Stefanno b2b Julianno – Music Manufacturing 101 – Interview
Stefanno B2B Julianno, a DJ and manufacturing duo from Romania, have been introducing their distinct mix of Melodic Home and Techno to listeners worldwide, showcasing their distinctive strategy by means of stay exhibits and releases on labels like Coldharbour Recordings and Paul van Dyk’s, Vandit Various.
On this interview, Stefanno B2B Julianno joins us to dive deep into their journey, exploring how their partnership started, the evolution of their sound, and the important gear that shapes their productions. So, prepare to find extra in regards to the strategy powering their creativity as Stefanno B2B Julianno sits down to debate their authentic perspective, providing an insider’s look into their processes.
Hello guys, how are you each doing right now?
Howdy. Superb, thanks. We’re actually enthusiastic about your invitation for this interview at EDM Sauce.
Might you share the story of the way you each began collaborating as a duo? What introduced you collectively on the planet of Digital Music manufacturing?
We met within the first yr of highschool; we occurred to be in the identical Philology class in Suceava, a small metropolis within the north of Romania, near the border with Ukraine. Every of us began listening to artists like John Digweed, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Carl Cox, and Hernan Cattaneo. Their music introduced us even nearer, and we mentioned Digital Music every single day.
Within the spring of 2007, we participated in a DJ competitors organized by the founders of the Home Parade and Trance Vibrations manufacturers in Timisoara, Romania. The prize was the chance to play on a stage on the pageant held in the summertime of that yr. We have been thrilled to win this DJ competitors, which introduced us again in the summertime to play music at our first pageant, additionally being our first gig exterior our hometown. We have been solely 18 years previous and blissful simply to have a gig exterior of Suceava. Through the competitors part, we didn’t assume we might return to the pageant in the summertime to DJ alongside artists like Marco V, Gareth Emery, Rank1, and Marcel Woods.
From that yr, we turned resident DJs for these occasions, collaborating in all of the organized occasions on the principle phases with nice nationwide and worldwide Digital Music artists. Our musical fashion, technical abilities, and the chemistry between us satisfied the organizers to suggest that we create a B2B DJ challenge and have our first occasion within the fall of 2008 on the Timisoara Trance Vibrations occasion, opening the night for Rank1, Aly & Fila, and Alex M.O.R.P.H. The night was phenomenal, with an viewers very expensive to us. This success satisfied us to proceed this challenge for a few years to return.
What are the three most important items of apparatus in your studio, and why are they essential to your manufacturing course of?
Over time, we’ve modified a number of studio tools and places. We began producing music in 2010 with Ableton as a DAW in the lounge of Julianno’s residence. Being in highschool, we met every day within the “studio” to find the right way to produce Digital Dance Music. In our opinion, our first observe was a small catastrophe, but it surely was signed with a small label, and the observe even had a remix from an artist. The second observe we produced was a remix for Ummet Ozcan – “Timewave Zero,” which was performed in golf equipment in London by Choose Jules and on his “Weekend Heat-Up” radio present on Radio 1.
Again to studio tools: in the mean time, we work solely with digital devices “within the field.” The primary important piece is the DAW as a result of it incorporates all of the manufacturing, mixing, and mastering. The second is the nice previous Beyerdynamic DT770pro headphones—they assist us to not disturb the neighbours. The third is the MIDI keyboard; we have now an Arturia Keystep Professional. With it, we will observe and develop our abilities, and we will write down these concepts from our minds into the DAW.
Which DAW do you favor to your productions, and has this choice modified through the years?
In 2010, we put in trial variations of Purpose, FL Studio, and Ableton. We tried all of them and selected Ableton as our “mentor” in our journey in music manufacturing. We labored with Ableton for six years, then took a three-year break. Since 2019, we’ve been working with Presonus Studio One as our principal DAW. In comparison with Ableton, Studio One attracted us due to its circulate, which fits us, and due to the main target by the producers on mixing, mastering, and recording processes.
So right now, we work with Studio One as our principal DAW, however we additionally use Ableton as a secondary DAW. In Ableton, we work on some concepts with the assistance of their plugins.
Are there any distinctive manufacturing strategies or methods that you just use to provide your tracks a particular sound?
Every single day, we be taught new issues to enhance our sound, from the technical facet of music manufacturing to music concept and harmonies. The music manufacturing strategies beneath aren’t actually distinctive, however we predict they’ll make a distinction between a weak manufacturing and an expert one:
- We use a number of layering on the tracks that want it to make an even bigger sound that works higher within the combine, primarily on leads and synths, and typically on drum components. The bassline may also profit from the usage of layering.
- On a number of tracks, we work with a Reverb on the sends, on which we apply an EQ to chop low and mid-lows to do away with muddy frequencies, an Imager plugin to make the reverb slightly wider, and a Sidechain to create slightly little bit of bounce. Typically we insert a Refrain plugin on this ship to create motion within the observe.
- We frequently use clipping on most tracks. Clipping helps to chop out the transients that aren’t heard anyway however have an effect on the ultimate limiter of the grasp. Our favorite clipper plugin is Commonplace Clip from SirAudio, which we use on separate tracks and likewise on buses—most frequently on devices with massive transients reminiscent of drums, keys, and FX. It can be used as an excellent distortion method on sure components. The right use of a clipper can acquire additional dB, which is able to assist obtain an excellent and aggressive degree of ultimate loudness.
- One other essential method is automation. We will automate something—velocity, EQ, compression, VST filters, FX plugins, distortion plugins (like a parallel distortion), volumes, sends, busses, and so forth. Automations are essential, particularly in EDM, to create motion within the manufacturing, to deliver a principal instrument in entrance of others, and to have management over the manufacturing and over the undesirable frequencies that will seem whereas including new plugins.
How do you steadiness your particular person inventive inputs when engaged on a observe collectively?
As a workflow in the mean time, every of us works individually on concepts and musical harmonies to create a cool vibe. We ship one another the challenge forwards and backwards till we have now a closing model able to be launched. At the moment’s know-how, like cloud providers or saving the complete challenge in a DAW, is helpful for each. Additionally, WhatsApp is a vital pillar of music manufacturing—that is the place discussions begin and the place we take heed to drafts.
You’ve had expertise acting at occasions just like the Home Parade Pageant and Trance Vibrations. How would you say your stay performances have influenced your studio work? Do you retain the group’s response in thoughts when producing?
We’ve DJed on principal phases in entrance of hundreds of individuals for greater than 9 years, and this helps us to really feel the group, to see through the years how the era of followers adjustments in entrance of us, and to investigate musical developments and social media influences immediately from the place the magic occurs—on the dancefloor. Each time we begin producing a brand new track, we think about ourselves at a DJ desk with these hundreds of individuals in entrance of us, ready for us to lift their arms and create good recollections by means of music. For that reason, we produce dance music and never music to be listened to quietly at dwelling. For instance, only a easy snare added on the proper second in a manufacturing can create a really fascinating vibe at a celebration.
Your music blends genres like Progressive Trance, Home, and Melodic Techno. How do you strategy mixing components in your productions to create a cohesive sound?
We at all times need to add one thing from our soul to the manufacturing, to create one thing slightly completely different from what’s at the moment in the marketplace. For instance, after our journeys to the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, we produced and launched a track this yr referred to as “YALLA,” a Melodic Techno observe with Arab influences, that includes an Arab feminine acapella and devices reminiscent of oriental guitars and strings. This manufacturing was initially rejected by the labels we despatched it to, so we determined to self-release it by means of our collaborator, Tunecore. Surprisingly, the observe had success on social media platforms.
We like to begin a manufacturing with a Home groove to create a dance vibe, then add components of Progressive Techno, and within the breakdown, Trance components like arps, leads, and keys. This mixture of genres represents us in the mean time, however we’re at all times open to different musical genres. For instance, we’re additionally impressed by rhythmic RnB or Dancehall music.
Having collaborated with varied artists and labels, what’s essentially the most priceless lesson you’ve discovered from these collaborations, and what affect have that they had in your manufacturing strategy?
Reflecting and looking out again, we imagine that a very powerful lesson we’ve discovered from the folks within the business we’ve collaborated with is the fervour with which they’ve been working for therefore a few years and the relevancy they uphold as a model. Their endurance by means of arduous instances just like the Covid interval or different trials of their private lives, alongside their professionalism and respect for the followers and different artists on and off stage, in addition to their planning and focus within the studio throughout the creation course of, and a focus to particulars from a advertising and marketing perspective, are all priceless classes.
Throughout our three-year break from the music business, we imagine that these items influenced us to rediscover our love for music and to see the trail to success with a extra mature and educated thoughts in comparison with 18 years in the past once we have been 16 years previous and first put our arms on some damaged CDJs.
What are some new applied sciences or items of substances that you just’re excited to discover sooner or later?
These days, AI know-how is on everybody’s lips as a novelty that covers all fields, from economics to artwork. Let’s not overlook that in music manufacturing, early AI know-how first began for use within the 60s when researchers began to develop algorithms that might generate easy music on a pc. Within the 2010s, firms like Izotope began to combine AI, with the primary product being Neutron, which launched superior AI-assisted mixing functionalities reminiscent of “observe assistant.” Then in Ozone 8, launched in 2017, they launched AI as “grasp help.” Principally, the longer term is know-how. We embrace any know-how that provides worth to the music business, to followers, and to artists, utilizing it as a software to create even higher music, to create recollections for our followers by means of music, and to create a legacy within the Digital Music business.
As for gear, we simply ordered a transportable audio recorder that can permit us to file sounds from the surface world, customise them in response to our preferences, after which insert them into productions to create one thing really distinctive.
From our dialog, it’s clear that Stefanno B2B Julianno’s ardour for Digital Music continues to drive their revolutionary strategy to manufacturing and efficiency, upholding their dedication in direction of evolving their sound and making a reputation for themselves on the worldwide music scene. So, as we spherical off our interview, we thank Stefanno B2B Julianno for taking the time to talk with us and stay up for seeing the place their journey takes them subsequent. Little question a duo to look at, be certain that to maintain up-to-date with Stefanno B2B Julianno through social media to remain within the learn about any of their information, releases, or tasks.
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