“21st century music will be about restraint rather than stacking gear” FVLCRVM|

The Slovakian-born producer takes a break from making up fake conceptual hardware (as seen in his new video, Words), to come back down to earth and talk real gear.

When did you start making music, and how did you first get started?

“I started as a guitar player in a church band for several years. I tried to learn more instruments like bass, drums and keys but guitar remained my main instrument. At first I didn’t know much about music except pop, but other players introduced me to jazz, funk and gospel. That was actually years before I got my first computer. So I was inspired mostly by instrumentalists and composers. Complex chord progressions and beats – that was my jam back then. Probably still is. ”

Tell us about your studio/setup?

“I rent a studio with my other project but I’ve never become accustomed to working there other than playing anything loud with the band. So I work from home most of the time or on the road. The centre of my music world is still my 2012 MacBook. I’ve had some hardware synths and compressors at home but I’m so used to tweaking and automating the parameters in my DAW throughout the creation that I stuck with plugins. I can’t really tell the difference between the real thing and plugins in a song anymore. So except the guitars and vocals everything is plugins or samples. I’d love to buy a desktop computer. My posture while making music on a laptop is horrible.”

What DAW do you use, and why?

“It used to be 50/50 Logic and Ableton Live, but now it’s only Ableton Live. Even for recorded audio-only projects. I’ve worked in almost all of them except Reason. I’m much quicker in Live and that’s important to me. Being able to translate the idea in my head as quickly as possible before it’s gone.”

What one piece of gear in your studio could you not do without, and why?

“That would definitely be my speakers. It’s actually a discontinued model from Dynaudio with the tilted design made for placing on a desk. I’m pretty sure I placed them wrong because they lay on the side on the stands now. But in combination with my subwoofer, it’s a joy to listen to. So many producers build their studio around mixing and ultra flat sound. And that’s fine if you want to just mix stuff. But I want to feel what I’m doing – while not making huge mistakes in the sound.”

What’s your latest studio addition?

“My Apollo Twin audio interface. With the best gear, you don’t have to even think about it being there. The ability to check mixes in mono with a push of the button and the unison technology simulating famous preamps are really cool. But what I love the most is its stability in huge projects. No unexpected noises or other behaviour.”

What dream bit of gear would you love to have in you studio?

“I think bigger space would be fantastic. I’d love to have a place where I can record any instrument really easily without plugging everything in and out all the time. I’m not much of a gearhead and I think most of us have much more stuff than is needed for making huge songs. I think music making in the 21st century will be more about restraint rather than stacking gear. And less dust cleaning. There’s way too many options even for bedroom producers today.”

When approaching a new track or project, where do you start?

“I just try to approach things differently. But over the years it’s turned more into recording ideas to my phone. Could be a sound, a hook or a drum beat. Sometimes I do it on the street, pretending I’m calling someone! But I guess it’s not common to beatbox to someone down the phone… So I act like I’m on a line to tech support and I wait for an answer while whistling. I know. I often take what is recorded and throw it straight into Live. The melody/beatrecognising algorithm is magical. And offbeat/off-scale stuff is sometimes really interesting.”

What are you currently working on?

“I’m trying to finish off ideas that I started without completing in recent months. That is actually the hardest part of making music for me. I’m releasing more singles and videos on my home label, Mom I Made It, this year which is very exciting. But I’m also trying to get inspired and team up with stage design people to create my first live show because, for now, it’s only DJ sets.”