Up-and-Comer Nick Kennedy Talks Production Tips and Absurd Club Moments [Exclusive Interview]

Melbourne, Australia’s Nick Kennedy is a name that you’re about to be hearing a lot more in the coming months, and it’s a well-deserved merit after churning out quality club bangers at every twist and turn of his blossoming career.

Bringing his hard-edged Melbourne sound out to shred the world’s dance floors, the people have spoken, and they want to hear more Nick Kennedy.

As his career has continued to build, 2014 became a landmark year for the producer when Kennedy signed to the Melbourne-based Vicious Recordings. Founded in 1991, Vicious can boast releases from some of the world’s biggest artists like Avicii, Laidback Luke, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Motez, Peking Duk, and more. Not bad company to be in.

In order to share the full story behind up-and-coming Aussie’s burgeoning career, here are some words with the one and only Nick Kennedy:

When/how did you start producing?

I started writing electronic music about 4 years ago. I drummed in bands for about 10 years before that and one day when I was recovering from a shoulder reconstruction I started to play around with the computerised stuff. Its now turned into an obsession haha.

What was your inspiration for the new track?

This track was actually written about 13 months ago when I was really vibing on electro/bounce stuff. It took so long to finally get released because it always takes time for vocals, remixes, label contracts, etc. to be finalised. I’m stoked it’s finally dropped!

What music do you like to chill out to outside of the club scene?

I’m pretty into metal believe or not haha. It’s probably the furthest thing away from dance music, but I’ve always had a love for it. Myself and my best mate always try and get out to see bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Psycroptic, Cannibal Corpse, etc. when they tour Australia.

A few metal bands are incorporating more electronic stuff into their music now too which is really cool!

What electronic artists are you currently vibing to?

I’m really loving Combo’s newest stuff. Also loving Ghost Rider, Orkestrated, and Neelix.

What are your favorite gigs to play – Clubs or Festivals?

Clubs for sure! Nothing beats a dark, sweaty, intimate environment where everyone is there for the same reasons – fun times and good music!

Whats the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you behind a DJ booth?

For the sheer awkwardness though I would have to say peeing in a bottle mid set. I was playing at a pretty big venue and had no one to quickly jump on the decks while I ran to the toilet. A bottle was the only option haha.

Being from the city, how has Melbourne Bounce changed over the years?

It started as more of a minimal song structure with Acapella’s of rap songs over the top, then sort of merged with dutch lead sounds and then more lately has incorporated more EDM elements. I don’t know where it will go next… hopefully back towards minimal haha.

Any studio/mix tips for beginners?

My top tips for electronic dance music in particular would be:

– Learn how compression works. Stock presets can be good, but knowing how a compressor works inside-out makes life easier when you’re after a particular sound or effect i.e. after reverb on a bus.

– Use sends and returns for Reverbs and Delays. A lot of younger producer slap them over the actual track. This just ends up using more CPU and is just more time consuming.

– Cut low frequencies. We can’t hear below 20Hz, so cut the low’s out of everything that doesn’t benefit from it. It’s not musical down there, it’s just mud and ends up taking valuable space in the mix when it comes to mastering.

– Reference in Mono occasionally. A lot of club systems are summed to mono so it’s good to check how it translates. The last thing you need is to play your track in a club and your missing the lead or kick drum etc.

– Get to know one (as a starting point) synth really well! My choice is NI Massive. Knowing a synth makes life easier when you need a particular sound quickly. Instead of sifting through hundreds of presets you can just quickly create it.

What can we expect your next release to sound like?

Im really digging a lot of Minimal and Techno at the moment. I originally produced Minimal and Techno when I started, so I always find myself going back to my roots and trying to incorporate sounds from different genres.

Im also loving the sound design on a lot of Psy-Trance lately. I doubt it will be a fully fledged Techno or Psy track, but Ill do my best to incorporate my favourite elements.

Moral of the story, if you’re looking for some epic grooves, look no further than Nick Kennedy’s tunes. With a style that ranges from a minimal-influenced techno sound all the way to massive dirty electro bounce ragers – check this artist out today.

Click here for more of the latest interviews from today’s biggest electronic artists like Armin van Buuren, ARTY, NERVO, MOGUAI, and more.