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10 questions with Dylan Rhymes
Lot49 label boss and tech-funk pioneer Dylan Rhymes has a discography longer than most people's forearms. We interrupted the party-starter to throw him S2S's top ten production questions
Having been at the forefront of the breaks scene for nearly 15 years, Dylan Rhymes has gone on to spearhead the Tech-Funk sound. His releases on Junior Boys Own, Fingerlickin' and his own Lot 49 imprint have defined the sound of a generation. When not twiddling the knobs he can be found DJing at some of the world's finest parties. From Miami WMC to Burning Man; San Francisco to Moscow - the man has forged a reputation as a first-class party starter. But what are the secrets behind his dancefloor rocking records? Step up Dylan Rhymes.
How important do you think it is to have your music mastered commercially? Can you do it yourself as effectively and what tools would you recommend?
It has become less important to have music mastered - especially as most labels aren't manufacturing vinyl or CDs anymore; it's just not as important when end users are purchasing through the digital domain. With fantastic new plug-ins (including T-Racks and the Wave Arts Power Suite 5) and outboard gear you can achieve great results yourself. If you choose to go down this route then you need to be referencing other people's music - constantly A/Bing against your own tracks.
Have you got any advice for aspiring young producers out there?
Keep everything simple. Less is more. If you want to make something big you dont have to overload your mix with loads of sounds.
Who's currently rocking your world as a producer and why?
I have a few faves of the moment and for different reasons. I really like Pablo Decoder as he always has great, simple hooks. I'm bang into Sharooz, again for the direct style but for the production quality too, which is sooooo tight! I am also really into a lot of Popof's music - again for the simplicity and those awesome evolving riffs.
Describe your typical workflow on a track.
I usually get the drums going first. I'll EQ and compress different parts individually and then send them to a mix bus where I'll compress again and limit them. Then I usually start on a big bass line and get that sounding fat and sitting nicely with the drums. I put a limiter on the main stereo out giving additional chunk and extra volume to the track (I use this from the very beginning of the production). When my bass and beats are tight I introduce a hook, whether it be a vocal or lead line, and build a 16-bar section until I feel the mix is sounding pretty full. Then I do a basic arrangement and go back over the whole track from the start, filling in all the blanks with other riffs or key elements and paying attention to the flow of the track. Once the guts of the track are in place I put in crashes, FX and intro/outro sounds that help move between sections. Throughout the whole process I am adjusting the mix constantly, so when the track has been fully arranged it is usually also mixed down and ready to go.
Do you use mainly analogue or digital soft synth sources? Do you think analogue still really makes a difference?
I use all soft synths these days. I have a good mic-pre which I run sounds through to fatten up sometimes but now it's all in the box for me. That said, I do think analogue makes a difference and I would love to have the studio space for racks full of kit and get back some of my old analogue machines.
What's your opinion on processing the mix bus? Leave it clean or drive it to the extreme?
I drive the mix bus pretty hard as it has become a big part of the club music sound, especially over the last 10 years. Fewer dynamics and more volume has led to many plug-ins and outboard that boast bigger and louder mixes. Happy days! :)
Which sounds do you find are the hardest to create from scratch?
Usually I struggle most with the bass, as this features prominently in my productions and I don't like to use the same sound twice. Sometimes bass sounds come real quick, but I've had plenty of agonising days in the studio writing hundreds of basslines that just don't cut it.
For you, what is the key ingredient for a track? Breakdown? Style of production? Bassline? And why?
The key ingredient has to be the drums and bottom end because they are the most prominent parts when you are in a club with a huge sound system. A muddy bottom end is gauranteed to rear its ugly head on a big system, so you need to keep it tight and tidy.
Loops? Or programming your own beats from single hits? And why?
I love using individual hits and compressing and EQing to get the perfect beat. I use loops as well but they tend to be percussion and top loops as opposed to full beat loops.
How do you see the dance music industry developing over the next two or three years?
I think vinyl and CDs will eventually become part of the collectors' market while digital will thrive. The market is changing fast and it won't be long until most income from music will be paid for by advertising.
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More from Dylan Rhymes: myspace.com/dylanrhymes
(c) 2009 Sounds/To/Sample