Clan Brude Talks About The Behind The Scenes Process of His Latest Release ‘Redemption’
In this exclusive behind-the-scenes interview, Clan Brude gives an insider’s look into his latest Progressive House track, ‘Redemption.’ As we learn more about the concept behind the song, we discover how a recent experience at the Amsterdam Techno event, Awakenings, inspired Clan Brude’s creativity, diving further into the process to reveal his approach when it came to creating and layering the different elements that make up the production. So, join us as we learn more about Clan Brude’s latest release.
Hi Clan Brude, how’s it going?
All is good. Still enjoying Amsterdam and we now have the amazing later evenings and relatively warm weather! Also, it’s festival season, so I’m really looking forward to the summer months ahead.
To start, can you tell us about the inspirations and goals behind your new release, ‘Redemption’?
This track was really me messing around with a bass-y, progressive-y groove. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure whether it would be built out into a full track. The vocal actually came towards the end and I just wanted to riff around the idea of belonging to the rave community. Redemption through that shared experience.
What did the production process for ‘Redemption’ look like? How did you approach creating the track?
Nothing out of the norm for this one, as opposed to the previous EP! I worked through my general workflow starting with the groove and building out from there. I think the track has some similarities to my track ‘No Time to Forget’ in terms of the vocals and synths. One notable thing was using quite a lot of Shaperbox 3 on the vocal. I really didn’t fancy having a straight-up vocal and went for the more glitchy approach.
How would you say this track differs from your other recent releases, like your latest EP, ‘Clan Brude Versus Hogchoker’? Do you actively try to ensure that your productions explore new sonic territories each time, continuing to bring refreshing listening experiences to your fans?
Absolutely, it’s important to keep it interesting for everyone (including myself as the producer). The EP, for instance, was an experiment with free-form adlibbing across a progressive synth track. Not sure if that has been done before, but it made for a whole different kind of result and collaborative process.
The track grows into a detailed soundscape, with evolving sonic layers. Can you tell us how you add different elements to create the overall desired sound? Which part do you start with and how do you then build on that?
For this one, I actually started with a groove on the percussion and bass, which is interesting in itself because neither is a specific track motif but was just a lot of fun to play with. You can hear a lot more of that side of the track in the extended version. After that, it was a case of bringing in an arpeggio and lead (which kicks in after the first breakdown). And then I added the epic break and build. That was, in part, inspired by a recent day out at Awakenings in Amsterdam, a pure Techno festival with lengthy tracks and real epic breaks. For the lead on this one, it sort of has a theremin quality with some nice portmanteau glides.
What did you enjoy most about your time in the studio when producing this track?
Again, playing with the groove and arpeggio. I actually could have put this out purely as an instrumental, but in the end thought it added more meaning to have a vocal line. However, I didn’t want a conventional vocal on this, hence the gated/broken line that I ended up with.
What does your process look like when it comes to developing the different integral elements, such as the beats, bassline, and melodic lines?
I have a couple of approaches to melody. One is to sing out into the DAW and see what I can capture – a kind of fling all ideas out there and see what sticks approach. Or perhaps the more conventional method of programming in a MIDI melody or playing on the keys – both work. The first method has a more spontaneous result and the second one more planned.
Can you share some of your production techniques? Do you have any go-to processes or compositional tips and tricks?
On ‘Redemption’ I’ve used quite a lot of glitchyness from the time feature on Shaperbox 3, although the same could be achieved by adding a gate on the channel required and then sending it through the side-chain to a channel that is being fed through sends only. You could then control the glitch a bit more in theory by adding in random (but organised) midi notes that would bounce with the gate on the output channel, which in the case of ‘Redemption’ is the main vocal. Having said that, I also like the randomness of the glitch that I got through Shaperbox.
For a composition I generally start with a chord progression and create variations around that, then produce a melody line and then the vocal. Nothing too avant-garde there I suspect!
What do you hope listeners take away from ‘Redemption’?
The track was borne out of a visit to Awakenings, a Techno event here in Amsterdam at the incredible Gashouder. Obviously, it’s not a Hard Techno record which is primarily the genre of the event, but I loved the community feel of the event, hence that reference in the track. The breakdown and build are a nod to the epic builds they have in that genre of music.
What can fans expect to see from Clan Brude next?
I’m working with a vocalist currently on a collaborative track. I’m just at the point of processing the vocal over the track, so nearing completion. This is going to be quite a big track, with loads of synth riffs, and hopefully, you’ll see it out in a couple of months.
We thank Clan Brude for sharing an insider’s look into his production. ‘Redemption’, shedding light on the production process and the inspirations that shaped its unique sound and powerful energy. So, while he gears up for new releases, promising a fresh collaboration in the upcoming months, make sure to follow Clan Brude across social media to keep track of his latest news, as he remains a talent to be watching closely within Electronic Music today.
Listen and Buy ‘Redemption’ Now:
Clan Brude Online
