Cyazon is renowned in the industry for having his own hybrid spin on modern dance music, which incorporates elements of shadowy, ethereal and cyberpunk sounds. His artistic view has allowed him to exceed in the industry, with support from the likes of ‘Au5’ and ‘Zomboy’. Following on from his success from his single ‘Neo Soul’ with Essenger, which made its debut on Monstercat and garnered hundreds of thousands of plays, Cyazon is continuing to champion powerhouse releases. We caught up with him today to find out more about how he does it:
Hey! Great to have you here. How’re you doing?
Hey! I’m doing very well. A lot of music to be finished and things to do on the business side of things for Cyazon. I’m happy today.
What software/hardware do you use?
Hardware
I use a Universal Audio Apollo Twin X Quad as my audio interface. Sennheiser HD650 headphones too. I’m having custom headphones being made currently. Rosson audio headphones. They are the best headphones I have heard so far. I plan to use them for mixing/mastering since it gives an accurate, honest, and true representation of sound.
Software
Ableton Live 10. I’m going to switch over to Bitwig somewhere around June, my best guess would be as soon as I finish some collaborations that need to be finished and other tracks.
What are the 3 main rules you follow when producing?
Worry about mixing/mastering after the track is done
Sound design before starting a new track
Make sure the main melody whether it be a synth lead, guitar, piano, and/or vocal is singable and memorable.
Who are your biggest influences in production?
If we are talking which artists I’m inspired by and influence me when I make music, it would be Nero combined with Xilent and Au5.
Talk us through how you start a track…
Always or most of the time with an atmospheric pad sample. This helps me figure out the main melody for the whole track. It also helps me figure out the bassline, chords (the harmony), and any counter melodies I may add in the track.
What are your go to plugins?
Xfer Records Serum, U-he Diva, Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, Synapse Dune 3, Fabfilter Pro-Q 3 and Pro L-2, D-16 Toraverb 2.
Explain how you overcome writer’s block?
To me, there is no such thing as writer’s block. To answer the question, usually sound designing before making a new track most of the time helps me. Also, not overthinking how the track should sound, or limiting the track to one genre. I try not to limit myself or create unnecessary boundaries when starting a new track.
One tip for new producers?
Don’t quit or quit if you feel disconnected from making music and you are not happy making music anymore. I’ve been through the quitting phase at least 3 times by now definitely. The quitting phase happens to any artist. It can happen once or many times. My one piece of advice would be to not quit even when your whole personal life has been taken away from you.
Finally – what have you been listening to lately?
Recently, I have been listening to Timecop1983 and some Synthwave. Xilent, Au5, and Essenger definitely. I’ve also been tapping into Gemini (another artist that made dubstep around 2011). Kid Ink too since I listened to a lot of Hip-Hop/Rap before 2012.
Cyazon Online:
https://ffm.bio/cyazon
