Fresh off the release of his latest single, 'Drifting' (available now as a SoundCloud exclusive), seasoned UK Dance producer Vondr sat down with us to share his workflow secrets, the YouTube channels keeping his inspiration alive, and the techniques he uses to smash through writer's block along with killer tips for your next production.
I have been producing for almost 12 years now, I started when I was in college doing my undergraduate study. A friend of mine gave me a copy of FL Studio and I started learning on my own. It took me a couple of years to even get the basics right because I didn’t know anything regarding music theory. So, while learning how to use a DAW, I was also working on my music theory skills.
I started with FL Studio but after 2-3 years, I found that a lot of my favourite artists were using Ableton and I took the decision to switch and never looked back.
When I switched my sound and genre to UK Dance Music I found the world of hardware synths and drum machines and fell in love with it. I bought a Elektron Digitakt as my first gear and it’s my favourite right now. I do love my guitar as well which I use from time to time for productions other than my own music.
In terms of plugins, I love the Ableton stock plugins like Wavetable which I use on all of my tracks. For third party plugins I love Arturia synth emulations of retro hardware synths they do. A big shoutout to FabFilter bundle as well.
I feel like I write my best tunes when I feel inspired by some music I have just discovered at the moment.
Sometimes I find a tune which sparks a great idea in my mind regarding how I can use that sound and give it my own touch. It can be the synths that the artist used or the drum pattern and I go from there.
I usually start with hook elements like vocal chop and chords. If I feel confident with these parts then I just write the idea quickly.
YouTube will always be my number one resource for music production learning. For the last few years, I have been just learning and improving my skills by listening to other artists and trying to deconstruct what they might have done to get that sound right in their track and try it myself.
The only YouTube page I come back to very often is Voltage Labs, I believe they are one of the best YouTube channels which make tutorials or videos regarding the underground scene and sound. If you want to learn about underground UK sounds and artists, please check this channel out. I have learned the most through this channel.
It’s hard to have everything lined up to learn in a craft. You learn different aspects of music production and genres with time but one thing I feel like I should have focused on earlier on is songwriting and sound selection. If you are precise with these two skills, you will get super close to professional sounding tracks.
Like most of the producers, I also struggle with writers block from time to time but over the years it has gotten easier to tackle. I feel like once you are skilful enough you can navigate your way through the writers block.
I use my drum machine to make drum patterns for example, if i don't feel like writing chords. Or, I chop samples from Splice to come up with a chord progression or bassline, which then gets me back on track if I get something solid out of these sessions.
Layering drums with some extra noise elements always elevates them in my opinion. I love using Foley sounds to add one layer behind all of the main core elements in my drum group. First select solid Kick, Hat, Snare and then go towards doing layers of additional elements.
Like most of the producers, I use Splice for samples. It is an important part of the song writing process for me.
I think with time, I have moved away from sending music specially for feedback to my producer friends or peers, But I love showing my music to them and seeing what they think of the direction overall.
I am most proud of the fact that after all these years of consistent effort into music, I have started working with some of the biggest names in the industry. It opened a lot of opportunities for me as an artist and as a producer. Releasing new music such as my single 'Drifting' with SoundCloud exclusively is also a part of it.
The ability to reach a wider audience by joining RepostExchange community is a plus for any up and coming artist.
Top left to right: Ableton Live, Wavetable.
Bottom left to right: Elektron Digitakt, Arturia V Collection, FabFilter Essentials bundle.
Connect with Vondr on SoundCloud and Instagram.
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This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
