Eluse
Eluse shares his thoughts on the road to becoming a succesful producer, the methods and gear he uses when writing a track and also why he chose to join Outboard
Eluse has been collecting music and Djing for over 15 years and recently dedicating more time to production with recent releases coming via Bizarre Trax / TAN and Shibui which included a remix from Velvet Velour.
He has played at venues and parties such as The Goose (London), Rainbow and FACE (Birmingham), Egg (London), Carmo Rooftop (Lisbon), Cloak and Dagger (London) having warmed up and played alongside the likes of Enzo Siragusa, Subb An and Unai Trotti.
You can also check out his monthly radio show via Bloop London radio called “Visions of House” which showcases various forms of house music taking influences from warm up through to peak time sounds that are part of his vast vinyl and digital collection.
Could you tell us a bit about the process of making your track? How did it come about? Can you remember where you wrote it? What methods did you use to produce it?
I wrote this track around one year ago but never actually finished it.
I decided to go back to the project recently and make a few tweaks after playing it on my radio shows and at gigs in Lisbon and London, it always seemed to get a nice reaction.
The track came together quite easily as I already had the vocal so I built the drum pattern and bass groove keeping the track stripped back.
For the bass I normally use Rob Papen Sub Boom Bass or Korg Triton Extreme but for this track I actually used Ableton stock Hip Hop Sub Bass preset which is perfect for style I was looking for.
At Outboard, our aim is to establish a new way of remunerating music producers , fairly and transparently. Why did you choose to come on board?
It’s refreshing to see a platform focusing on treating the artist fairly, I have been signed up to Outboard since the start and the quality of music released has been on point.
Im happy to be involved in the September release!
Gate keeping is one of the main obstacles for up and coming artists. Promoters book the same dj’s over and over, and labels are more receptive to established names, making it hard for lesser known artists to get a chance to shine. How long did it take you to breakthrough and what strategies would you recommend for up and coming producers?
I believe making your own path is the best way to progress in the industry as it can be frustrating not being booked or your tracks not being signed, however that shouldn’t stop anyone continuing to dream.
Two tips I would say are be consistent in your approach and stay humble!
Do you have a ritual when composing music and how do you stay inspired after all these years?
I always like to start with the drum pattern and then build the bass groove around the drums having a call and response, from there I add in chopped vocals and synths and finally add FX to compliment all the other elements. A big part of producing most tracks for me is sourcing good vocals to sample or chop up.
Inspiration comes from many places such as other DJs or Producers but also day to day life, sometimes an idea can come to me when I am travelling so I always try to get ideas down as soon as possible.
When producing, are you more in the box or do you use Outboard too? Could you share with us a single unit or tool that is a true game changer for you, and why?
I am mostly producing in the box and have been using Ableton for many years.There may be a time where I incorporate more outboard equipment but right now I can achieve what I want using the many tools available using a DAW.
A game changer that I have used a lot in recent years is Sting by Skinnerbox.
It’s an Ableton Max For Live device that generates patterns which can be used for bass lines, synth lines etc, check it out!
Eluse's track "Sequence" is now available on OTBD011
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