Q&A with New York-based techno music producer Avision
New York-based techno music producer Avision finds himself helping to usher in a new wave of techno for the New York scene. Over the last couple of years, he’s had releases on a range of influential labels like Ellum, Drumcode, Hardgroove, Machine, We Are The Brave, Mindshake, Intec, On Edge Society, and many more.
Support for his productions has been coming in strong from tastemakers like Adam Beyer, Maceo Plex, Nicole Moudaber, Chris Liebing, Laurent Garnier, Joseph Capriati, and The Martinez Brothers to name a few.
See our exclusive interview below:
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
I started playing the drums at a very young age, my Dad is a musician so it was in the family. I started getting into DJ’ing when I was 12, then producing, and fell in love with it ever since.
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
Sounds that I’m using will influence me to make a certain part usually, and from there the ideas start coming in. But sometimes I start with an idea in my head and take it from there so it really depends on the situation.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
Not too many collaborations to this point, but I have a number of them coming up for future releases
What’s on your current playlist?
Tracks from DJ Deeon, Floorplan, Mark Broom, DJ Hansz, Absent, Xander, and some of my newer stuff including my new EP “Taking Over Me”
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
Fans are the reason why I travel to play. It’s all about hitting that point where they catch a vibe from your set, and then that energy comes back to me while DJ’ing and it’s amazing.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
For me, the groove is the foundation for my sound. I always play in my drums and all sounds manual, and never draw them in with MIDI. That’s the key for my production style.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
Step 1: Espresso
Step 2: Turn on gear
I’ll start off with a drum groove or pattern, then I’ll either turn to outboard gear or sometimes work in the box. I turn on my outboard gear if I can’t get an idea from plugins.
I’ll usually work from morning to lunchtime, then give my ears a break. Then I go back in to listen to what I’ve done. If I like it I’ll keep working on it, if not I’ll start on something new. I work pretty fast, so I like to finish my tracks within a week max. Some tracks take a week to finish, and some a few hours depending on how things flow.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
My first time DJ’ing at a club when I was 15. I played at a teen club, and it was just getting that experience, rush and freedom that did it for me. I wanted more after the first time.
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
A towel, a fan, water, and the occasional Jack Daniels & Ginger Ale
Any emerging artists on your radar?
Xander, who’s a fellow New Yorker, and P. Lopez from Paraguay.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Being inspired by other music is what really gets things going for me, as well as having a challenge or deadline to work towards. Fresh mozzarella & prosciutto always helps too.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
A lot of the time I like to work in the box first in Logic and play around with what I have. My favourite is a lot of the NI plugins, Roland synths and Arturia. For outboard gear, I really like the Korg stuff: Minilogue, EX8000, and Triton LE. My Yamaha DX7 is fun too.
Any side projects you’re working on?
I always dabble with different styles of music, but nothing specific that I’m focusing on currently. I have a pizza oven in my backyard that takes up a lot of my time.
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
Putting in the hours in the studio, constantly working on music and always trying to better me. Consistency is really the key. Trying out different things to evolve, and not sticking to one formula.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
A lot of music, especially since there are no gigs right now! I can’t name most of the releases just yet, but there’s an EP coming on Ben Sims’ Hardgroove label and more music on Ellum too.
Famous last words?
Leave the gun, take the cannolis
Follow Avision online
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