Producer Philip Slabber – aka Crooked Colours – walks us through the synths, plugins and live setup behind his fourth album.
Crooked Colours’ fourth album Dirt Road Gold is out now, the first release since the project became a solo act. Working out of a room at the back of his house, he built the record around a handful of synths, chief among them a UDO Super 6. We caught up with Slabber to talk through the hardware and software behind the album, from his Moog Sub 37 and a well-worn Prophet 6 to the Ableton setup that runs both his productions and his live show.
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Crooked Colours started as a three-piece, and your new album Dirt Road Gold, out now, is your first solo record. What’s changed about the way you write, produce and collaborate now?
I’m definitely collaborating more. When it was a three-piece we kept everything very in-house, so to be able to travel and work with a variety of other artists has been a great experience.
What does your studio look like these days, and is there anything at the centre of it?
I’ve got a great little room in the back of my house which I’ve built out with some nice stuff over the last few years, so I try to get as much out of it as possible. If there is one piece I’ve been leaning on most for this record I would have to say my UDO Super 6 has been a workhorse. It’s such a creative synth and I get a lot of joy out of using it. Other than that, I’ve used a bunch of great gear — my Moog Sub 37 is a bit of a go-to and a beat-up old Prophet 6 tends to work its way into most project files.
What was your in-the-box setup for the record? Which DAW do you use, and were there plugins or effects you kept coming back to?
I’m on Ableton for both production and the live show so I know it pretty well, but I’m still learning new things with it all the time. As far as plugins go, ShaperBox 3 was a bit of a game changer for me. I used the UAD AMS RMX16 a lot for verbs. Addictive Drums 2 is incredible and the Lekko piano I’m in love with.
Did Dirt Road Gold have a clear direction from the start, or did it reveal itself as you went?
It was definitely a slow burn. It really only started becoming cohesive about 12 months into the process, and that’s when it started moving along much faster.
You’re taking the record on the road in October. How does the live show come together, and how are you bringing the album to the stage?
As a solo artist now it’s definitely been a challenge to build the show into what I want it to be. Live drums for me have always been a key element to the live show so I’ll be touring as a drummer as much as I can. Other than that I bring a few key elements from the studio out on the road. My Prophet 6 and the Moog are both built into the show, and then I run tracks and triggers through Ableton, which also triggers the visuals.
Crooked Colours Dirt Road Gold album tour dates
- 16 October: Freo. Social, Fremantle
- 23 October: Metro Theatre, Sydney
- 24 October: Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
- 30 October: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
- 31 October: The Triffid, Brisbane
- 1 November: The Northern, Byron Bay
Find tickets here.
