Northy

We caught up with Northy and he told us his sources of inspiration, his methods when siting down to write a track as well as why he backs the ethos and initiative behind the Outboard project.

Northy is a West Sussex/Bournemouth-based DJ and producer, who is just over two years into his journey. His DJing and production are heavily inspired by the sounds of Traumer, The Trip, and Job de Jong, with a focus on bringing true timeless deep house back into the limelight. Through lush chords, rolling basslines, and chunky, groove-led drums, Northy creates a sound that blends the warmth and soul of classic deep house with the energy of today’s underground scene.

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 started making this track a bit different to how I would normally do (making a loop first, then arranging). This time I built it up from the first second of the track, adding/taking away as I go along to help the arrangement progress more naturally. It took quite a lot of sessions/time to finish until I found the vocal acapella which instantly made me want to get the track finished. The main technique/goal for this track was to make everything from one synth vst (I went with Babylon 2) this allowed me to be limited in what I am adding as well as helping all the sounds to sound more ‘as one’ and make sense together.

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?

As my first track released with a label I as more than happy for it to be with Outboard due to their ethos as a label, prioritising good music and fair pay above everything else. Another reason was that many of the producers who I look up to that have previously released on the label, I felt Outboard was a great place to get my foot in the door and a step in the right direction.

What is the one thing that you always do when producing that if you didn’t, it wouldn’t be a Northy track?

Having at least 1 moment in the track where it is stripped back just to the synths of the track to take it in a deeper direction. This is something I naturally do in every project without even thinking about it.

Do you have a ritual when composing music and how do you stay inspired?

I don't necessarily have a ritual. However, I always start a track with a strong idea or reference of what I want it to be. Sometimes it does end up sounding exactly how I imagined and sometimes I find a sound or inspiration from somewhere else that completely changes the direction of the track. My biggest source of inspiration for producing is simply listening to loads of music, whether it be recorded sets/mixes or when I'm digging for my DJ sets.

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?

At the moment I am fully in the box, apart from using a MIDI keyboard from when I’m preset flicking or sound designing. However, hardware is definitely something I want to invest in going forward, as I think it helps you be creative with your music in a different way and adds a new level of exploration to producing.

Northy - 'Just Dance' is out now on OTBD022

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