T.H.E Interview – ALWZ SNNY

0
ALWZ SNNY interview

ALWZ SNNY’s discography is a work of art with releases such as ‘Parachute’ and ‘Love Revolution’ attracting thousands of listeners and world-wide appreciation.

He has an unshakable passion for music that boils down to the mantra of just having fun with it. We sat down with ALWZ SNNY to listen to some of his production wisdom and he gave some invaluable advice to any newcomers to production.

T.H.E – What software is best to use for beginners?

ALWZ SNNY – I would say Ableton. It’s what I use, and I picked it up pretty quickly. I started with the free Ableton Lite version and then quickly transitioned to the standard version.

T.H.E – What are the essentials a budding producer needs to start making music without breaking the bank?

ALWZ SNNY – Aside from anything, make sure you are always having fun. Do not put expectations on a track and just enjoy the process. Gear wise, I would say a DAW like Ableton, Logic, or FL Studio. They all have good audio effects.  Getting a Splice membership is also something I would recommend. I love Serum and Sylenth as synths. If you can get those things, I think that is a great foundation!

T.H.E – Have you got any suggestions for books/YouTube channels people learn from?

ALWZ SNNY – There is a producer / DJ named Phil Harris. He has a lot of good tutorials on his YouTube channel. Even though I use Ableton every day, I still like going to his channel to get a run-down of the buttons and effects I don’t use very often. That way I always still know what each thing does.

T.H.E – What is your advice on sampling?

ALWZ SNNY – If it’s a cleared sample from a sample pack or Splice. I say go for it! All-day! Personally, I like recreating samples into my own melodies by adjusting it and stacking it with my own sounds. If it’s not a cleared sample, then I wouldn’t use it. Unless I was creating a bootleg remix of a song, and even then, I would try and get permission to make it an official remix.

T.H.E – Which part of the track should you start with?

ALWZ SNNY – I am sure any producer would tell you there is no right or wrong way to create a song. Personally, I like starting with chords, or a guitar riff, then adding the melody. Drums are usually the last thing I add.

T.H.E – What plugins are best to download first?

ALWZ SNNY – My advice would be starting with Serum and Sylenth for your sounds. I would also recommend getting LFO Tool. It is great for effects and makes side-chaining easy. Especially in the beginning when you are still learning.

T.H.E – Is it important to learn an instrument?

ALWZ SNNY – Knowing how to play an instrument is definitely an advantage. Not a necessity though. It is important to know what chords go well with each other. I do recommend learning basic music theory if you want to be a good producer.

T.H.E – Do you think it is necessary to learn how to mix and master?

ALWZ SNNY – It’s definitely not something you have to know. Especially since there are places you can send your music to like Soundbetter for that. However, I like mixing my own stuff because no one will put the amount of time, energy, and attention to detail into it as I will.

T.H.E – As a DJ, is there anything producers should avoid doing in their tracks that could be annoying for DJ sets?

ALWZ SNNY – If you are a producer/DJ, I think you should always be paying attention to how you would transition in and out of a song you are creating. A lot of my songs start with just a synth or guitar, so I make a DJ version with an 8-bar kick to catch the timing. I would also recommend keeping sections of your song to 4, 8, or 16 bars. Nothing super weird like a 7-bar hook, or 43 bar verse.

T.H.E – What should a producer do if they’re struggling to find inspiration?

ALWZ SNNY – I like taking a song I really like and attempting to remake it. Usually, you will not be able to remake it, and along the way, you start tweaking it and it becomes your own completely different song.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here