I am Nu:Tone - D&B Producer/DJ on Hospital Records - AMA!

What do you miss the most about past DNB times? Are we on a good time for this genre?

Thanks for the AMA but most of all thanks for contributing to global culture with your music. Drum and Bass is the music genre that completes me the most, that makes me so happy to be part of this time when, at least for me, it seems to keep raising and evolving.

PS: Reddit called you a 'Band' in the timetable. How do you feel about that?

I miss a lot of the little things about the culture in times past - record shops, and record shopping, dubplates and the cutting houses where we used to get our dubplates cut. I also miss the lack of information in a perverse way - the mystery around tunes, that you would only get to hear once every few weeks when you heard a DJ with a killer record box play.

Nice album, loved Tides! What music do you listen to? DnB and non-DnB, genre and artists?

Thank you! I listen to all sorts - soul/jazz/rare groove have been a constant backdrop to my life for years, I love house of all sorts, but mainly on the deeper/soulful side of things. Favourite artists right now, Laura Mvula, Andreya Triana (have to shout my bro Matt for putting me onto her!), Detroit Swindle...

Big fan! Big up on your new album mate there is a few monster beats on it! As an aspiring dj/ producer what advice would you give to me regarding breaking into the industry and do you have any tips you think will benefit me? Just applied for a music and sound production course which starts in january.

make. lots. of. music. then make more. Seriously - the more you write, the more you finish, the better you will get. Don't expect immediate results, and try to find your own voice.

When are you coming back to New Zealand to play?!

Soon!!! I don't know if it has been announced yet, but I'll be over in the new year :D

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Not this year - I'm going on holiday over Christmas and NY. Taking a breaaakkkkkkk.

Hey Nu:Tone, thanks for this opportunity!

I'd like to know who your favourite producer is?

Only 1?!? Quincy Jones.

Hey man, nice to see you here! Love your solo work as well as Nu:Logic's stuff. My question: I know that Hospital Records is one of the few labels with a DRIP.FM account, and I love that about them - new DnB every week for $12 a month is great for me as a consumer and the super-friendly formatting severely dissuades me from pirating. As an artist, though, what do you think about the service? I know a lot of people are uncomfortable putting their stuff behind a paywall like that, and I'd love to get your thoughts on the matter.

I know very little about it to be honest. What I do know however is that revenues from music sales continue to slide. I'm lucky enough to be signed to a label that gets my music out to a very wide audience, and I value that hugely. Whether people listen to my music through spotify, buy it through iTunes, get it through drip.fm, it's all good. They all pay the artist (in varying amounts), but most importantly, there are people out there listening to my music.

As I type that, it seems hugely self-centred, but I honestly get a kick out of knowing that ideas I had in my head and then recorded in my studio are coming out of someone's speakers on the other side of the world!

Hey man thanks for the AMA. Any plans on coming to south africa any time soon? Just me being hopeful.

I wish!!! Some day soon though I hope!

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Thanks! I was thinking about this the other day. I think it's probably the izotope ozone suite of plugins. They get some serious use. As far as career, that's really hard to say, as I've put everything into this since I was about 16. If it wasn't to do with music, it would probably be something scientific. Industry dislikes - the loss of the record shop. They were such important institutions when I was growing up. I really miss them!

What's been your favorite event this year?

Best hospital records one definitely has to be the summer BBQ, you guys have gotta make this an annual thing.

^{^} what you said :) It was such a different event from anything else, and the fact that I got to play a Jungle Set (plug plug) made it even more fun.

Who's a better DJ, you or Logistics?

But we're both playing at my album launch tomorrow in Cambridge, so if you really want to find out, come down at judge for yourself!

I think we have different strengths and weaknesses, both as DJs and Producers. (that's the diplomatic answer)

1. How did you get signed to Hospital Records?
2. Do you have a day job?
3. Favorite equipment right now?

Bonus: Been making liquid all my life: https://soundcloud.com/areasontolive/the-one What do you think?

Big Up from Bassdrive

1. answered that here http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2m3wtg/i_am_nutone_db_producerdj_on_hospital_records_ama/cm0q65p

2. no, I've been doing this full-time for 12 years now.

3. my roland space echo.

I'm on my laptop right now - you don't want me to pass judgement on your music on macbook speakers!!!

First and foremost, I think you are one of my favorite producers on the planet. Period. Your music helped me get through some pretty tough times and some really late night drives and hopefully one day soon I'll see you perform :3

As far as my question, when you are doing remixes how much is it someone coming to you asking for you to do the remix versus you asking (or not asking) and just doing it? When I first heard the billon remix it just played on a playlist and I didn't see the title I actually thought it was your own track because you absolutely murdered that acapella!

Thanks!!

99% of the time, they come to me. I can only think of a couple of remixes I've done where I initiated the process.

Hey Dan,

i try to make music on my own - and have a really hard time getting into production music. How would you recommend new producers to learn and grow musical wise?

Greetings

Dennis

There are so many online tutorials out there that you might find helpful. Try to avoid ones that show you how to make one very specific sound, without explaining what's going on. Instead, look for the tutorials that focus on individual technical aspects. Also, a bit of music theory never goes amiss.

Hi, thank you for doing this AMA.

Which DJs do you feel influenced your music the most early in you career? Are there any specific albums or songs that you consider important for the history of early DnB?

Fabio, Grooverider, Goldie, Bryan Gee, Jumping Jack Frost and Bukem were all hugely influential for me. Personally important albums: Photek - Modus Operandi, Adam F - Colours, Metalheadz, Platinum Breakz, Jonny L - Sawtooth, Peshay, Miles from Home... so many more I could list!

Is nu:logic ever coming to new zealand?

We came twice last year!!

Do you and Logistics ever argue like brothers would?

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?

Any advice for new D&B DJs?

We've never argued much, although it does occasionally happen!

Flight (superman style). No question.

Learn how to play at all the different points in an evening. Don't expect to play a tear-out set at 10pm.

Hi Dan! Big fan here.

I wanted to ask what upcoming releases you're looking forward to most.

Also, if you had to pick one, which would you say has been your favourite album of 2014 so far?

Thanks!

Gotta be Future History.

And Future History!

Any plans for another Nu:Logic album?

Definitely - we've already spoken about it. Once the dust has settled, we'll get back in the studio!

What's your favourite kind of apple?

For real though, Future History is one of my favourite albums of this year despite the competition from Fred V & Grafix and S.P.Y., what's your personal favourite song on it?

Cox's Pippin, no diggidy

Top notch album!

What are your current favourite breaks to work with right now?

Thank you! Great question :) As you will be able to tell from the album, I am going through a bit of a 'Think' renaissance right now. After not really using it much for ages, all of a sudden I can't get enough! One of the things I consciously did with the album was revisit classic breaks that I hadn't used in a while - funky drummer, soul pride, do the do. Proper backbone breaks!

Hey man I was wondering what your processing if when it comes to fattening up the old school breaks you use, ia it just a matter of putting phatass one shots under the kick and snare or something more subtle?

Sometimes it's that simple, other times I'll treat separate slices individually... It always depends on the break and the tune. A lot of the time I like to leave things feeling pretty natural. But then again, other times, you want to emphasise the weird, crappy parts of a sample! Sorry - that's a horrible answer!

what's your favourite place to watch the sun set/rise?

La Cinta, San Teodoro :D

What inspires you to write music? What have some of your sources of inspiration been lately? You've got so much soul!

Hard question to answer really. I guess it's just something I have to do. Although I've never really tried not doing it, so maybe I don't really know!

Lightning's easily my favourite track on the album. Have you ever thought of writing a bit of jump-up just for the hell of it?

My version of jumpup is inevitably still pretty soulful. I can't help it!

Loving the album man, it's fantastic to listen to. I got one of your signed copies! Two questions;

1) How did you first get associated into the Hospital Records scene.

2) And also, what was it that made you and Logistics form Nu:Logic?

I had been buying releases on Hospital since about 1998, and in around 2003 sent them a demo. I also sent a CD to High Contrast at the same time, and he came into the office, mentioned my name, and they listened to the CD. The same week, Fabio played at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona. His set was broadcast on Radio 1 that weekend and had 9 of my tunes in it. I think the combination of all of those events got their attention!

Matt and I have been making music together for years. We find it really easy, enjoyable and creatively refreshing. Hospital asked whether we were interested in releasing a Nu:Logic album, so we said yes!

Cheers for the new album mate! I think you have really outdone yourself, because it has this cool "hospital" vibe that made me follow Hospital Records in the first place. Love it!

Anyway, back to the point, do you ever listen to some pieces of music that you made, say, 15 years before? I'd really like to know that because when I listen to some of my older songs that I made, the types of thoughts like "How the hell did I think this up?" cross my mind. I've always been wondering if it's the same for other producers.

Thank you - that's great to hear!

Listening to older stuff often makes me cringe on quite a few levels. The engineering never sounds quite right to me, and there are often too many ideas in one tune. But I can always remember the thought processes that go into writing a tune - that part always remains fresh to me.

Wicked new album, loving the flow!

Why did you decide to use less vocalists such as Natalie Williams in this album compared to previous?

Thank you!

I wanted to switch things up a bit. I love Natalie, and have had so much fun working with her over the years, but I was really wary about working with her just because I had on every previous album. I'll definitely be working with her again - we're already talking about dates to get into the studio in fact - but I wanted to do something different this time.

I think after the Words & Pictures album (where virtually every track was a full vocal), I felt the need to flip everything on it's head, and explore a new path with this album.

I remember when Matrix & Futurebound remixed System, then you and your bro teamed up to remix their "Family" track. Both remixes were better than the originals IMHO.

Was there any friendly rivalry or story behind it with M&F?

We got M&F in to remix system as matrix had remixed 7 Years and done such a great job. I think they just got us to remix Family as they were into what we did. Now I think about it, I have a feeling it may have been a swap (if you remix us, we'll remix you). Though that's a pretty crappy deal for Matt, as he didn't get anything out of it. Though we did get to work on a tune with Robert Owens vocals, which is reward in itself.

Hi Dan! Long time fan of yours and Hospital Records :) Just a simple question: any new and upcoming liquid producers we should be aware of?

Cheers and congrats for the album, it's brilliant!

Check out LSB - been around for a while, but he's making great music!

Hey Nu:Tone, I've been wondering how you have gone about the production of your music in terms of phrasing. Specifically building tension within the track as this is what I feel is the weakest point in my own productions. Also, I'm willing to bet you dabble in different genres (as many, if not all, producers do). Do you have any favorites, or genres that you feel you tend to fall back into? Thanks for your time!

Tension is tricky, but just takes practice. Sometimes it's as simple as holding a chord for longer than feels comfortable, before letting it move on.

D&B takes up 95% of my time, but I do have a side project with a mate making House.

Loving the new album Nu:Tone! Where are your favorite places to go / eat in LA? Hope to see you at Respect again soon. Or maybe a Hospital Recs LA event!!!

Fogo De Chao, Beverley Hills!

Hey hey! I'm from Boston and when you came earlier this year with Logistics, you two absolutely killed us. Just wanted to say thank you, we hope to see you again soon, and that your new album is great.

My question is this: Do you prefer the production side of things or playing out? And which do you find more tiring?

I love both equally, but in totally different ways. I would be devastated if I had to choose.

And similarly, they're both exhausting in their own way. Production can really be mentally draining. Whereas DJing (and the travelling component in particular!) totally takes it out of you in a more physical way.

Hi Nu:Tone! Just wanted you to know that win the fight on your album words and pictures got me through a really tough time in my life and gave me Tempe courage I needed at that time to move on... Is there any song in particular that's motivated or moved you in a tough situation you've been in? Much love!

That's great to hear - thank you!

Gotta be this one

Hey man, think I ran into you at Sun and Bass this year! (awesome set by the way). I love that you remix loads of genres, your Quantic remix of perception is one of the best. You got any plans to remix more stuff like that?

No plans, but I would love to. That remix was so much fun to do!

How do you process your drums?

That's a biiiiig question. The simple answer is that I process them differently every time. I'm really strict with myself about starting each tune off with a blank slate, and I work really hard to avoid repeating myself on the production/engineering front.

Any tips on creating new beats from classic breaks? Sequencing them after chopping up tends to sound very choppy for me, how do you achieve that continuous sound? I'd guess a big part of that is the repeating layer of higher end percussion on top?

I don't chop them as audio, I chop them as a rex, which means that you can load them into a sampler and have control over attack/decay/sustain/release etc. Without that, you do tend to get quite a choppy end result.

Who's your favorite artist on Hospital Records? Also, which other labels do you consider the best on dnb?

Thank you for doing this, I really love your music.

Logistics :)

Other labels - Med School :P

Big up!!

Never heard of you, although never followed the DnB scene closely, so no surprise. Cambridge is an expensive place to live, so do you make enough money through music to survive meagrely / comfortably, or do you supplement your income somehow? I'll be sure to check out your beats soon. Good luck man.

It is indeed expensive. I'm fortunate to be busy enough to be able to support a family and live comfortably.

Whom is a vocalist (any, living) you would like to work with the most, and why?

Laura Mvula - she's incredible. Such emotion in her voice, and incredible writing.

Hey, Nu:Tone! Thank you so much for doing this.

I'm curious how does your creative process or approach differ from when you are working alone and when you are working with your brother?

It's very very similar actually. The only difference is that there is less downtime. If one of us isn't firing on all cyclinders, chances are the other will be able to step up.

When creating Music or even just listening to Music , what sort of Headphones/ Monitors do you use?

Headphones - Audeze LCD-3 Monitors - Adam A7X and Adam Sub12

Other than jungle, what's your favorite kind of sound/ genre?

Anything with soul and a groove.

I love your music, you signed a CD for me in this club in Tokyo. I wonder, do you have any plans to work with Jenna G again?

I'd love to - I'm sure it will happen at some point. :)

Really enjoyed your jungle set at the BBQ. Hearing the almighty Atlantis really took the biscuit (in a good way) for me. Talking of which...

Favourite tea? Biscuit?

Twinings English Breakfast, and stem ginger biscuits

What's your favourite music piece you've made?

That's really tricky, as it keeps changing... But Morning Light is something I'm really proud of.

Alright mate, been a big fan of yours for ages and had a great time seeing you last at the hospitality midsummer special smashing out the jungle at half past 2 in the afternoon! I know that your brothers and yourself started producing music when you got a production program on your family computer. Which one of you was the keenest at the beginning, and who hogged the computer the longest? Congrats to all 3 of you for releasing music on the best record label in the world!

I actually started producing music before that, and by the time the others started making music on the family computer, I had access to basic studio setups. From my foggy recollections though, I think matt tended to take up most of the time on there though.

Hi Nu:Tone, love the album and also loved your collaboration album as Nu:Logic. (Still can't stop singing along to Everlasting Days!)

What upcoming artists do you think we should keep an eye on? What else do you listen to outside DnB?

Thanks! My 2 top tips, both somewhat established, but still definitely on the rise: LSB and Anile. They both have some amazing music on the way.

Thank you to you and your bother for coming down the Houston this past year. It was really a highlight show for me. What hardware/software can you absolutely not do without as you're working to create/produce a track or album?

It was a pleasure - we had a lot of fun at that night! I think I'd really struggle if I took Reason off my computer. I do more and more inside Cubase these days, but there are still a few really critical elements of my workflow that I am so comfortable doing on Reason, and they'd be so long winded if I did them any other way.

Hey Dan, congratulations on your 4th album, which with your brother's work this year, I think really brings Hospital back to the roots that got me hooked on D&B.

I know Hospital has been experimenting with its sound over the last few years with the likes of Metrik, Fred V & Grafix, Etherwood etc.

What inspirations did you draw on to build this album, and would you say they were different from your previous LPs (all of which are awesome)? Did you find it hard to do something original and how much input did Hospital have into your creative process?

(oh and when's your Roni Size remix coming out? ;))

Thanks! With everything I do I try to cast my influence-net as wide as possible, usually looking outside of D&B. With this one, I think I just opened myself up to the idea of making music at slower tempos, and taking influence from inside D&B, but looking more at times past.

I was worried after the Nu:Logic album that I'd find it really hard to go back to writing all by myself, but surprisingly found it really easy. Hospital keep a close eye on artists as they work on albums, and often have ideas and suggestions, but ultimately the creative decisions have always been up to the artist. I think there is a widely held assumption that Hospital (and indeed, most large labels) 'tell' artists what to write, or make them produce in a particulars style (forgive me if I'm incorrectly reading that as a subtext in your question!). I can honestly say that I've never known that happen, certainly at Hospital.

Do you mean the VIP of It's Jazzy? If so, that is as old as the original remix, but was a rejected 1st draft. I went back in and made the version that was released, which (if I'm totally honest) I massively prefer!

Massive hospital fan! Question, how do you balance your personal life with a family and friends (not in the music scene) with your trips away etc?

Also, I met you in Auckland this year when you came with Matt, I got a photo with you guys outside cassette 9!

It's tricky, but you find a way to make it work. One of the hardest things is to get people's heads around the fact that when you come back from a show, you're often completely exhausted. People assume that you've only worked for a couple of hours over an entire weekend, which is true, at least technically. But the travelling, the sleep pattern disruption, the crappy service station food, the hangover - they all leave you pretty wrung-out. In spite of that, it is the most wonderful job, and I wouldn't change it for anything. Just don't expect me to be skipping down the street on Monday morning.

Hey Nu:Tone! Just wanted to know what made you want to go back to make a VIP of the remix you made for Special? Once I heard it on Hospital Records Podcast I went to iTunes & pre-ordered your album instantly. Such a phenomenal remix & VIP. Keep up the awesome work! Love the whole album!!!

Thank you! I actually made the VIP first, then went back and made the more 'traditional' version. Billon, and their label, preferred the more straight-up remix, so took that one!

Coconut cake or lemon drizzle cake?

Lemon drizzle. Fo rizzle.

Don't you think jungle was a better name than drum n bass? Can we change it back?

I am aware that when I tell people I make 'drum and bass', they frequently leave our conversation assuming that I'm a severely limited musician. I think we're about 18 years too late for that decision though...

Hey man, Loving the new album. Obviously you do a lot of work with Logistics and I just wanted to know, how does working with your brother differ from working with other producers? And (standard question) If you could collaborate with anyone alive or dead who would it be? Cheers man, I'll probably be seeing you live soon haha.

I haven't really collaborated with many other producers, but based on my limited experience, it's really easy. And fun. We come from such a similar musical background obviously, but we each have our own individual approach to production and engineering. In spite of that, it always ends up being a really satisfying process.

Gotta be George Duke.

What genre inspired you/do you like to listen to the most outside the DnB scene?

Rare Groove/Soul/Jazz - has been that way for years.

Really enjoying Future History. Couple of questions:

• Have you ever thought about reuniting The Cambridge 4?
• You've done some really high-profile remixes over the years (Plan B, Professor Green, Emeli Sandé)... how did you start getting the attention of major labels like that?

Sad as I am to say it, that will be tricky. Guy from Commix now lives in Berlin and exclusively makes Techno. Afaik, he has no intention of making D&B again any time soon.

I don't remember how it first kicked off, I think after I released Words & Pictures I was asked to remix Heaven by Emeli Sande (probably off the back of some Radio1 play or something). After that went so well, the offers kept on coming in. I turned down about as much remix work as I accepted during that period. Once you've delivered a good remix for a major, they often come back to you. It's pretty demanding work a lot of the time. The timeframe is often really short, they often have an idea of what they want from you, so it takes some practice to be able to deliver reliably. As a result, the majors often end up working with a pretty small pool of remixers again and again.

Alright boss, other than making some amazing music do you play any video games in your free time?

And Dude just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your Papua new Guinea remix, that was my summer when it released.

Edit: Games

I don't, apart from the odd iphone game. I used to be totally addicted to Tekken 3 until I developed carpal tunnel, and couldn't use a keyboard or mouse for a month. The creative drought was enough to scare me away from playing anything on a console ever again!

Big ups! Loving the new album.

Can you break down the drums on Tides, eg what break is it?

I honestly can't remember the names, and I'm afraid I'm not at my studio computer right now... But what I can remember though is the the nuts and bolts of it come from a relatively obscure break, kick drum reinforced with a fairly standard drum machine kick, and a side stick reinforcing the snare. Then it has a quiet little ride break sitting on top, and a lazy shaker that I recorded in.

Who's your favourite Drum & Bass DJ to see live? Do you see DJ'ing as a lesser art form than producing?

I gravitate towards DJs that are probably perceived as less technical, but great selectors. People like Marcus Intalex, dBridge, Calibre. For me, it's all about the selection, nice mixing is cool, but to me that's the easy part.

I think of them as completely different art forms. Totally different skill sets.

Hey dude :) Diggin' the new album!

What's your view on the current state of the dnb scene? Where do you think it will be in the next few years?

Thanks!

I think it's looking good right now! There is a lot of really interesting music out there. The amount of music being made by non-dnb producers at tempos close to dnb has opened a lot of music up to us as DJs as well.

Who knows where it will be! Stronger than ever I hope :)

Who is your favorite artist out there? Either now or in the past.

That's an almost impossible question. Late 90s Jonny L is certainly waaayyy up there for me. At the end of the day though, Calibre is king.

One more for the hell of it. What monitors do you mix on?

I used Mackie HR824's for years, but a couple of years back moved over to Adam A7X with an Adam Sub12, and haven't looked back.

Yah most of the Liquid DnB producers seem to use Jazz chords at times and are Jazz influenced, but what VSTs do and DAWs do you use?

Sorry, you totally lost me there!

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Haha - that's good to hear!

I'm not sure what you mean by one shots... Certainly, we don't sample everything and anything. Personally speaking, I use hardly any samples any more. If there's something I really want to sample, I'll do my best to recreate it myself, then change the music enough, so that it's an original composition.

Even if I was sampling tiny slices, pitching it all around, etc., that's a million miles away from mashups. Putting a tune in it's entirety over another tune or another beat. It's essentially a bootleg remix.

Hospital's attitude towards it is that they want to be told about each and every sample in a tune. If we can't recreate it, then we have to clear it. It's a pain, but when your music gets any degree of mainstream exposure, you have to protect yourself.

Hello Dan! So nice to see You releasing new album, I can't wait to hear You live in Cracov! 1. Will You go for a shot in Cracov? ;-) I still own You one for Gdansk Hospitality last year when You and Matt helped me to make suprise ;-) 2. I heard You ride snowboard. Is it true? Will You go snowbombing this year? Or maybe some other place? 3. If 2 is yes, what is your favourite snowboarding spot? Any favourite tricks? 4. What snowboard do You own? 5. What's your favourite drink? 6. How old are your kids? 7. What's your favourite dnb festival? Or maybe you prefer other music festivals? :) Greetings and see You in 3 weeks!!! :-)

1. only after I play!!
2. it's true - I'm playing at Snowbombing and can't wait
3. My experience is pretty limited - I only get a chance to snowboard when I'm at a festival these days. I love the 3 valleys though.
4. I have a Burton I inherited from a friend, but it's really long and not very manoeuvrable. It is fast though!
5. Vodka + lemonade.
6. 8, 7 & 4.
7. Sun and Bass - no contest!!

Which softsynth is your favorite and why?

Diva, hands down. It just sounds so good. It's not the most flexible, but for the kind of thing I look for in a synth, I find it amazing.

What do the Bend Down / Bend Up / Censor buttons on your laptop do?

They're serato commands. I don't use them!

Ez mate, love that your providing those soulful jungle vibes to the scene. Big respect to you and also your brothers, very talented family! Don't suppose there would be any upcoming spoonfed nights at the junction? Warning isn't really my thing, needs to be more liquid nights out in cambs!!!!

Tomorrow night! Album launch at the Fez Club!

Favourite club in europe?

Tough call. As a DJ, probably Fabric or Matter (both in London) though.