it’s more about how you use them. The Triton synth has some amazing sounds – it’s the sound of Wiley, because that’s what he used to use. Even the Korg M1 rackmount – I know it’s an old thing, but these units have so many good sounds in them and are cheap as well. They might cost £150-200, but the amount of sounds they’ve got compared to what you get with VSTs – it’s just something a bit different. It also means I’m not going to sound the same as everyone else.”

So what part does the PC play in your production process?

“Some days I’ll come in, jam four or five different tunes and won’t record any until one of them is worth getting locked in. Editing audio in Ableton is amazing because you can mess around and tighten

“The idea revolves around how little I can use to make tunes that still make sense”

things up easily. More and more people I speak to are getting into Ableton because it’s designed to be easy and creative to use rather than technical; although you can be technical if you want. If you do a lot of vocals, Logic will give you a bit more precision and the mixing’s probably a bit better, but my mixing process isn’t that deep anyway. In the box, I’ll use FabFilter stuff because I really like their EQs. I’ll use their Volcano or Timeless VTSs for a bit more delay, and a bit of Waves stuff for tweaking and adding a little more shine.”

You have three sets of speakers?

“I need an amp for the Yamaha NS-10s; then I’ll start using them all the time. The Mackies are what they are – kind of crap - and I’ve got a pair of Focal SM9s. I love those because they’re not forgiving and show up everything, but I keep blowing the cones. “

Do you believe in getting bad speakers and trying to make things sound good on them?

“I get that logic; it probably comes from so many people using NS10s. If you can make something bang on a pair of NS10s, it should really bang. But the Focals will show you what’s really going on, like if there’s hum somewhere. I do reference with the Mackies, but then I’ll also reference on a mobile phone, laptop or your iPhone headphones.”

Your next release is Northern Jamz – a more minimal techno sound?

“I don’t really have boundaries and have always been like that. If I want to make music in a different sound or style, I’ll do it, but it’s all just music to me. It’s more about what I’m taking in. If I’m listening to a certain type of music at the time, it will affect where I’m at mentally, but I’m not interested in what’s going on in a scene or the latest trend. I’d rather buck the trend. So much of what I do is based on just playing with my machines, experimenting and seeing what comes from that. At the moment, minimal techno is becoming more of a recurring thread, but not minimal for the sake of it.”

The tracks are highly percussive to the point where it’s almost a dominant factor?

“NorthernJamz is a track I wrote with Craig McNamara, who’s Mak from Mak & Pasteman. Percussion’s always been a big element for me - it’s all about movement. Craig’s big on modular stuff, but I’m not going down that rabbit hole. I like the limitations of buying a box and seeing what I can get out of it. I’m getting a Yamaha AN-200 virtual analogue synth sent to me, and the DX200, because no one’s really using them - basically, they’re old FM synthesis groove boxes. You can buy however many modules, but these boxes can do a lot more than one oscillator for a similar price, so I’d rather try and work something out with those than forever building a modular case – and I’d spend too much money on it anyway.”

On a minimalist track, are the effects used almost as important as the sounds themselves?

“More than anything, it’s your grooves – they’re the most important thing. Even with a kick drum and a couple of hi-hats, if they’re programmed in a certain way they can make people move. I’ve got another EP coming that’s just four tracks. The idea revolves around how little I can use to make tunes that still make sense, are functional and have energy. Everything in there should serve a purpose and effects bring everything to life. Delay is my most important tool, so I’ll use an Ensoniq DP/4 and a couple of pedals on certain sounds before taking them into the box, just to fill up the space and make everything sit together.”

Is sound placement important, considering your music is primarily for clubs?

“I work quite heavily in mono, because if you’re making something for a club, it’s going to get lost. Working in stereo was more important when I worked in the box using headphones, but now when I’m designing things I want them to punch through and hit hard. I’ll put a bit of stereo panning on synths, but nothing too crazy.”