One of the best ever DJ, producer and label owner is David Forbes from Glasgow who has magnificent high class releases on top labels like VANDIT, Subculture, Perfecto Fluoro, Outburst, Armada Music and many more. In the last 20 years he released mainly trance records but he is well known producer for many other music genres as well. He has his own labels Aria recordings and Aria Digital releasing cutting edge power trancers from uplifting to big room and beyond. What is more David is one of the most capable mastering engineer with talent to add that sparkle and finishing touch to any production that need that little extra.
His current releases on VANDIT, Perfecto Fluoro and of course John O'Callaghan Subculture recordings from Ireland are examples of his unique talent and great diversity of sounds he can compose for all the clubbers in this planet. So probably you have danced to his beats many times as his tracks are played by the top names in the scene so you are curious to know who is that gentleman hidden behind the name David Forbes.
Interview is written and conducted by Dimitri Kechagias, music journalist and radio host at 1mix radio.
David Forbes: The Producer
David Forbes: The Producer
Dimitri: First of all it would be great if you can let us know when, how and under which circumstances you decided to get involved in the electronic music scene?
David: I joined the British Armed Forces at 16 and server just under 2 years but in that time whilst i was on leave a mutual friend introduced me to a set of turntables and the rest is history as they say.
Dimitri: Do you think that trance music in contrast with other music genres is more demanding production wise and why you devoted yourself in trance and not on another style?
David: Over the years I've managed to write and release all types of music from Trance to Techno to House, Disco the list goes on, Personally I do think trance music is more demanding production wise there just seems to be a lot more elements involved in making trance music. There just something about Trance music that keeps me producing it year after year.
Dimitri: Have you attended any music production course or are you self-taught 100%?
David: Never attended any production course, I’m 100% self-taught.
Dimitri: What is your opinion about the younger generation of the producers who learn their craft via YouTube tutorials and by trial and error? Do you advise them to get formal music education?
David: YouTube is a great way to pick up information rather than sitting and trying figure it out yourself pre internet, but one thing i must stress is not every tutorial online is gospel, a lot of these so called gurus are just reposting what they learned on a YouTube tutorial themselves to gain YouTube followers and boost their ego’s. With Production courses the problem is finding a good course that suits you, one that’s not going to drag it out in order to generate money for their business. If I was an aspiring producer I’d like to be learning off a producer that’s actively releasing on labels that I would like to release on myself.
Dimitri: When was your first release and on which label? How did you manage to get the attention of the label that has singed you?
David: My first ever release was called the Hanger Ep on Kore Records in 1993 which was written on an Ensonique Eps 16+
Dimitri: In contrast with what happens nowadays do you think that is easier to get the attention of record labels because of the internet or is equally hard to get signed?
David: Its think it’s easier to get signed nowadays, the internet has had an enormous effect on the music industry good and bad, you have loads of platforms, Soundcloud, Mixcloud Facebook, twitter an abundance of ways to showcase your music without actually sending it to any label at all…back when I started it was DAT tape and a run to the post office for me.
Dimitri: You had lately three great releases that would be great to talk about. First about your release Riptide on Vandit records, second the latest on Perfecto Fluoro – Shift and Airdrop and third Hope You Are OK on Subculture that is a great vocal tune. Can you talk a little bit about these three productions? What was challenging in them? What has inspired you to produce them? Your collaboration with your singer Emma Gillepsie?
David: I've been working with Emma for over 10 years now she’s from the indie scene and one of the most talented signers I've worked with such a joy to record her vocals, Hope You’re OK vocals had been sitting on my desktop for over a year and it was just getting the right track that suited them and I think we nailed it with the Subculture release. I have 2 more tracks already finished and ready to go with her for 2016.
Riptide I actually wrote on my laptop whilst my new studio was getting built i just wanted to write a few club peaktime 140 trance tracks I hadn't written an uptempo trance track in a while and just felt it was the right time for me to do so. it was the 3rd track I’d done for Vandit Records this year and wanted to finish 2015 with a banger. It’s an absolute honour to work with Vandit.
Airdrop / Shift was basically a continuation of the remix I did for John Askew on Discover a few months back. I really wanted to merge the psy elements with the full on tech trance vibe along with trying to capture a bit of the old BXR feel to the track, I think I nailed it with Airdrop more than Shift, to be honest I think both tracks turned out really well and have had some amazing support right across the board.
Dimitri: Do you consider yourself fan of vocal trance tunes or you prefer the instrumental ones and why?
David: I'm just a fan of trance music full stop, it’s something I'm obsessive about, doesn't matter to me if it’s vocal trance, tech trance, psy trance just as long as its trance and a good track at that.
Dimitri: From which part of the track you start first your productions and can you tell us the main steps you follow during the production of any of your tracks?
David: Kick, percussion groove and baseline that’s the 3 elements I usually start with once there locked in I’ll move onto the melodies, chords, if I'm working on a vocal track I tend to just sit and listen to the vocal on a loop and get all the chords and melodies before I actually put anything else down.
Dimitri: Is it possible to tell us the set-up of your studio, your favourite hardware/software and plugins you like to use and why?
David: I have G5 tower running Cubase, logic, and Ableton, 2 sets of Genelecs 1031A’s and a smaller set can’t remember the model off the top of my head, virus TI, Roland JV1080, Silent, Nexus, Spire, Omnisphere, and too many plugging to mention. I'm a fan of the Brainworks plugins, waves, Arts acoustic reverb It my go to verb in Cubase, Fab Filters, Camelphat is another favourite of mine.
Dimitri: Are you happy with the productions released or you feel that are not quite the standards of quality you have personally as an artist? Are there any production techniques or arrangement that annoys you when you listen to it in a track and puts you off straight away?
David: I can honestly tell from the first few bars if I'm going to like it or not, I think foremost the track has to sound good sonically if it doesn't it’s not going to cut it!
Dimitri: What your best and worst ever experience during the production of any of your tracks?
David: It’s never nice to have you MAC crashing and you lose your work, being predominately a Cubase user I always have my auto save set every 3 mins so I tend not to Ctrl S, then again I'm just as fluent on Logic 9 which doesn't have and auto save recipe for disaster sometimes for me, lost many a project due to forgetting to save at a constant rate of knots..
David Forbes: The DJ
Dimitri: When was your first breakout DJ gig in front of an audience that has made an impact and you consider to be a turning point in your career?
David: Difficult one, I can’t honestly think of any one particular gig that that was turning point in my career.
Dimitri: In which club or festival have you played in front of the largest audience ever? Do you feel bigger buzz and excitement when you perform to very large audience or do you enjoy the small intimate events as well?
David: Played with Mark Sherry & Mallorca Lee at the massive Utopia Event in the Sydney super dome in mid-2000’s that might have been one of the biggest, Warming up for Tiesto in the Glasgow SECC in front of 10,000 plus was another. Sometime playing a large crowd you can fell a bit detached, playing intimate gigs are sometimes a bit more special you fell that connection with the crowd more.
Dimitri: Do you have any personal ritual or superstition before going into the stage or DJ booth that maybe you want to share with us?
David: None in particular I just like to be well prepared all my edits done, tracks sorted out and extra USB’s just in case their needed.
Dimitri: Do you prepare any exclusives for your DJ sets and how much to you use your DJ sets as testing ground for forthcoming releases?
David: I love testing out new material one for reaction and 2 for production quality great way of doing final tweaks to your tracks
Dimitri: What are the qualities that any DJ should have when he performs and when he interacts with his audience?
David: DJ etiquette is important for me respecting the next DJ coming on and the DJ finishing before you are about to go on , redlining the mix no thanks!, cutting the DJ’s last track no thanks let the track play out if need be!, If the DJ playing after you starts at 1 am that doesn't mean 1.05 am.
David Forbes: The label Owner
Dimitri: How many demos do you receive per week and how many from them end up released?
David: It varies sometimes 10 / 20 per week sometimes less sometimes more, release wise at least 2 / 3 per month.
Dimitri: Do you release the tracks as you receive them as demos or you usually go back to the producer and you suggest certain changes that can make the track more appealing?
David: If I really think they are ready to go I’ll release them, a lot of the time if I think the track isn't far off release calibre, I’ll ask the producer to change a few of the elements and if he is keen to do that we’ll release the track once the minor fixes are corrected.
Dimitri: Are you confident about the future of the music industry and do you like the whole direction towards streaming and not owing the music in any digital or physical form?
David: I'm old-school if I pay for something want something to show for it not just the privilege of being able to stream something online, I still think we need to keep hold of something in some physical form.
David Forbes: The Future
Dimitri: Of course we are eager to know the track you may have produced and are scheduled for release in the next few months!
David: Well the subculture Release is coming December 14th which I'm really looking forward to, another release coming on Lange’s Create Music Titled ‘Sculpture’ a new collaboration with Irish trance producer Liam Melly which will be due out 2016, and a special project I've signed 3 EPs to Armada under a pseudonym which I'm super excited about, I’ll let the trance fans work that out when they get released. also an awesome remix of questions Must Be Asked by Allen & Envy due out in December, plus another remix of Questions from Rodrigo Deem forthcoming on Captivating Sounds, and of course continuing my amazing relationship with Paul and the Vandit Records crew!!!
Dimitri: You have announced an event of your record label in March 2016, would you like to talk about this please and what the audience can expect?
David: I've already held Aria events down in Mexico, Miami, Geneva & Edinburgh, I don’t have a large team working around me so it’s difficult at times trying to devote enough time organizing Aria Events, Yes I have an event in March in Glasgow, which I have local Scottish producers Stephen Kirkwood, 2nd Phase and William Daniel Playing it’s not a huge event numbers wise 500 max but I'm sure it will be a wicked event all the same.
Dimitri: Finally you are offering mastering service to anybody who wishes to get your special touch. Are there any secrets or tips that make any mastering to stand out from the crowd and what are the signs of a bad mastered track? Do you notice many of bad mastered tracks around?
David: Personally, if it’s a bad poorly mixed track it will sound even worse when its mastered, a lot of young producers have this perception ahh don’t worry we won’t need to fix that bit it will sound good when its mastered. WRONG it will sound bad!!, get your mixes well balanced, with good levels and leave enough headroom for the mastering engineer, I get tracks that are already brick walled and I get asked to make it as loud as I can…how am I able to do that when all I see is a big black waveform in front of me.
Thanks so much to David Forbes for his time to reply to my questions in this interview and for his great answers.
Thanks so much to William Daniel from Subculture offices for organising this interview.
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