A fresh new figure on the Electronic Music scene, the talented Producer and Live Performing Artist A ON has arrived to take the genre by storm. With an innovative originality, one that sees him incorporating both analogue and live vocals into his energetic DJ performances, A ON emerges to showcase his own distinct take on Electronic Music to fans around the globe. Presenting a signature sound that appears nothing short of unique, A ON’s production style draws in elements from Techno, Trance, and Acid House; as his release catalogue begins to grow, his determination and motivation to succeed is no doubt apparent in the ambitious creative pursuits A ON continues to strive toward.
So, today, A ON joins us for this exclusive interview, sitting down to take us through his favourite production equipment and giving us a glimpse into his processes and studio set-up.
Hello A ON, how’s it going?
Hey, I’m doing good!
Tell us about your studio, what’s your setup like?
I have always used hardware next to a DAW (Ableton and Reason). But since 2014 I wanted to start making music hardware-only, so I got an Octatrack to couple up with my Moog Slim Phatty and Nord Lead 2x. Then I got a Sub37 from Moog and an Analog Rhythm from Electron. Then I went for the Dreadbox Abyss, a 303, and a Granular Tasty Chips GR-1. After all that I had to reduce my setup in order to be more direct in my composition, especially since hardware-only music making is way more hard work than with a DAW, so I stayed with the Nord Lead 2x and the 303 as main Synths, Analog Rhytm for drums and Octatrack to program everything and use some vocal samples.
What was the first piece of equipment that you bought?
A modified Gameboy with an LSDJ cartridge! I was into 8bit music back in 2008-2010.
Do you have any fun stories or anecdotes regarding producing in your studio?
Back in 2010 I had no money to buy acoustic treatment for my home studio, so I asked my roommate, who had tons of books hanging in the house, to put some of them in my studio in order to act as diffusers. One day I was making something with heavy bass and many of the book fell on me. It was quite a shock and funny.
What about your studio space inspires you to create?
It’s not so much about my studio space, it’s more to do with what I feel like making – I try to channel the motivation and finally go for it, diving deep into music creation.
Is there something you’d like to add to your studio in the future?
So many things. But I am trying to actually reduce gear, because I started feeling guilty that I don’t use all my gear all that often. So, it became a burden instead of a space for having fun in.
Which DAW is your favourite?
Ableton.
What would you say is an essential piece of gear when first starting to build a studio?
Probably a Synth, digital or analogue… it doesn’t matter as long as you have some knobs to move around.
What was the most recent piece of equipment that you added to your studio?
The Otto Boum. I use it at the end of the chain of my hardware in order to tighten up the mixes.
Can you tell us about your usual workflow when producing a track?
I normally try to find what my vibe is and what kind of energy I am feeling for a song, and then I just go for it. If it doesn’t work, I start again the next day until something I wasn’t predicting comes up.
We close our interview with A ON by thanking him for taking the time to speak with us and for sharing such an interesting insight into his approach towards music production; with such a knowledgeable perspective on music creation, we’re sure that his path will lead him to many more exciting milestones soon. So, make sure to keep an eye on A ON as he is surely a rising star not to be missed.
