Interview with Gerome by Alex Wright

Gerome has been providing plenty of his own rich, uplifting melodic trance to the underground scene this year predominantly on labels Elliptical Sun Energies and the newly formed Emergent Skies. Following on from his dreamy, evocative vocal collaboration with local Lebanese vocalist Cassandra Grey 'Black Bird' from earlier this year, he recently released 'Into The Unknown' which has seen support from DJs Aly & Fila (Future Sound Winner), Daniel Kandi, ReOrder, Tempo Giusto, and more. As he is creating such a buzz with his productions, I am excited to find out what inspired Gerome to begin his career in making music and learn about his production processes, equipment, and future plans.

Interview was written and conducted by Alex Wright, Electronic Music Producer & 1Mix Radio host.

Alex Wright: Hi Gerome, pleasure to have you here! If you don't mind can you please introduce yourself with a few facts about who you are, where you are from, and what you are currently doing in day-to-day life?

Gerome: Hey guys, I'm Gerome! I'm just another bedroom producer that's always trying to improve my skills and take them to another level. I also work as a part time sound engineer in a radio station and I produce music for ads. I also play video games.

Alex Wright: When did you first start producing and what inspired you to pursue it?

Gerome: I started DJing when I was 14 and producing when I was 16. I used to make Electro House, back when it was the "in" trend. What pushed me to pursue it was one night when I won a DJ competition in a festival, I ended up playing in front of 1000 people and it felt so good! Also my lovely friends who keep pushing me and motivating me to work!

Alex Wright: I really loved your track 'Black Bird' with Cassandra Grey which came out on Elliptical Sun Energies earlier this year and saw support from DJs Armin van Buuren, M.I.K.E. Push, Ori Uplift, and Sneijder to name a few, how did you originally get in touch with Cassandra and begin working with her?

Gerome: Well, she lives across the street! Me and her brother have been friends for ages. There was a day when we heard her singing some Cosmic Gate song and we decided to have a go at collaborating with her to see what we could come up with. Recording with Sandra was so much fun! Besides her incredible voice, the vocal melodies she comes up with are great. Personally this is how I love making vocal tracks: put down some chords, compose the vocal line and then work on the arrangement of the track. Not the other way around!

Alex Wright: Are there any producers in the scene which have helped you shape your sound to the way it is today?

Gerome: Yes! Asking producer friends and DJs for feedback is a must for every producer. If I have to choose one friend it would be Farid, I always ask for his approach to my tracks and his feedback is always effective. Dennis Pedersen and Daniel Kandi also helped me improve my mixdowns.

Alex Wright: What do you think is your biggest frustration or most difficult part of producing tracks?

Gerome: Nothing really, producing is fun in every aspect. Sometimes my mind gets blocked while trying to get the mix perfect and I start overdoing things. Taking a 1-2 day break of not listening to the track at all then checking again with fresh ears does the job.

Alex Wright: What is your favourite synth and effect VST plugin to use?

Gerome: I use Massive, Sylenth1 and Spire for my synths mostly. For effects I like built-in Ableton ones as well as the ArtsAcoustic reverb. 

Alex Wright: If there is one thing you would like to improve about your productions, what would it be?

Gerome: I think trying new sounds and listening to new tracks will always push skills forward. Maybe improving my mixing, which I think gets better with time.

Alex Wright: Which is your favourite track that you have made so far?

Gerome: Black Bird.

Alex Wright: What are your future plans within music? Are there any new releases ready to come out soon?

Gerome: I have an original coming on Always Alive Recordings which I'm very excited about. Also 2 collabs with Sandra, one is a follow-up to Black Bird coming on Emergent Skies in December. Vocals in the breakdown only, just the way I like it! And another original on AVA Recordings!

Alex Wright: If there was one main goal for you to strive towards in the future in music, what would you want to achieve the most?

Gerome: My main goal is to keep making good music and inspire more people.

Alex Wright: Awesome! Many thanks Gerome for taking the time out to talk to us today! It's great to hear from you, and I wish you all the best for the future. Anybody wanting to buy a copy of the 'Into The Unknown' can do so via all download stores NOW, if you haven't heard it make sure you take a listen to both tracks included within this interview. 

Download / Stream: emergent.lnk.to/IntoTheUnknown

Additional info for Gerome
http://www.facebook.com/GeromeMusic
https://twitter.com/GeromeMusic
http://www.soundcloud.com/GeromeMusic

Latest Alex Wright releases:

Nicola Maddaloni feat. Claire Willis - Leave The Past Behind (Alex Wright Remix) on TFB

PVR - Lost In A Fairy Tale (Alex Wright Remix) out on Ennovate

Don't miss Alex's Wright Trance Encounters on 1mix Radio every 1st Friday of the month from 20.00-21.00 for the very best in Trance and Progressive. If you wish Alex to feature your track in his show and reviews or to book him for your next Trance event please e-mail him: alex_dj[at]live[dot]co[dot]uk



Connect with Alex Wright:
http://facebook.com/alexwrightmusic
http://twitter.com/alexwrightmusic
http://soundcloud.com/alex-wright
https://www.mixcloud.com/AlexWrightMusic