La découverte du nouvel album de Degenerated Sequences a été une sacrée surprise car Yannis Chatzakis a prouvé qu'il était encore possible de mixer des bases Electro-Indus/EBM avec des élements très trance en restant efficace sans sombrer dans la partie tarte à la crême de l'exercice. La présence des synthés VA Virus TI et Waldorf Micro Q dans son setup n'est pas une surprise mais il nous donne un peu plus de détails sur ses méthodes de production.
Discovering latest Degenerated Sequences has been a big surprise because Yannis has proven it was still possible de mix Electro-Indus/EBM fundations with very trance elements without falling in the slapstick trap of the exercise. Seing Virus TI and Waldorf MicroQ in his setup is not surprising but he provides additional details on his production methods here.
Gears and software
What gears/softwares did you use for Schism ?
The core of my rig is Access Virus TI synthesizer. I mainly use it for bass, pads, arps, etc. Beside it I use other gear like Elekron Digitakt to built rhythms and sounds, Waldorf micro Q, Moog minitaur and also have an Arturial Keystep 37 MIDI keyboard. I record and mix my music on Logic pro X using its plugins but also using 3rd party plugins.
Your favorite gear(s)/software(s) ?
My favourite hardware gear is for sure the Access Virus synth. If I had to choose a software plugin I would probably choose the Fabfilter plugins which I use a lot when mixing.
Any evolution in your setup ?
I always sell and buy second hand gear like synths and pedals. Recently I’ve bought a Dreadbox Typhon synth and two pedals, one delay and one distortion. Haven't played a lot with them due to my strict everyday programme, but I look forward to use them for improvisation in a full hardware setup which I enjoy.
Sound Design
Do you use/tweak presets ?
I almost always tweak sounds. It happens almost instinctively and this is the most enjoyable and creative part when producing music. However I have created my preset sounds through the years which I use a lot.
Do you design you own sound ? On which synth/plugin in particular ?
Yes I design my own sounds mainly on Virus TI synth. I also use Elektron Digitakt and Logic’s Ultrabeat to build drums sequences and tweak drums sounds and samples
Writing/composing method
What
would be your main writing/composing method ? Do you start classical
rythm/bassline then arrange around it ? Do you already have structure in
mind ? Do you improvise, record sessions then select ? ...
There is no certain method. Most of the times I start with rhythm/bassline and built upon it, but there are also many times that a certain sound like a synth pad gives me inspiration.
Producing/mixing method
Do you produce/mix in the box or do you use mainly external gears (effect/comp/eq...)
Typically I mainly mix and master in the box. However I give much emphasis on the quality of the sound on its origin and the matching of sounds the time I tweak them. With this I mean that I design and tweak a sound in order to mix and match it with the rest. So most of the mixing is done simultaneously with the songwriting process.
What is your most painful / enjoyable step in track production ? Sound design, arrangement, mixing, mastering ?
I enjoy all of them. Maybe sound design is the most painful but on the other hand it gives you the most satisfaction.
DSeq's Tips
Not a tip rather an advice, try to be as satisfied as possible with your sounds before final mixing. A good source of sound is crucial and makes mixing a lot easier an effective.
Contact info
You can check for Degenerated sequences news on fb: https://www.facebook.com/degeneratedsequences/
And my music on bandcamp: https://degeneratedsequences.bandcamp.com/album/schism
I would really like to thank you for your interest in my music and this interview. Also would like to thank all those who support Degenerated Sequences and the dark electro scene.
There is a lot of interesting music stuff out there not just this that labels and media promote!
