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10 questions with MC Flipside
One of the biggest vocalists on the electro-house scene, who has supplied his own brand of lyrical love to artists from Deadmau5 to Wolfgang Gartner, MC Flipside talks to S2S about the creative freedoms of the digital age, explains why mastering matters, and re-states the case for a quality vocal top-line.
Arguably the most prolific vocalist in electro-house, Beatport chart-botherer du jour MC Flipside has worked with Deadmau5, Wolfgang Gartner, Lee Mortimer, Kelevra and Sharooz to name but a few. Also a seasoned DJ and producer in his own right, he has recorded for some of the biggest labels in dance such as Toolroom and CR2 whilst successfully managing his own PBR Recordings label. We catch up with the Toronto native for a Sounds/To/Sample grilling.
Who's currently rocking your world as a producer and why?
I’m really feeling Matteo DiMarr (aka M1). Why? Seven reasons. He’s a Canadian house music icon who's been producing quality electronic music for almost 20 years and is always evolving. In many cases, he’s been ahead of his time. His tracks are instantly recognisable. He walks the fine line between house and techno. He has impeccable sound selection. His drums swing in hip-hop fashion. And he always gives his tracks a nice, warm punchy mix.
When building a track how do you normally work? Do you start with the drums and build your way up from that?
It depends on my mood, but most of the time I work like this: I fire up Logic, turn on the microphone and beatbox hi-hat patterns and drum patterns in. Then I'll repeat the process, overdubbing basslines and melodies. Once I've got some good ideas down, I start freestyling vocals on top of my recorded ideas, choosing whether I want to sing, rap or just use a one-line vocal hook. Once I've decided where the track is going, I start building the drums proper. I choose the sounds that match what I laid down as ideas. The sound selection can be time consuming and mind-numbing, so that's why I like to start off by freestyling - to ensure all of my ideas get captured and don't get lost during the long and often tedious building process.
How do you see the dance music industry developing over the next few years?
Over the past four decades dance music has been loved and loathed in equal measures. A few years ago, after many of the vinyl distributors collapsed and technology introduced things like the CDJ and Laptop Jock (i.e. Serato, Traktor), many claimed the scene was over and that any old Joe could get on stage and become a dance superstar. Of course this never happened. Those of us who were smart enough to read the signs embraced the various new technologies - in our DJ sets, in production, and to launch record labels.
The digital age has allowed the independent artist to maintain creative control. If you can create quality music, have a pulse on what’s hot, understand trends among the youth and know how to brand, package and sell music, you’ll get positive results. On a pracical level, all purchases will become digital, with social networking sites becoming the main drivers for promoting the scene.
What is the key ingredient for a great track? Breakdown? Style of production? Why?
The key ingredients are the songwriting and the performance of the vocalist. In dance music, the effect of a top-quality vocal line is often downplayed, but it shouldn't be. Sure, there have been some instrumental songs that have stood the test of time, but nowhere near the number of vocal-driven songs that have dominated popular music. Don’t we all know the vocals of the Jungle Brothers' 'Girl I'll House You'?!
Do you use mainly analogue or digital soft synth sources? Do you think analogue still really makes a difference?
At the moment I'm using all digital soft synths, but I still love the sound of analogue. It's warm, phat, crisp and unmistakable. In my studio I've got a Roland Juno-106, Korg MS2000, AKAI MPC2000, Korg Triton Studio and a Roland Xp-30. I'm looking at adding a Minimoog Voyager in the near future.
Tell us about PBR and your involvement in it.
I am the co-owner and A&R Director of PBR Recordings (Proper Beats & Rhymes). I started PBR Recordings in 2007 with Carlo Cina - a.k.a. A-Divizion. Before that I was assistant music director and an on-air radio broadcaster for more than eight years in Canada. That experience allowed me to develop an open mind and an understanding of arrangement, the necessity of having a memorable hook and so on. When you’re talking about keeping an audience locked into your program, you need to know which records will work and which won’t. I'm fortunate to have a business partner who is also an excellent producer, keyboardist and DJ (with over 10 years experience). We understand the fine line between being cutting-edge, and also being commercially accessible for radio. PBR is home to international artists such as Matteo DiMarr, Granite & Phunk, Prok & Fitch, Joey Seminara, Simon Gain, Carlo Lio, Breakdown, Jaimie Fanatic, Inphinity, Jesse Voorn, Defunct!, Hot Mouth, Kelevra, Sharooz, Chris Vench and many more. Our sound ranges from House and Electro to Tech-House and Progressive.
What do you believe is the secret to your success as a producer?
I can create music and instantly start freestyling and writing songs on the spot. MC Flipside doesn’t stand for Master of Ceremony Flipside. It stands for Music Creator Flipside.
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's hugely important for me. After having spent many, many hours producing, writing lyrics, recording vocals and mixing the track, my ears reach a point where they're cooked. Someone who's proficient at mastering will hear things that I won’t. This is their expertise. Although I'm a firm believer in embracing technology - and some of the Waves and Izotope plugins are awesome - I feel that a fresh set of ears for mastering, along with some of the outboard gear mastering engineers have at their disposal, can take a solid final mix and give it the extra 5%, really bringing it to life.
Describe your typical workflow on a track.
My workflow varies from day to day, but as far as creating a track goes see question 2 above.
Have you got any advice for aspiring producers out there?
If you’re going to become involved in the dance music industry, then the first thing to do is research its history and discover where the music has its origins. Secondly, don’t be afraid of being yourself when you are producing: we all have producers we admire, but allowing ourselves to shine through our own music will ensure originality. Finally, embrace what's new: technology is your friend.
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More from MC Flipsidee: www.myspace.com/mcflipside
(c) 2009 Sounds/To/Sample