MADISON MARS “I spend a lot of time working on my sound”

Madis Sillamo, best known to the world as Madison Mars, started off his career with releases like “Theme O”, “Milky Way” and “Ready or Not” on Don Diablo’s Hexagon label. Madison is now easily recognized for his signature sound and immense success with Spotify releases and support by the biggest deejays in the scene.

How do you feel about the evolution of digital music streaming services?

I quite like it to be honest. It’s a great exposure for artists, either you are experienced or have just started. Of course nowadays I feel like there is too much music being released every day, but I guess you just have to filter out the best.

Music production is more accessible than ever – how do you think producers and artists can still stand out with their songs?

It’s definitely not easy. Labels are always looking for that one special sound, so you have to keep up with the competition and come up with clever ways to stand out.
Fortunately there are endless possibilities for creating your own distinctive sound, just have to be creative in the studio. I spend a lot of time working on my sound, and
believe me it is a challenge every day. But im not complaining, im doing my dream job and enjoy every minute of it.

What makes a vocalist special to you?

Voice, definitely voice. Lyrics come second for me.

When you start a new track – what are the first steps?

Well it depends. Sometimes i start with the melody – kickin off with chords and building melody on top of it. Sometimes i go straight to the “drop” and work my way up from beats, percussions to basslines etc.
Lately im spending a lot of time working on the breakdowns, trying out different melodies with different vocals and taking it from there.

What is the role of intuition when producing music?

Intuition has a big role. At least when you’ve been in the business long enough to know what works and what not. Of course you are not always 100% right, but you definitely
gotta go with your intuition when it comes to music. I think that is how you present yourself the best.

Name your top 3 plugins, which you would not be able to live without and tell us why.

Hmmm… there are a lot of great plugins i use. I’d say my daily drivers are Serum synth for it’s outstanding sounds and endless possibilities, Native Instruments Kontakt player, which literally gives you access to any sound on the planet by using tons of expansions or just samples, and last but not least I’m a big fan of the Waves plugins for mastering, processing sounds. No project goes without waves.

Do you have some tips for aspiring producers in the electronic music sphere?

It may sound cheesy, but do your own thing. Sure, check what’s out there, find your favorites, but do your own thing and try to come up with something unique. It might take time, but everyone has it in them.

How important are data insights for your (strategic) decisions?

It’s getting more important each day. We live in times of streaming so knowing where your tracks are placed and supported by, is very important for different strategies.
Be it for setting up promotions or just social announcements. You can see in which countries your tracks are most popular and build your audience there. It can also come in handy for touring.

What’s next for Madison Mars?

2020 has been a mess for everyone and I used most of this year building my new studio and now im spending a lot of time working on new music for 2021. I have several singles lined up and im focusing more on my signature future house sound, cause
once the parties are back, people want to dance and I gotta be ready for it 🙂