This week, UMEK sat down to chat on the EDM Prodcast.
UMEK is a techno producer/DJ from Ljubljana, Slovenia who has been a scene staple for nearly 3 decades. Over the years he has moved from the classic techno sound, through to tech house, and then back to techno with a distinctly dark and melodic sound.
We dive into how moving genres and selling out was a bad move for his career, and that having a core fanbase is important. As a result, UMEK has side projects such as Zeta Reticula which allows him to explore other sounds without compromising his main project.
We talk about how he almost exclusively uses software for UMEK tracks, and why he got rid of over 20 synthesizers in favor of synths like Serum.
UMEK discusses his writing process and that he doesn’t overthink the story behind a track – he just writes music that he thinks will sound good in his sets. He also describes how his DJ sets are a sprint rather than a marathon.
Cryptic Speech EP → https://www.beatport.com/release/cryptic-speech-ep/3337925
The Thrillseekers – Synaesthesia (UMEK Remix) → https://www.beatport.com/track/synaesthesia/15399183
Viberate → https://www.viberate.com/
Connect with UMEK:
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/umek.si
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/umek_1605/
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/umek
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Hini2nQyoglzpdKe41cZt?si=7hZEpRmbT4u2eoLOE5GJZw&dl_branch=1
Timestamps:
- 0:00 Intro
- 3:09 Interview Start & Background
- 6:23 Accidentally Moving Into Tech House
- 12:40 The Value Of Side Projects
- 16:04 Switching To Software from Hardware
- 23:06 Hardware is Different, Not Better
- 26:05 Good VSTs are Enough To Make Good Music
- 27:10 The Main Reason You Shouldn’t Hoard Free Plugins
- 28:24 Using Logic Pro X
- 30:15 Switching Your DAW Takes A Long Time
- 32:05 Loudness & Limiters
- 33:42 Mastering Tracks for 1605
- 37:09 Why You Should Know How To Master Yourself
- 42:07 Going From Releasing A Lot To Fewer Releases
- 47:08 Cryptic Speech EP & Not Overthinking The Story Behind The Music
- 51:56 Detaching From Your Music
- 55:50 Success On Beatport
- 01:01:07 Should You Invest In All Platforms?
- 01:05:11 Viberate & The Future of Music Analytics
- 01:08:25 Spotting the Buying Of Fake Plays & Likes
- 01:10:32 What UMEK Looks to Sign An Artist
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