1Mix Radio: Interview with Audio Noir

Since quietly appearing on the scene at the beginning of 2013, Audio Noir has slowly built up a strong reputation for creating atmospheric and dance floor friendly productions. In a short space of time, Audio Noir has gained support by many of the industries most notable DJ's; including: Paul Oakenfold, Solarstone, John 00 Fleming, Airwave, Gai Barone, John Creamer, M.I.K.E Push, Matan Caspi & many more. Having received his "lucky break" by signing on with the ultra classic label - Bonzai Progressive, Audio Noir has gone from strength to strength releasing material on other respectable labels such as Perfecto, J00F & Green Martian, EDM Ravers & more. Releasing quality productions & remixes regularly, the Adelaide based producer shows no signs of letting up with his follow up Album due for release late 2015! Also look out for a steady stream of new releases slated for the rest of the year.

Audio Noir is a very talented and promising artist that he is about to take the world of electronic music by storm and we are glad that he decided to accept our challenge and he answered more than 20 questions in his own personal way. Great personality that is reflected in his advanced super progressive sounds. Enjoy his answers.

Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, Music Journalist and Radio Dj at 1mix radio

Dimitri: First of all I would love to ask you when you decided to get involved with electronic dance music. Did you had it as an aspiration from small kid or is something that came out of nowhere because of certain inspiration?

Audio Noir: That’s a good question! I’ve always enjoyed music so long as I can remember! For whatever reason, I’ve never been drawn towards the typical commercial top 40, top 100, etc! So I’m thankful for that! I’m also certain that because of this, I write the music that I write today! For me, the inspiration did in fact come out of nowhere! On the demands of my partner, she insisted I send one of my tracks to a label; “Just to see what happens!” So I searched Google for top labels (Better to aim high than to aim low!) came across Bonzai Progressive, sent my demo off and the rest is history! So when Bonzai said “yes” that was a big shot of inspiration for me!

Dimitri: AudioNoir music is unique but certainly you have influences from previous producers. Would you like to pick up the artists that you think have left traces in your creative soul?

Audio Noir: I often see very long answers in interviews to questions like this! I think my influences would be pretty short by comparison to be honest! The following artists have really left an indelible mark on my soul!

In no particular order: Leftfield, William Orbit, Sasha, Underworld, John Digweed, Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Queen & Nightmares On Wax!

Dimitri: When you had the first release on record label and how did they pick up your release? Did you search for them or did they found you?

Audio Noir: Like I said earlier, it was simply down to taking a chance. I never would have sent this track to Bonzai or anyone had my partner not insisted! None of the music that I’ve done over the last 2 years would’ve existed had she not encouraged me to hit “send’! Amazing when you think about it! I’ve been very lucky. I haven’t looked back since! I’m very grateful to Bonzai for taking me onto their roster. It’s been a great experience to date!

Dimitri: Have you studied music or music production or are you totally self-taught producer?

Audio Noir: You may notice on my Audio Noir Facebook page it says ‘Artist’, not musician! I couldn’t play an instrument even if I was paid to! To hear me playing a guitar work sound like the apocalypse! I have a small understanding of musical harmonies but apart from that, I simply use my ears! I will however be embarking on a 12-month studio course next year which will be my first official studies so to speak! Up until now, I just explore the channels on YouTube!

Dimitri: Is it possible to describe for us your way of producing music? The process of making an Audio Noir track is different from the way that other producers work?

Audio Noir: I have no idea how other producers work. I’m not even sure if how I work in the studio is common! When I sit down to start a new track (an original) I have a crystal clear idea of how it will sound like, the elements it will have and the tempo. I always search my sample library first and select the sounds that ‘jump out’ at me. This usually determines the key. From there I move onto midi arrangements the very quickly, I have 20-30 main parts for a track.

From these parts I slowly delete the ones that I know I will not need to use. Next I select or create a bunch of FX and move straight onto the arrangement. Again I can clearly see the layout of the track before I even begin my arrangement. (Same for remixes) Once I have my initial arrangement in place, I then begin to apply envelopes followed by FX modules (Delay, compressions, etc) I then go through the whole arrangement checking the various volumes and the track flow, etc. Finally I tweak the EQ, double check all the levels and submit for mastering!

Dimitri: Do you use your own samples and original sounds or are you rely on sample galleries and collection of other artists samples?

Audio Noir: Both! I could not write as quickly as I do without the use of online sample libraries. I mainly use synths and arps from these libraries then cut them up, reverse, them, etc It makes the process so much faster. Especially for remix deadlines!

Dimitri: Do you have a favourite piece of software and hardware and what is your suggestion for upcoming producers?

Audio Noir: Ableton & Omnisphere 2! Abelton is a very simple platform for laying out your arrangements and its internal plugins are very sound. Omni 2 is the go to for unique sounds! I don’t use any hardware at all! For any upcoming producers reading this, back yourself 100%. Stay true to your ‘sound integrity.’ Don’t deviate just to fit in somewhere. Write what you love, what makes you truly happy because it will come through in the music that you write!

Dimitri: By searching on Beatport I found out that you have a huge number of releases so far on many top labels. Would you like to choose for us your absolute Top 5 of original tracks and remixes and if possible please to include a short comment about each track?

Audio Noir: Wow! You’re not wrong! I just checked BP and there’s 300 and counting! I had no idea! Picking top 5! That’s a tough question! I’ll start with my remixes. But in no particular order:

1. Matan Caspi - Serenity | An Audio Noir Safari (Something atmospheric and chilled for a change I new I had to add guitar to my remix immediately. I wanted to create something that lived up to the track title. Was delighted to find out it was also featured on Solaris)

2. Dark Soul Project, Mathov - Ain't No Melodies | Audio Noir Rekonstruction (Pleasure to work on when you have so many fantastic parts and a killer vocal to boot. I had so many ideas with this track that I ended up doing 3 remixes in 2 days! My deep Rekonstruction, my typical Zen mix and a Drum & Bass mix!

3. Phi Phi – Alone | Audio Noir Rekonstruction (It felt great to let loose with a heavy metal inspired production! Something I’ve always wanted to do! I hunted down one of L.A’s best metal vocalists which took me 4-5 days and he did the vocal track in one take)

4. Airwave, Phi Phi – Finnesse | Another Audio Noir Trip (One of my favourite remixing moments! I wanted to take this track down a dark corridor so to speak – hence the samples of doors closing etc. There was a ton of samples to use and use them I did. They were tweaked, EQ’d twisted, you name it! Dark choir pad was me paying my respect to Underworld’s seminal track - Dark & Long.)

5. Quadran - Animals Rebellion | Another Audio Noir Odyssey (When I first read the song title, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Even before hearing it! It had to be epic! I couldn’t find a suitable David Attenborough sample to use, so I hired an impersonator, wrote a brief monologue and presto! The rest of the track basically wrote itself!)

Originals: (Even harder to decide)

1. Kontakt - Typifying the type of chillout I like to listen to! It took me hours and hours to cut up and select the right bits to make up Hawking’s monologue!

2. Spaghetti Western – I had to sample John Wayne somewhere! A fun track to make! Happy and bouncy! Never thought I’d sample a horse in one of my productions but I did!

3. A Deeper Future – The deepest track I have written to date.

4. Love/Story of our Lives – When great vocals and pads come together, you know you’re onto something special! Particularly proud of both of these original productions

5. Paper Planes – A very personal song dedicated to life & family. Soft & delicate!

Dimitri: Your album Almost Famous was released back in 2014 and is a surreal ride through many aspects of musical form, from downtempo to big beats and from dark progressive to vocalised progressive house.

A) Would you like to tell us how the ride to produce this album was?

Audio Noir: I would be lying to say I didn’t feel nervous about my first album! It can be daunting when you release your first complete body of work on the public domain for review, opinion & feedback! I was very relieved to finish it too! It took me 6 months to write the album and I wanted to showcase my favourite musical styles in the process.

I had no idea how my debut album was going to ‘sound’ overall when I started it, however I did have a clear idea of the styles I wanted to incorporate. The first track I wrote for the album was ‘Love’; the last track was Midnight Till Morning!

With ‘Almost Famous’ I wanted to make the album accessible to other music lovers whilst staying true to my own personal tastes. So I was always going to diversify. It’s a tough proposition writing an album! Actually, I never thought of it back then either! It was Bonzai who came to me and basically said, “its time!” “We’d really like you to do a full album now!” So I did! I think you can only grow as an artist from doing so, regardless of the feedback.

B) Did you finish it according to the plans or it took more time that you could ever think?

Audio Noir: I did actually; I guess I was very fortunate. I felt and still feel that album has a nice balance between genres and tempo. I would never have agreed to put it out if I wasn’t completely happy with it! When I started the album I was given a 6-month time frame, so I utilised that right up until the final week! Once it’s out there, it’s out there! So I wanted to be absolutely certain with it before handing it over!

C) What was the most challenging aspect of this album?

Audio Noir: To be honest, the only issue I had with this first album was the track order! It must have changed 8 or 9 times! Still we got there in the end!

D) Are you happy with the response you got for it?

Audio Noir: Very happy! The feedback for Almost Famous was excellent and for me personally, it was a good performance indicator. Some tracks that I thought were going to be popular weren’t and others that I thought wouldn’t gain much support, etc – did! The main thing for me was the forum support. Where DJ’s, producers & fans alike list their mixes and/ or feedback. I always get a buzz when I see one of my productions in a DJ’s set, or some nice feedback in a music forum, etc.

Dimitri: Your album Now & Zen moves on a totally different direction as you explore the joy of chill out and ambient sounds.

A) Why you took the decision to produce a chill out album?

Audio Noir: Firstly, I need to point out that this was never a studio album per say, but a concept album! Now & Zen is a collection of remixes including remixes of my own productions that were designed to be used primarily as DJ tools for opening and closing DJ sets. On the other hand it also becomes a chilled out album in itself! However I wanted to keep the tempo at least 120 BPM or above for most of it!

B) Is it easier or is it more demanding to produce a chill out track?

Audio Noir: That’s another tough question! Depends on a few things. After 2014, I made a promise to myself to use live musicians in many of my productions. When working on a track with a live musician, you want to keep the organic elements in place. Sometimes if they play a very intricate piece, it can be hard to breakdown into a phrased 4/4 on Ableton. So, if I can’t translate a ‘live’ piece into one of my productions, I don’t use it. There’s also the question of layers! Lots of FX, minimal FX, vocals, no vocals! Remember you don’t have a big kick drum that can hide a few elements or take away some of the frequency ranges from your production. In that sense, chillout or ambient is essentially naked music! You can pick up on almost everything! So with these types of chillout productions, I would say in these cases, it is more demanding.

C) Can you choose your absolute top 3 tracks from this album and give us your short comment please?

Audio Noir: 3. Immersion. The most common Zen mix I have heard to date being used as a set opener. Deep, dark and mysterious!

2. Vanilla. Enjoyed creating the build-ups & atmospheric tension with this track!

1. Story of our lives. You can’t go past Natalie’s beautiful vocal!

Dimitri: You have releases on top record labels. It would be great to tell us why you stay faithful to Bonzai Progressive record label. What you have found to Marnik and Fly and their agency djunkee that you cannot find on others?

Audio Noir: Yes, Bonzai is my parent label and DJunkee my management.

Bonzai run a highly effective and professional label. Their communication, which is essential in any relationship, is impeccable. Strangely, I’ve never met them or even heard their voices! (It’s the world we live in these days) yet I genuinely feel like part of their family. They have been very supportive and positive, they provide the whole package when it comes to nurturing and establishing an artist and they have helped me grow as an artist and producer. The music industry, like any industry can be fickle at the best of times. It’s important to be loyal as it is just as important to work with labels, promoters etc that have your best interests at heart also. I would recommend to anyone starting out to research and get to know whom you’ll be dealing with! I’ve chosen my label associations carefully and I always will.

Dimitri: Of course you have releases on Perfecto Black record label as well. Are you happy when names like Paul Oakenfold pick up your music for his label and are you going to produce more music for Perfecto Black?

Audio Noir: How could I not be! I had Perfecto down as 1 of my top 3 goals to fulfil last year so I was delighted that they took on one of my productions. As Perfecto isn’t my parent label, my releases will be limited. I do have another release planned for Perfecto for later in the year or possibly next year. I’m just finalising things as we speak! There is also Suffused Music, A relatively new & exciting label that I’m proud to be a part of as well. These are the only labels at this point in time that I deal with. I have no interest in licensing music to dozens of labels. Am I open to work with other labels? Sure, however it depends who’s behind them and what we can do for each other!

Dimitri: Is it possible to reveal your plans for the near future? What are the releases that we will hear from you in the next months?

Audio Noir: Yes of course! Firstly, my 2nd studio album “Artificial Star” is scheduled for release on August 31st. This was just confirmed today so good timing with this interview Dimi!

Secondly, a few weeks ago I was given an amazing opportunity to remix a true trance classic! I can’t give away the title as yet but I can say it’s from way, way back in 1995! It’ll be released towards the end of this year. So I’m quite excited about it! It was a big challenge! I hope I do the original justice. Fingers crossed! I have a number of remixes coming out between now and Christmas; it’s like a conveyor belt!

Finally I have 3 new singles coming out over the next 6 months. Love – including awesome new remixes from Yuriy, Narel plus others! Wunderschong with Exciting new remixes & Progressive Tales #2

Dimitri: Australia is well known for its free spirit and great parties and great festivals too. Is it a blessing to live in Australia as artist? Have you ever been to any of Australia’s greatest festivals?

Audio Noir: Australia is certainly a very laidback country! It’s the world’s biggest island technically so it goes without saying! I’ve always thought of Australia, especially Queensland as a 2nd Ibiza! It’s absolutely stunning! Yet nothing goes on there! Google Whitsundays and look for yourself! It’s incredible! There are 100s of festivals in Oz however its very commercial!

Remember we’re very isolated from the rest of the world; we have a very small population considering our landmass too so it’s hard to create a mainstream stage for underground genres. But it is possible!

Being an artist in Australia is like living in an apartment two floors below the party! You know there are lots of things going on, you’re hanging to get involved… but you’re just so damn far away! Regarding festivals, no! I don’t go out at all! Not here!

Dimitri: Are you going to start playing out as a DJ? Did you ever try this experience to play your music in front of a crowd and watch them go wild with your music?

Audio Noir: Interestingly, I have never heard or seen one of my tracks being played live! So hopefully that might change next year! As for DJing, I have marked 2016 as the year in which I “leave the apartment” and come join the party! So if I’m fortunate enough to be booked, this time I’ll take up the opportunities! Unfortunately I couldn’t travel this year due to other commitments.

Dimitri: Any plans to start your own radio show? Do you like the radio shows produced from DJ’s and do you have a favourite?

Audio Noir: No real plans to start my own show at this stage. There is no shortage of fantastic shows out there now! I listen to Solaris, Planet Perfecto, Patterns, Bonzai Basiks, Ajunadeep. No favourite. I enjoy them all!