Modular’ is to give people the chance to have a bit of that unique modular sound in their productions. I wanted to capture the vibe of what the whole modular synthesis thing is about, and give people material they might not have otherwise been able to create using more accessible technology. It features over 500 audio files. Any tempo related sounds are at 128bpm and all main sounds have a dry & wet version to add extra usability. There stuff ranging from raw analogue waveforms, through to complex soundscapes and textures, with loads in between. There were also 9 different guitar pedals used in the sound design process as well as my trusty, customised valve preamp/ compressor and a handful of carefully selected plugins to create the ‘wet’ versions of each sound. The idea was born after I had more or less completed my first modular system. Each time I sat in front of it and started patching I’d be coming up with a new sound and discovering something new, so it made sense to start building a library of different sounds and textures. I think sample CD’s play an important role in music production. Used wisely and creatively, samples can spark new ideas and be really helpful in creatting a more interesting dimension to a track. I use samples mainly on the rhythm/groove side of things and as well as adding extra depth to things, they can help to keep to momentum of the production process going. Whether the final product is original or not is entirely in the hands of the creator. Obviously if somebody just makes a track out of samples taken straight from a sample CD, they are missing the point. IMO if samples are used intelligently and in the context of that artist’s own unique style, re-worked and tweaked to create something new, then it all helps the music to flourish. Tell us a bit about the vibe at your label U&A
The ethos at U&A has always been about releasing top notch dance music, whatever form it takes and absolutely not limited by the restraints of genre classification. In short, 100% pure warehouse shit.
I’m very fortunate to be a part of the family. Shack has always offered his time, experience and support to guide my music and I’m very grateful for that. Has the free flow magic of a good improvised tweak and twiddle been lost somewhat in a sea of sequencing? Not in my world. That’s one of the key reasons I got in to the whole modular thing – lots of live tweaking! I do a lot of real time tweaking on the modular in my tracks while recording. That way,things grow and fluctuate in a more natural way. You’re playing the instrument and changing the intonation much like a guitar. You can’t beat that feeling. It’s important to bring something organic in to a track and to allow things to get loose. That’s