Experienced DJ and music producer subduxtion has been immersed in a non-stop stream of high-quality releases that have reached audiences all over the world.
With his weekly radio show ‘Dark Signals’ also on the radar, subduxtion continues to showcase his talent and skills, putting his name high on the list of artists to follow.
We asked subduxtion to tell us more about the process of working on his latest release ‘Seek’ and this is what he had to say.
T.H.E – Hi subduxtion, how are you?
Subduxtion – I’m doing well, thank you. Been a busy few weeks, days, and months (LOL). Working on new tracks, a remix, and my weekly radio show, ‘Dark Signals’.
T.H.E – Can you tell us more about the initial idea behind ’Seek’?
Subduxtion – I started working on ‘Seek’ at the end of 2021, with the intent that it would be released in early 2022. The initial idea for the track was sparked by the vocal sample used in the track. As is always the case with me and a new track, it went through numerous versions before arriving at the version that I released.
T.H.E – Were there any sounds or ideas that inspired the song?
Subduxtion – There were two sounds that really inspired the song, the first being the vocal sample and the second being a piano sound from Arturia’s Analog Lab Collection. Analog Lab has a really good selection of pianos. As a piano player, it’s really nice to have a quality sounding piano library.
T.H.E – Which part of the song did you start working on first?
Subduxtion – I started with the vocal sample and a kick drum. Next up was finding the right chords to lay underneath it along with the right sound for the chords / pad. With those three things in place, it was on to finding a good bassline to support them. Once that sonic foundation was in place, it took me a lot of time to chisel the track into its best form.
T.H.E – Did you experiment with new sounds or processes?
Subduxtion – The big change in process was I began tracking all of the parts of ‘Seek’, through my UAD Apollo interface. Being able to track utilizing incredible sounding reproductions of vintage analog gear, really made a difference in how the track sounds. The plugins from UAD sound fantastic and added so much character and depth to the instruments I was tracking. Tracking through the Apollo has now become my new standard way of working.
T.H.E – How long did it take you to finish the track?
Subduxtion – On and off, I probably worked on the track for 4 months.
T.H.E – Using only 3 words, how would you describe ‘Seek’?
Subduxtion – Dark, Minimal, Techno.
T.H.E – How does this track differ from your previous releases?
Subduxtion – The biggest difference between this track and many of my other tracks, is that this one has a much bigger bassline. I really focused on it and gave it a more pronounced impact on the track. My typical bassline would function more as a pedal-tone not necessarily an element that would draw the listeners attention. This time, I wanted to change that and create a more moving and sonically interesting bassline.
T.H.E – What do you think is the most important thing when releasing a new track?
Subduxtion – The biggest thing when releasing a track is having a plan for both before and after it is released. Right now, more than any other time, an artist (in most cases) can release music without interference or restrictions. That’s fantastic! It allows people to get their music into the marketplace. With that being said, a LOT of music is now being released and so the challenge becomes how do you get your music heard when there is so much being released? That’s why having some sort of promotional plan for before and after the release has happened is so very important when releasing music.
T.H.E – What are you currently working on?
Subduxtion – I just finished a remix for Sizz Nickhrome that will be coming out on Pocket Food Audio (SA); they are a South African label focused on releasing Deep-House, Minimal-House and Deep-Techno. I also have an upcoming release in July on Internet and Weed (US). It’s a two-track release entitled ‘Rezone’. Not to mention doing my weekly radio show, ‘Dark Signals’. Before the years out I will have another release on Milligrid Records (US), that’s probably going to be in the fall. Recently, I’ve been contemplating doing an “ambient” release, that would be more of an EP. I definitely want to do something more longform.
