Interview with Lonerist: Deep Chords and Late Night Mixes

A self taught producer on dub techno, DJ culture and creative fulfillment

In this candid conversation, the producer and DJ reflects on his journey from guitar player to dub techno artist, the clubs and labels that shaped him, and the satisfaction of creating original music. From self teaching during lockdown to releasing on respected imprints, he shares insights into his workflow, influences and thoughts on the evolving music industry

Hello! How are you today, and what have you been up to lately?
Hello, I’m good thanks. Recently I’ve been working on music as always. I have dozens of tracks ready to find a home online and have been working on some DJ mixes and radio shows.

Can you briefly share when you started producing music, your first piece of equipment or software, and reflect on your debut release?
I started producing seriously in 2020. I had DJed and played guitar for many years but never got round to producing my own tracks. During lockdown I had plenty of time on my hands and finally started making my own music.

Did you have a mentor or take any lessons, either offline or online, to enhance your skills?
No. I just taught myself through trial and error, YouTube tutorials and books. I mainly used the tutorials and books for the technical aspect of producing music and learning the DAW rather than composition. I knew music theory from my guitar playing days, which helped.

Do you have a preference between producing music and DJing?
Now I would say I prefer production, but I’ve DJed since my teens so it’s something I’ve always loved. Getting a positive reaction from a crowd when DJing or someone liking an online mix is great, but when someone likes a track that I’ve created myself it’s a different type of feeling. It’s definitely more fulfilling making my own music.

What do you consider the highlight of your career so far, both as a DJ and a producer?
As a DJ I played my favourite clubs, The Arches and Sub Club, which were definite highlights. As a producer, having music released on respected labels I’ve been a fan of like Crossfade Sounds, Insectorama and Verdant have been highlights.

How did you first learn about Crossfade Sounds, and could you mention some of your favorite releases on the label?
I came across them on Bandcamp a few years ago and regularly play their tracks in my sets. Some of my favourites are Shebuzz & Heavenchord, Space Magnet, Davor Tosovic, Ambience Of Chord and BLOMAQ, Dubwise. I also loved the recent Symbol G EP.

When making a track, how do you typically approach the process? Do you spend more time on sound design, arrangement, or mixing? And how long does a remix usually take you from start to finish?
It depends on the genre. With dub techno I usually spend the most time on sound design, jamming around with a chord or riff and effects for hours, sometimes days, until I hear something I’ll build a track around. Once I have all elements of the track ready to go, I will record it as live as possible and in as few takes as possible.

Although mixing and mastering is a side of production that still frustrates me, so it probably takes me the longest to be honest.

What is your main DAW, and can you name a few of your go-to VSTs, plugins, or tools you use when producing music?
Ableton is the only DAW I use. I haven’t tried any others to be honest and I don’t think I have the patience to learn another one. It was originally designed by a dub techno producer, so it’s probably the ideal DAW for me.

I’m a big fan of Arturia and all their VSTs. To my ears they are the best recreations of classic synths and their UI and sound design capabilities all seem intuitive to me. The Keystep Pro is great too. I also use a lot of Novation MIDI gear. For reverb and delay you can’t beat Valhalla DSP and I also like to use guitar pedals through my mixer for a more live dub feel.

Many artists have a signature sound or style. How do you balance staying true to your artistic identity while also experimenting and evolving as an artist?
I make a lot of different genres of music. Obviously techno, but also electro, deep house, hip hop, drum and bass, etc. Even a psychedelic rock album. So I think, and hope, all those different influences and production techniques keep me evolving.

The music industry has undergone significant changes in recent years, with streaming platforms and digital distribution reshaping the landscape. What are your thoughts on the current state of the industry, and how have these changes affected your career?
As a recent producer I can only really comment on the modern state of the industry. Personally I’d rather not have to rely on being online so often for promotion and trying to find an audience, but by the same token there is something great about being able to just finish an EP and have it on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, etc instantly.

To me the music business in general is too focused on business and not enough on music, but dub techno seems to have a lot of great people involved who are all about the music. The community is very supportive and positive rather than competing against each other, which is rare.

What are some of your favorite record labels, and do you have a specific goal or aspiration to release your music on a particular label in the near future?
My favourites are probably from when I was growing up during techno’s heyday like Underground Resistance, M-Plant, Transmat, Basic Channel and Planet E.

It’s an unattainable dream to ever have anything out on those labels, but my friend from my hometown had an album released on Axis Records, so you never know.

There are modern labels I love like Greyscale, Lempuyang and Delsin Records. Having something released on them or some of my favourite Scottish labels like Seventh Sign, DABJ or Soma Records would be something special.

What advice would you offer to your younger self, considering all the knowledge and experience you’ve gained in your career so far? Additionally, what advice would you give to aspiring artists who may be reading this interview?
I would tell myself to ditch the guitar and buy some synths. Seriously, I wish I’d started making electronic music way sooner.

The best advice I could give anyone starting out is to put the hours in practicing and learning production. There’s no substitute for time spent. Be patient, don’t be afraid to try anything or make mistakes and always finish tracks, even if you know they won’t turn out great. It’s the best way to learn.

Besides music, do you have any other passions or hobbies?
I read a lot and love sport. Mainly basketball but also football, cricket and F1. Spectating only, too old to play anything these days.

Are there any books, documentaries, podcasts, or TV shows that you’d like to recommend to your fans and fellow artists?
I’ll keep it to music related recommendations only, although everyone should watch Andor whether they like Star Wars or not.

Books:
Any aspiring dub producer should read The Orphic Experience of Sound by Bahadirhan Kocer and Remixology by Paul Sullivan.

Also How Music Works by David Byrne, Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior and Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster.

Documentaries:
Hi-Tech Soul
The Upsetter
Sly Lives!
Summer of Soul
The Last Waltz

Could you share some of your all-time favorite tracks or songs that have had a significant impact on your musical journey?
Hearing New Order, Blue Monday and True Faith as a 12 year old changed me and made me a fan of music. It also instilled a love of synth based music from a young age.

There are far too many other songs, so I’ll pick these from my time clubbing that made me want to be a DJ and later a producer.

Anything from Maurizio, M Series
69, Desire
Galaxy 2 Galaxy, Hi-Tech Jazz
Daft Punk, Alive
e-N, The Horn Ride, Deep Dish remix
Millsart, Step To Enchantment, Stringent
The Martian, Sex In Zero Gravity
Ron Trent, Altered States

What can we look forward to from you in the near future?
I’m always uploading new music to my Bandcamp page and mixes to my SoundCloud. Hopefully I’ll have some more label releases in the near future too. I’m doing a mix for the Crossfade Sounds series, a Dubbism mix for Piranha Siberia and a show for Radio Buena Vida in Glasgow which should all be online soon. Keep an eye on my Facebook or SoundCloud pages.

---

Stream/download his album on Crossfade Sounds here:
https://go.protonradio.com/r/rlefQav5--bA4

Follow Lonerist here: SoundCloud