Do you ever wonder what goes through the minds of artists who release tracks that capture the attention of labels such as Mad Decent, Ultra Music, and Circus Records?
The young L.A. native NGHTMRE reveals his key ingredients to topping the charts in an Ableton Demo Q&A presented by UCSD PRO. Here are the highlights:
Production Quality
NGHTMRE discusses that if you were listening to his tracks alone or play them in a set, they could hold their ground in production quality next to anyone. Setting his standards sky high, his goal is to be able to play his music “…next to a Skrillex track or whatever track you want to…” and have it sound just as good.
Timing
“Timing is incredibly important.” NGHTMRE’s thoughts on timing were heavily influenced by the well-known trap duo Slander when they collaborated to create an outstanding remix of Showtek’s “We Like To Party”. Undoubtedly working very hard, NGHTMRE and Slander created and released their remix just 2 days after Showtek’s original came out. Talk about clutch!
Consistent Releases
NGHTMRE sticks to a strict agenda: “Every three or four weeks I would put out a new song.” Like any successful artist, the grind is something NGHTMRE looks forward to day in and day out.
Gaining Audience Support
After consistently releasing note-worthy tracks, NGHTMRE’s followers soon understood his potential. With remixes of Just A Gent’s “Limelight” and originals like “STREET” captivating hundreds of thousands of listeners, NGHTMRE can go anywhere confidently knowing that fans will come see him.
Networking
As a graduate of Icon Collective, a music production school in California, NGHTMRE was able to do some heavy networking within the industry. With alumni such as SNBRN and MAKJ, it goes without saying that the school has a lot of connections. It also doesn’t hurt to have millions of plays/views on multiple platforms when it comes to capturing the attention of promoters.
Creating a Signature Sound or Style
It should go without saying that any successful artist needs to develop their own unique sound to identify with. NGHTMRE identifies his as “melodic festival bass music”. When choosing this name he said “It sounds weird but you kinda have to pick your vibe and go with it. I love writing melodies and I wanted that to be the focus as well as the festival craziness you see on mainstages…”
NGHTMRE reveals many more tips and tricks that he uses including finding samples, using reverb, and vocal chopping in the full Ableton Demo.
