T.H.E Interview – ZUSO

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zuso interview

Following up from his successful single ‘Melt Like Gold’. Australian producer ZUSO releases his second offering of 2022 titled ATLAS – a free-flowing and atmospheric blend of charming indie-dance and intelligent electronic music. Utilising ambient textures, melodic lines and compelling synths, ATLAS is a mixture of traditional music principles and hypnotic deep house rhythms, the perfect sound for a late night groove.

We caught up with ZUSO, to learn more about how “ATLAS” came about, his creative process for making music, and more.

Aditya – Hey ZUSO, Glad to have you for the interview. How were the first couple of months of this year for you?

ZUSO – Hey, thanks so much for having me on! The first couple of months of the year has been really good for me, particularly with my music. I’ve been working hard on an upcoming EP and obviously spent a lot of time promoting my latest single ‘Melt Like Gold’. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it though and am excited to share some new music over the next few months.

Aditya – I had an opportunity to listen to ‘Atlas’ before the release, the soundscapes & the synths sound beautiful. Could you share more info on the track?

ZUSO – When I made ‘Atlas’, it was at the height of Covid lockdown last year. I’d just finished producing ‘Melt Like Gold’ so was in the right mindset and eager to make some more music. I really wanted to create a free-flowing atmospheric deep house track, so in terms of my sound designing, I modeled it off this concept.
I started with a really simple chord progression and then began to add more rich textures along with some hypnotic deep house rhythms. I really wanted to create a soundscape that’s one of calming nature and evoke sense of escapism. Feel ‘Atlas’ resembles that perfectly.

Aditya – What’s your message behind this track?

ZUSO – To feel free and live life to the fullest. It was actually at this point in time that I started to delve heavily into breathing meditations and cold shower therapy. This allowed me to open up more and trust myself and always be calm at the moment. Feel ‘Atlas’ resembles that perfectly, as it communicates that calming sense, but also has an uplifting feel to it.

Aditya – What’s your creative process when you begin producing music?

ZUSO – I usually start with a melody or chord progression and build the track around that. I’m always full of ideas, so get a lot of inspiration from other pieces of music and sounds. When I’m in the creative process, I try to base my chords and melodies off a particular feeling or emotion and then slowly start to build up from there.

Aditya – ‘Melt Like Gold’, your previous single was a big success, how do you feel about that?

ZUSO – It’s been awesome! The support shown on the single has been great and it means a lot. It’s the first track of my upcoming EP so hopefully it can grow some more and gain more traction over the next few months.

Aditya – Who are your influences and why?

ZUSO – I’d definitely say Flume has been a big influence, particularly with me getting into music production, he inspired me a lot. I’d say though more recently I’ve been loving Rüfüs DU SOL’s music; they’ve been a big influence to me, particularly with some of the stuff I’m creating right now.

Aditya – What’s your studio setup like?

ZUSO – Very simple, I have my laptop, two speaker’s and a keyboard. I try to keep it as simple as possible, maybe in the future I might invest in some more gear, but at the moment it does the job!

Aditya – How do you connect your music with nature?

ZUSO – As mentioned before, I like to do breathing meditations and go for lots of walks as well as remaining physically active. All these help me to get in the right state of mind and contribute significantly when in the creative process.

Aditya – Would you like to share production tips for beginners out there?

ZUSO – Don’t think just do! sometimes thinking is the worst thing because you contradict yourself and start to have second thoughts. It’s important to not force yourself, and then you’ll notice more ideas start to flow.

Aditya – Lastly, Mountains or Beaches, and why?

ZUSO – This is actually a tough one. I’d have to say mountains. I love the beach, but there’s just something about mountain landscapes that offers something different.

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