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10 questions with Worthy
He's loved by Carl Cox and Ben Watt, he's released on OM and Lot 49, but he's still hyper-critical of his productions. West coast house stalwart Worthy spills all on the S2S hotseat.
Originally from Washington but now based in San Francisco, seasoned house stalwart Worthy was instrumental in starting the legendary Dirty Bird label before starting his own Anabatic records. He has also released and remixed for OM, Lot 49 and Matt Tolfrey's Leftroom imprint. We sent our latest recruit Barry McManus on a one-way ticket to the west coast to talk labels and loops.
Who's currently rocking your world as a producer and why?
Claude VonStroke and Justin Martin are making amazing stuff that always blows me away. Claude’s new album is so sick; hearing what he makes inspires me to crank out new tunes and explore new sounds. I'm also really into the sounds that DJ T and Thomas Schumacher are making. the Balearic house they are making right now is dope. I'm digging what Tom Flynn from Anabatic is dropping - it's great to see him progressing so fast as a producer. His EP coming out on Deadfish is going to be a killer.
What's been the highlight of your year so far?
It has to be the success of Concumbia, the track I did with Yankee Zulu. Seeing that track do so well has been amazing for me, both as a producer and a label owner.
How do you see the dance music industry developing over the next few years?
It will keep moving towards digital, as you see happening with all forms of media at the moment. People will keep finding new and better ways to use digital media. At some point there will be a riot between vinyl purists and digital lovers.
When you're building a new track how do you normally work? Do you start with the drums and build your way up from that?
I normally get a simple drumloop working first. Then I work on the bassline. However, while I work, I'm continually tweaking and adding to both. Sometimes I have no idea what a track is going to sound like - even when I start writing it - and after the many days of tweaks it takes on a whole different sound.
Any arrangement secrets you want to share with us?
Firstly, I try to make sure every sound has its own place in the track. Secondly, I like the track to progress and grow as it moves on. I often remove sounds from the original drumloop, slowly adding them back into the mix to keep the track sounding fresh. I also like to use sounds that slowly swell and lengthen during the song.
Which sounds do you find the hardest to create from scratch?
The bassline. I like to have a certain roll to my bassline, and sometimes it feels like pulling teeth out to get it together. I also struggle sometimes with layering sounds: like to blend two together for a strong bottom-end, but it be hard. Once I get it sounding good though, the whole song starts to come together.
Do you mainly use analogue or digital soft synth sources? Do you think analogue really makes a difference?
I use soft synths. The only real advantage I see of using analogue is that fewer people have the same bit of equipment, so they will get more unique sounds.
What do you believe is the secret to your success as a producer?
Persistence and believing in the music I make. I had a hard time getting labels interested in my music to begin with, so I started my own. This has given me freedom as a producer to create the sounds I'm feeling, rather than gearing my music towards the sound of label. It's given me the opportunity to engage with a lot of different people in the industry and make some amazing connections. I'm also super critical of my own music, which pushes me to raise the standard of my sound with every new track.
Any advice for aspiring producers out there?
Give your tracks to friends who are into the same genre of music and get them to give you a true critique. The feedback can be hard to take sometimes, but if you listen to it and respond to it, the quality of your writing and production will improve. At the same time, do frequent comparisons - includng A/B mix comparisons - between your music and that of a producer whose sound you love. Aim to get your tracks to sound as good as theirs.
What have you got coming up and do you have plans for an LP?
The next thing is a two track EP on Anabatic called Eight Yay Eight, out November 17th. I've been tweaking the title track for nearly two years now. It feels great to finally get it out. I also have a remix of Claude Von Stroke's 'Big n Round' coming out on Dirtybird at some point. As for an LP, I've been on the fence for a long time about doing vinyl on the label. It just doesn't seem to be worth it these days. It costs an arm and leg to press units and physical sales are so low. It seems like a bad investment when the majority of people buying music are buying digital.
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More from Worthy: www.myspace.com/djworthy
(c) 2009 Sounds/To/Sample