P-LASK & MVIENIGHT – ‘Feel Love’: Out Now! [Stream + DL]

Do you have a musical background? What is your experience in music so far?

I’m not very proficient at playing any instruments.  However, I did sing in concert choirs and choral groups throughout high school and college, and this helped me learn a lot about music theory.  I have also been DJing for nearly 20 years and producing for a little over a decade.

What first piqued your interest in music production?

After DJing for so many years, I got to a point where I figured “Hey, I can make this stuff too!”  I think a desire to combine all of the sounds/elements that I liked from disparate styles of electronica (techno, house, trance, ambient, breakbeat, drum & bass, etc.) was a driving factor in my journey toward producing.

Where did you draw your inspiration from for the track?

I’m definitely heavily inspired by the classic house sounds of Chicago, New York, Detroit, the UK, etc.  Of course, I try to modernize it a bit too.  But this is a sound that has survived (and thrived) for so long.  I can’t put my finger on it, but there is definitely something special (maybe even spiritual) about this type of music.  It’s timeless, not disposable, like so much of the modern electronic music coming out today.  You can hear a house track that came out 20 years ago, and it still holds up.

What did you use in the production of the track? (any specific hardware/software/plugins etc)

I’m an Ableton Certified Trainer, so Ableton Live (and Push), have been at the core of my studio for a while now.  I think on this track, I also used my Roland JP8080 (great 90s synth for pads and leads), and I sampled a few drum sounds from the Roland TR-8 (another one of my studio toys).  I’m a minimalist when it comes to plugins, but I’ve definitely been using XFER Serum quite a bit.  I was fortunate enough to beta test the softsynth before it came out, and I designed some of the factory presets for it as well.  It’s also become a “go-to” tool for me.

Did you have a particular vision before you began?

I don’t always have a particular vision in mind when I go into a track’s production.  But I WILL usually spend at least one session just choosing the sounds I want to put together.  I joke with my students that I’m like Bob Ross (famous late American painter, with a show on PBS) choosing his colors at the beginning of each episode before he starts painting.  I think the initial development of a “soundscape” for your track can really expedite the actual production/arrangement process.  Live’s Session View is like my massive “color palette” whenever I start a new track!

What advice would you give other full-time students or professionals who are looking to find success in the music industry in their spare time?

I think the best advice I can give to ANY producer (beginner, or advanced) is to keep making music.  And I don’t mean start an idea, then get tired of it and scrap it.  I mean full-on FINISHING tracks.  Do this as much as possible, and as quickly as possible, and don’t judge the results.  Just get the idea out, arrange it, then move onto the next thing.  Not everything you finish is going to get released.  Build up a “portfolio” of 100+ finished tracks.  Most of them are going to be crap, but who cares?  Then you pick and choose the best ones to put out.  It’s really all about quantity over quality.  Quality will come if you stay disciplined and keep working at your craft.

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

I’m always busy! As I’m typing these answers, I am literally listening to a finished mix that’s coming out on a new label based in Los Angeles, called Krafted DTLA, this Fall.  These guys have been working closely with Toolroom Records and I’m super excited to get the track out with them.  My partner David (MVIENIGHT) and myself are also currently working on an EP.  I’m in the middle of working on a sample pack that will hopefully be available to everyone via Splice Sounds very soon.