In The Studio

In the studio with CELO

This week, we catch up with Denmark-based drum & bass producer, CELO!

Jaz from the RepostExchange Team

How long have you been producing music and how did you learn?

I've been producing since the end of 2016, but I’ve been a massive fan of drum & bass since the late ’90s (I’m a late bloomer).

I first started learning by just watching as many tutorials as I could find on YouTube. Then after a while, I got in touch with a producer called HumaNature, who does private tutoring over Skype. He's taught a lot of the skills I use today to help sharpen my skills.

Other than that, I've also been a member of Sample Genie for a while, which is also great!

What DAW(s) do you use and why?

I use Ableton. Not sure why I started with it, maybe most of the tutorials I found were Ableton… But I love it. I think routing in Ableton is easy, and the audio manipulation possibilities are amazing!

What are your favourite pieces of gear and why?

I don't actually use any gear, I just have a computer, monitors and a small AKAI midi controller. And to be honest, a lot of the music I've made over the last six months or so has just been done on a laptop with a pair of headphones.

What are your favourite software plugins and why?

Some of my favourites are Trash 2 for distortion, NI Transient Master for controlling drums, and FabFilter Pro Q (such an awesome interface). Others I really love are all the Soundtoys plugins.

How would you summarise your approach/workflow when creating a track?

I normally always start with drums. I take a break I like, chop it/rearrange it a bit, then I’ll use Ableton's 'convert drums to midi track' to extract the midi information, then replace the drums in the midi patch with some other nice, clean drum samples.

I then layer this over the top of the original break I found. This gives me a good basis for a drum track. I then try to build a bass groove (normally from a predesigned patch, or a sample in Sampler).

From that, well I just hope that I can make something that progresses (always the hardest bit)!

What resources do you use to improve your craft?

Right now, I use either YouTube or Computer Music Magazine. But I often just listen to tracks I love (not necessarily drum & bass) and just look for inspiration.

What is the last YouTube tutorial you watched that you would recommend to other Re-Ex Members?

What knowledge or advice do you wish you'd learned earlier?

If you can afford it, find someone in your genre that teaches lessons, and let them help you build your first solid tracks. Otherwise, find tutorials on YouTube by reputable producers in your genre, or even try Computer Music magazine, as they have a new tutorial from well-known producers every month.

Can you share any killer tips or techniques?

I'm not sure if I fully understood this when I first started out, but always use quality, clean sounds, or samples. And for mixdown purposes, try to minimise how many sounds are going on at exactly the same time (always make room for elements to come through on their own in your mix, and your track will sound much clearer)

Do you use any online tools to assist with the production process?

Nothing at the moment. But all tracks that I’m producing for my 20:20 Project are being mastered by Audio Animals.

Do you try and get feedback or suggestions to improve your music?

Yes, I'm always open to anyone giving me any feedback. I actually created a new track a while ago, where I shared the process on my Instagram stories. I've been asking people for feedback on that, and I've had plenty (I'm still looking for more, as it’s not finished yet, so please get in touch if you have any feedback).

Which track are you most proud of and why?

I think it might have to be my most recent track 'Distant Lands', which was featured on Data Transmission's blog. I’m just really happy with how the depth and space of the track turned out, and it has a real old skool vibe, which I love.

Has RepostExchange affected the way you make music? If so, how?

It has definitely helped me get exposure on SoundCloud, and was one of the first websites I found to help me promote my music. The first three releases of my 20:20 Project all got to #1 in the Underground chart - thank you so much to everyone that reposted my tracks!