sebastienknight

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

Looking Back

Looking back on the process of creating this EP, I can clearly see how much I’ve changed, not just as a producer, but as an artist and individual. What started as an attempt to blend aggressive and melodic styles evolved into something far deeper. A journey of self-discovery, persistence, and growth. When I started this EP, I was focused on the technical side of producing as well as genre fusion and creating something that would stand out. I thought the focal point would be in how new or unique it sounded. But now, I realize that the most important part of this project wasn’t just about the final product, but about who I became while making it.

Through the challenges of sound design, the frustration of creative blocks, the highs of collaboration, and the honesty required to finish even the tracks I didn’t love, I learned to let go of perfection and trust my instincts. I discovered that inspiration doesn’t always come from sound and music, it can come from a conversation, a room, a feeling, or even a moment of difficulty. I also came to understand that expressing emotion is not just a creative choice, it’s the core of why I make music and showing everyone who I am.

Perhaps the biggest shift I’ve noticed in myself is that I no longer see production as just putting sounds together. Rather a dialogue between my musical knowledge and myself. Trusting the process and giving myself the space to evolve without fear of losing direction. The producer I was when I began Spectrum would have been nervous trying new techniques and ways of being inspired. Now, I embrace those things as part of what makes my sound unique.

This project taught me how to balance structure with instinct, planning in the moment, and technical skill with emotional depth. And while I know I still have a long way to go, I finally feel like I’m no longer chasing after a style or genre, I’m starting to carve out my own space. Spectrum is a snapshot of that transformation. It doesn’t just reflect who I was during its creation, it shows how far I’ve come, and who I’m becoming.

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

The Live Performance

The presentation of the EP was an unexpected journey that led me to a realization about how I express my work and ideas. In the beginning, I struggled to come up with ideas for how I could perform my tracks live. Unlike genres such as techno or house, dubstep and drum & bass have far more components due to their structure and the tradition of hocketing in these styles. As a result, I needed to find a way to perform my tracks that was both simple to set up and not overloaded with elements.

I eventually came up with the idea of reflecting the concept of the EP by moving from the track Balance to Nightfall and then combining the two. To make this work, I created a liquid drum & bass version of Balance at the same BPM as Nightfall. Then, I extracted the stems from both tracks and used an Ableton Push to perform them.

Over the course of a month, I practiced this live set, but after a few days, something didn’t feel right. I started to feel unsatisfied with the entire performance and lost motivation to continue. The set didn’t represent the concept in the way I had envisioned. It didn’t feel like me. It felt as though I was just playing two random tracks and mashing them together. Even though they were both my own productions and I was the one performing, I couldn’t hear myself or my concept in the set.

Poster of the event

Nevertheless, I pushed through all the way to the day of the performance. I played at an open deck night in Lichtenberg, focused on bass music, where people could test their tracks in front of an audience and play some ping-pong. The set went well. Aside from one slightly faulty knob on the Push, there were no major issues. When I finished performing and received applause from the 15 or so people at the event, I didn’t feel a sense of satisfaction or pride, just relief. I was simply glad it was over.

That day made me realize that the only way I could have truly expressed the concept was by playing the full tracks from the EP. As I mentioned earlier, the EP felt like a representation of myself, and the best way for me to express who I am is by presenting my work as it is honestly and fully.

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

My first sound design job

The process of creating the EP often posed technical difficulties, particularly in sound design. When producing genres like drum and bass and dubstep, sound design is what allows individual producers to stand out and distinguish themselves. As I began working on the EP, I was excited about finding my own sound and experiencing the energetic rush of creating a sound that hadn't been made before, thinking to myself, "This is it!"

However, as the work piled up, it became increasingly difficult to create sounds that I was happy with, especially the dubstep growls in Circles and Timeline. I either made sounds that didn’t fit in the context of the rest of the track or sounded too much like something else. This affected my mindset, and I began to feel demotivated in completing the EP. This changed when I started working with a sound designer named Sam Smyers through Instagram. My job was to add more macro settings to existing presets from Serum, applying them to the new Serum 2 version. These presets were primarily designed for genres like tech house and melodic techno. However, my experience in making dubstep allowed me to approach the task differently than other sound designers, adding unique variations that others wouldn’t have thought of.

My goal was to manipulate a preset as much as possible while maintaining its function—whether it was bass, pad, lead, etc. This was extremely beneficial for me because it refreshed my perspective as a sound designer. When I returned to work on the EP, I approached sound design with new techniques, and my workflow became much more efficient. I gained a deeper understanding of how Serum 2 works, including the sound of various wavetables and how different parameters, such as FM synthesis, sine fold distortion, or ring modulation, affect wave shapes. With this knowledge, I found that creating new sounds became easier because I knew exactly what the synth needed to achieve the sound I wanted. I no longer had to waste time adjusting every knob or wavetable to find the right sound. This allowed me to stay focused on the production process, which greatly benefited my creative flow, rather than getting lost in the synth.

I believe that, in terms of external experiences, this one had the biggest impact on my production skills. It opened my mind to the endless possibilities of sound design, which is crucial when making genres like dubstep or drum and bass. As someone who wants to pursue a career in sound design and foley, this experience helped me develop the mentality of exploring a synth to find what feels right, rather than simply sticking to the rules. This mindset stayed with me throughout the rest of the creative process for the EP.

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

Inspiration through a friend

For much of the time I spent working on the EP, I had developed a habit of working alone. This was important at the beginning because, to find my sound and style, I needed to establish a connection between myself and my music. For the first couple of tracks, I worked on, especially Circles, this approach was extremely beneficial. But after several weeks of working the same way, despite creating a comfortable routine, I found myself going in circles and not feeling completely satisfied with what I was producing. I couldn't find much inspiration, either in terms of structure or sound design, and I felt very stuck.

That was until a good friend of mine and fellow producer, Xell, came to Berlin. We’ve been producing together for years and know each other very well, so I knew that having a collaborator for a while would be helpful, but I didn’t expect it to be as beneficial as it turned out to be.

When we first started making music together in 2020, we both produced similar genres, mainly classic 2010s EDM. Over the next few years, we each began exploring different genres on our own—me diving into dubstep and drum and bass, while Xell became fascinated by the West Coast bass house scene. This combination of our past experiences and present interests created a fantastic working dynamic. The track Timeline was made in less than a week, and each drop reflected our individual music genres. Yet, we still found common ground by using our shared passion for 2010s EDM to tie both genres together.

This collaboration opened my eyes to how important working with others is for an artist. When you work alone, you’re limited to your own experiences and tastes. It can become difficult to experiment with different genres or new sounds. On the other hand, having a collaborator opens doors to new possibilities. They bring their own background and tastes to the project, in turn giving you fresh ideas. You end up feeding off each other, creating a strong working environment. Personally, I felt less pressure when experimenting with new sounds. If something didn’t feel right, it stood out immediately, or my collaborator would say, “This doesn’t sound right, but what if we try this?” This experience showed me how crucial collaboration is for an artist's development and growth. Learning from other people’s experiences and knowledge offers new perspectives on creating art and unlocks fresh ideas for future solo projects.

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

Conquering procrastination

Spectrum is a project that represents who I am, and it is one of the most personal projects I’ve created. It doesn’t mean the EP is perfect. Track 4 is probably the one I’m least proud of in this project. Finishing it was a challenge, yet I still managed to take something positive away from the experience of making it.

I began working on Heal in February, right after finishing Circles. I was very happy with that track and wanted to continue exploring the idea of blending drum and bass with dubstep. This time, I wanted to give the track a lighter mood, leaning more toward the melodic side of my aggressive/melodic spectrum. However, after two weeks of working on it, I found myself stuck and felt as though I was going in circles. I decided to take a break and focus on other tracks.

When I returned to Heal in May, my ears had changed significantly, particularly because of the sound design job I’d been working on. I felt demotivated to finish the track and procrastinated for a few days, unsure whether I should continue working on it.

One day, while on a break from the studio, I started talking to my friend Liza about my projects. I shared my struggles with Track 4 and asked her what she does in situations like this. She told me that the best solution is to take one day, push yourself to the max, and finish your work. Remove all distractions, focus on the task, and “lock in.” I found this advice eye-opening, and when I returned to the studio, I turned off my phone and followed through with her suggestion. It was difficult at first, but after getting into a good rhythm and following a mini to-do list, I managed to accomplish my mission of finishing Heal.

This experience taught me an important lesson about finishing work and overcoming procrastination specifically, the importance of deadlines. Leaving a track unfinished for months can make completing it feel demotivating. When you feel demotivated, I believe procrastination takes over, which can spill over into your everyday life, breaking habits and piling up more and more work until it becomes overwhelming and leads to burnout. However, giving yourself a deadline forces you to be more efficient in your workflow. As someone who wants to work in an industry that relies on delivering work within specific timeframes, this lesson about procrastination was one of the most valuable lessons I learned throughout the creation of the EP.

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

Balance

The final track of the EP came together in a very mysterious way. While working on the track, I found an atmospheric sample on Splice. It had a unique tone that gave me a sense of calmness and vulnerability. I hadn’t heard anything like it before, and within seconds, I had a vision in my head for the track. I knew this was an idea I couldn’t forget, so, as someone who tends to easily lose ideas, I stopped what I was doing and opened a new project.

In contrast to the other tracks I produced, Balance came together in circumstances that reflected the mood of the song. I put myself in a small, dark room with nothing but a simple orange lamp to provide light. I found that placing myself in this environment had a big impact on my creative process. When I felt stuck, I could step back from my laptop, look around the room, and ask myself, “How does the vibe of the room make me feel?” I would then think, “If the room was a snare, what would it sound like?” This helped spark inspiration more quickly, benefiting my creative process and workflow.

This contrast between the environment and the track itself reflects the song. Balance is not only a big shift in tone from the opening track, but it also serves as an analogy to the feeling I was aiming to capture while creating it. I wanted to express both happiness and sadness specifically, the feeling of a loved one leaving you, even though you know it was the right thing to do. This image guided me throughout the entire process of making the track, which might explain why this song came together much quicker than the others on the EP. Usually, I start by finding chords that fit the emotion I want the track to express and build everything around that. But this time, I began with atmospheric sounds and drones. The combination of the two samples at the beginning created a sort of foundation that became the backbone of the track. I then added chords that complemented the drones, and from there, the rest came naturally. This track helped me realize that inspiration can come in many forms, even from sources that aren’t directly musical. Sometimes, an environment or a feeling can be the driving force behind creating art. This is something I’ll be able to use in the future when I’m stuck on a project or feeling uninspired. I can focus on what feeling the track should evoke and put myself in a place that reflects that emotion. I see this approach benefiting me in the future, as it could help me finish tracks more efficiently, ultimately improving my skills as a producer.

[sebastienknight]

Quest for Spectrum

Track "Circles"

The track, Circles, came together in one of the most interesting ways in my musical career. After establishing the concept for the EP, I suddenly hit a wall because I didn’t know how to approach it. I wanted to create something unique in dubstep, but I couldn't find much inspiration. That was until I was riding a tram in Berlin, and "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin started playing in my headphones. Around the 3-minute mark, there’s a section where two guitars seem to be having a conversation in a call-and-response manner. This sparked an idea to do something similar, but with my own twist.

It also made me think about how I could introduce elements of rock into my tracks. Dubstep has often been influenced by rock and metal, but on top of that, I grew up listening to rock, and it’s a crucial part of my musical background—hence the track name Circles. This meant I had to find a balance between using synths and traditional instruments, something that isn’t often done in dubstep, and something I believe is missing from the genre. I've heard many dubstep tracks made with only synths and digitally created drums, and in my opinion, that makes the music sound too robotic and lacking in a human touch. With the rapid rise of AI in music production, I think it’s important to encourage the practice of humanizing music when working in a DAW, which is exactly what I did.

Comparison between Whole Lotta Love and Circles Led Zeppelin. (2008, April 21). Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (Official Music Video) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQmmM_qwG4k

When it came time to create the drums for this track, I put myself in the mind of a drummer and thought, “How many percussion instruments would hit at the same time? How would each snare sound in a snare roll?” I then added details to my rock drums, such as slightly moving some hits off the grid, giving each hit a small variation in pitch or volume, and mixing them so that they sounded as if they were all from the same drum kit, even though they were samples taken from different sources. I was happy with how they came together to sound as though they were played live.

This approach became the biggest lesson I took away from making this track. It was used throughout the EP and changed the way I think about elevating a sometimes-boring production to the next level.

[sebastienknight]

Quest For Spectrum

Inception of a concept

Since my beginnings in music production, I have always strived to create music that reflects emotion and energy. My approach typically depended on how I wanted to express my feelings, while also adding a sense of power to bring the track to life. However, as my musical tastes evolved and I delved deeper into dubstep and drum and bass, I noticed a trend in the scene towards the end of 2024. Many dubstep producers began to box themselves in, either focusing on aggression and energy or melody and emotion. In my opinion, this created a gap in the music scene. I'm not sure why this happened—whether it was labels or artists trying to be more genre-specific—but this division between the two styles led to fewer artists taking risks. Much of the dubstep being released started to sound the same.

One artist, Chime, expressed similar views on this matter and explained his solution: "colour bass," a subgenre of dubstep that uses vocoders to blend aggressive growls with melodic chords. I wanted to create something that was both aggressive and melodic, influenced not only by dubstep but also by drum and bass—focusing on both sound design and drums. After mapping out this style, I realized it was the music that best represented me.

Goldfinch, H. [@chimetunes]. (2024, November 27). What even is Colour Bass? [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC4yy0-ibfz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Initially, I planned to release an EP that showcased only this new style, but I didn’t want to fall into the trap of repeating myself. Instead, I decided to constantly combine both aggressive and melodic elements, taking the listener on a journey from one to the other moving from something very aggressive and hard to something more melodic and gentler. This is how the name Spectrum came about. The EP is also not genre specific. The track list ranges from drum and bass to dubstep to EDM, and more. I chose to do this because I wanted the EP to reflect who I am. I want it to tell people, "This is who I am." The genre for each track was selected because it felt right and was the best way for me to express each part of the aggressive/melodic spectrum. While this might make the EP seem random or even chaotic, the focus isn’t on speed or structure. Rather, it’s on the feeling and emotion that each track expresses.