We had the chance to interview 20-year-old dj & producer Dytone to talk about his latest release, sample packs, his favourite plugins and much more.
Find out what the Birmingham based young talent had to say:
Your new remix for Panuma & Andy Gribben just got released on Soave Records. How did you guys link up?
I’ve been good friends with Andy Gribben for quite a while after discovering each other’s music a few years ago. A few months back he hit me up asking me if I wanted to take a shot at remixing his recent release ‘El Dorado’. I’d heard it on Spotify when it first came out on Soave and loved it, so I was instantly in! As soon as I had finished the remix, Andy sent it over to the guys at Soave and we were all set!
What makes a producer sample pack special to you?
I think producer packs are a real advantage for up and coming producers. When I first started producing myself, I used a lot of producer packs and tutorials. As when I started to produce, I was self taught.
Having an insight into your favourite producer’s work and sound design plays a huge learning advantage when learning to create your own sound and style I think. Which is why I want to contribute to this is in any way I can with sample packs from my own releases, giving an insight to my work.
How do you feel about the evolution of digital music streaming services?
I’m a huge fan of digital streaming services and the way it’s evolving to become more accessible for producers. I think the wide accessibility of producers being able to distribute their music to streaming platforms is really helping musicians get their work out there easily, rather than having to form record or distribution deals. I think Spotify’s developments have made a huge impact too. Being able to pitch directly to their own playlist curators had benefited many people since its launch.
When you start a new track – what are the first steps?
A lot of the time I’m out somewhere and an idea sparks, so I usually start by humming ideas into my phone. Then once I get into the studio I get the chords and melody down. I usually just throw these into a piano or something like that, as I tend to leave the sound design till later on in the process when I’ve got the main idea down. Also, I tend to start with the drop, as that gives me more direction of where to go with the breaks (energetic/anthemic/chill).
If you’d have to limit yourself to only 3 plugins from tomorrow on, which ones would they be and why?
I would have to say Serum, Sylenth 1 and Spire. Those 3 have got to be my most used plugins. They have some amazing presets, and I know them quite well so it makes sound design and preset editing really efficient.
Name 3 things that are essential when starting out as a music producer in the electronic music scene.
Organising is key. From sample packs to preset packs to in the mixer, I always keep it tidy and organised. This really helps with my workflow as I know exactly where everything is. I used to be really messy and it used to make projects very confusing.
Refresh your samples/soundbanks every now and then. Sometimes I find it helps to spark some creativity when I browse through new sample packs or soundbacks. Just a certain one shot, melodic element or sound can really inspire a whole idea for a track. Before discovering this, I used to have a lot of problems with writer’s block and lack creativity for long periods of time.
Numbers aren’t everything. I used to focus a lot of my attention on numbers, such as my Spotify stream count, YouTube plays, social media followers etc. But I realised it’s not all about that. The main way to grow is by not focusing as much on that. There is a lot more to an artist than their numbers. The main focus should just be on making great music and keeping consistent with it. While always putting quality over quantity. As well as connecting with other producers and learning.
How important are data insights for your (strategic) decisions?
I find this very helpful when pre planning release strategies and social media posts. Data insights are even more accessible with the help of amazing apps like Fortunes. Knowing who has supported your music/added to their playlist really helps you to analyse what kind of audiences your music is getting directed to and helps to give an insight into what kind of social media content engages your audience better. Helping to plan content accordingly.
FOLLOW DYTONE:
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Soundcloud
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