T.H.E Interview – Michael Phase

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michael phase interview

DJ and music production ace Michael Phase stuns once more with the release of his latest hit ‘Freaky’.

The Bass House banger is filled with the hard-hitting sound Michael Phase is known for, nad that has seen him release his music through major labels in the Electronic Dance music world like HARD with STYLE, 2 Dutch, and Keeping The Rave Alive.

The legacy and success of Michael Phase is boundless, proving with every production why his name belongs high at the top of the list of influential artists.

While he share his time between producing new music and embarking on new and exciting projects, we sat down with him to ask more about the behind the scenes process of his track ‘Freaky’

Aditya – Hello Michael Phase, how are you?

Michael Phase – I am great, thank you for asking!

Aditya – ‘Freaky’ is out now. Can you tell us more about the process of producing this track? What inspired it?

Michael Phase – ‘Freaky’ is one of those tracks I had to dig deep for inspiration. I wanted to make a song that expressed to whoever listened that it’s okay to be comfortable in your own skin, be weird, and freaky.

So I took horror textures, sound effects, and ravey synths and turned it into what ‘Freaky’ is today.

Aditya – Does ‘Freaky’ have any specific sonic influences?

Hell yeah! The techy chord synths were heavily inspired by Chocolate Puma & Tommie Sunshine. My break beats were influenced by one of my other songs called ‘Anything.’ Valentino Khan and Wolfgang Gartner were also sonic influences. As I’m a big fan of their clean yet complex sound design.

For the drop, I spent a reasonable amount of time not just sound designing but also carefully timing each section to create a cinematic experience. I wanted every part of the song to sound like it was meant to be. I even made my own glitches using chopped-up synth renders from unfinished projects.

‘Freaky’ was hella fun to make!

Aditya – Did you learn something new while working on this song?

Michael Phase – Usually, when I write a song, I create an entire theme in under two hours. I typically don’t give myself much time to dive deep into the main idea. After making ‘Freaky,’ I realized I needed to slow down, be patient, have fun, get weird with sounds, and listen closely to what the song wanted me to do in each section. This way, I can write something that means more to me in the end.

Aditya – Did you use any samples and plugins? Do you have a favorite plugin at the moment?

Michael Phase – I mostly used my sounds for the basses, glitches, and drums. At the moment, I love Serum, Wires, Rift Distortion, Movement, and Ozone 9 Dynamics.

I feel these plugins have defined a particular sound quality in my recent releases ‘Get Down & BMR.’ These tools allow me to express myself in ways I couldn’t before they existed.

I’m grateful to the engineers that took their time to make them.

Aditya – How does this track differ from your previous releases?

Michael Phase – I took my time with the process and thought about each section carefully. I wanted this song to feel like a movie, you know? When someone listens to ‘Freaky’, I want them to go, “What the hell?! How is this possible?”

Aditya – What was your favorite part of the production process?

Michael Phase – It had to be making the drop!

I’m not sure if anyone will notice, but there’s so much attention to detail in the drops, from warping the “freaky” vocals to sounding weird and trippy to the call and response between the bass synths, glitches, drums, and synth leads. It felt like I was being a puppet master with each and every element.

I spent time ensuring every sound had its place in the mix. Especially the special effects that play in the background that many people won’t notice unless they pay close attention to it. My favorite thing about finishing ‘Freaky’ was getting a moment to listen to the final version and dancing in my room to it.

Aditya – How long did it take you to finish ‘Freaky’?

Michael Phase – It took me about 23 hours total. When I start a new song, I tend to split the process into multiple sessions. 1. Songwriting, 2. Composition, 3. Sound Design & Sound selection, 4. Mixing, 5. Mastering. It might seem tedious, but I can finish songs quickly and efficiently with this method. I also get a complete picture of what I’m trying to communicate with the music.

Aditya – How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t listened to it yet?

Michael Phase – I would tell them that ‘Freaky’ is a raver’s wet dream! The dark atmosphere is filled with heavy jack swing drums and dirty distorted bass synths. What more could you want in a Bass House song?!

Aditya – What’s coming up for Michael Phase?

Michael Phase – I have a new Serum Preset pack called Bass House Serum based on ‘Freaky, BMR, and Get Down.’ It’s out on my website. Go download your copy ASAP!

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