YEO

How has technology helped your creative process?

When I started I was kinda working with programs like Fruity Loops and acid pro. I was just working with loop based sequencers. And as my song writing has developed, I’ve kind of moved on from those type of programs to bigger DAWS like Cubase, Protools and Ableton. Alongside that, the technology such as arrangement tools have really helped facilitate my growth.

What’s your approach to drum programming? It can often make or a break a track.

Every song I work on – the drum programming starts from scratch. After I get past a selection of sounds I like to play them live and then loop that as it brings a slightly more human feel. And that steps away again from step based programming like Fruity Loops. Ableton and Protools just let you plug in a MIDI Controller and play your section until you’re happy with it. I then dump it and start to move things a little bit left or right and push and pull to give it those little nuances. So the main idea comes first and then you work with it.

So we know that digital mediums are evolving. You also play live instruments too (keys, sing, bass) – how did that all start?

I started piano when I was 7, keys is my main instrument. When you first dive into software there’s always some kind of a synth built in, and then all of a sudden your library explodes and you have endless opportunities. On that note – I do work a lot in software. It’s mostly a cost thing I suppose. I love hardware synths too, and every time I go into a shop that has cool hardware stuff I can get lost for hours but when it comes to having to get a record done or remix something at home – that’s real world work. Someone might say ‘hey I need this remix done, can you do it?’ I’ll be like ‘yes I can’ and I’m not going to go and drop 4 grand on a prophet keyboard.

The term producer has changed quite significantly with the evolution of technology. What do you see as the role of a producer?

There are some guys that are great in the studio and some that are great in their bedroom – I probably lean towards the latter. I’ve always been pretty DIY and besides from going to uni to learn the basics of sound I had to learn the software and all that myself in my own time in my own bedroom essentially. Or more so a shed these days. It’s not properly sound treated, it doesn’t have the best monitors money can buy and it’s still a bit rickety but in saying that if you know what you’re doing in post you can pretty much get away with producing a profession product in that kind of environment – you just need to harness the technology. Speaking for myself I’d like to think that’s one of my strengths cos I can do a top line for Hermitude or do a remix for an artist.