Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Funkinhell

Currently in Spain, a musician that is truly dedicated to the craft. He has deeply thought about his process and where he wants to be 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

I am a lover of ancestral rhythms and powerful basslines. I'm also a big fan of funky sounds. The combination of these sonic elements gave birth to my name: Funkinhell.

My love for music began when I was young. My father used to play the saxophone, guitar, and bass at home.

My passion for electronic music began in my teenage years. In my hometown, Bari (Italy), I attended concerts and DJ sets of my favorite artists almost every weekend. During this time, it became clear to me: I wanted to be among the artists I respected the most and dedicate myself to music.

In 2012, I bought my first mixer and CDJ 100s. After a couple of years, I acquired Korg's Volca series and a Novation Mininova. I used Ableton to record, and it was clear from the start that a mix of hardware and plugins would allow me to achieve the sounds I loved the most.

Over the years, I organized events with other local DJs, and in no time, we became highly appreciated by the city's youth, who always came to listen to us.

In 2015, I moved to Spain, Barcelona. In such a large and entirely new city, I DJed at various events while simultaneously developing my production techniques. In 2019, I took a music production course at "The Bass Valley" school, where I was able to grow as a musician.

In 2020, we founded a collective called SURVIBE. Our members include DJs, music producers, and marketers. This is how we started organizing parties in Barcelona's clubs and building a true community.

Music has never been my main source of income; I always worked parallelly. Until this October, when I decided to take a break from my job and dedicate myself 100% to my great love: music!

Which piece of equipment in your studio is essential to your production process?

Currently, the cornerstone of my productions is the Akai MPC Live II. It's possible to create an entire track using only this machine.

Initially, the workflow isn't immediate. It's been akin to learning how to use Ableton from scratch but once you grasp the trick, it becomes an indispensable ally.

Besides being a fantastic sampler, it can also be used as a step sequencer to control all other machines (hardware and VST) in the studio.

I feel that with the MPC, my creativity knows no bounds.

What is the least expensive piece of gear that gave you the most results?

The Prophet Rev2 is my most expensive synth, and it truly brings satisfaction when I use it. The sounds I can create, both polyphonic and monophonic, are incredible.

Its modulation matrix is straightforward to use, and I love that. I'm not a fan of menus and sub-menus. I prefer immediacy and letting creativity flow.

The synth also allows you to "split the keyboard" into 2 parts, making it possible to play 2 different sounds simultaneously. It also has 4 audio outputs, allowing me to record the 2 sounds separately. This gives me much more flexibility during mixing in Ableton.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

I don't have a predetermined workflow. Sometimes, I start with a jam session that leads me into unknown territories. Other times, I begin with a very clear idea of what I want to achieve.

I always try to be consistent with myself and with the type of sound that characterizes the Funkinhell project. Sonic coherence is the only limit I impose on the freedom to transform the feelings I'm experiencing into music at the moment. The rest has no rules.

Inspiration can come from something I've been listening to in the days prior or even from a sound that emerges from one of my machines during a jam session.

What is a production technique that you always come back to?

I don't think I have a production technique that I always turn to. As I mentioned before, I like to feel free and go with the flow of what I'm feeling at the moment. However, I know my hardware, and I know that each one can provide the sound I need depending on the result I want to achieve.

Certainly, something that cannot be missing is the humanization of my tracks: applying groove to what I've recorded so that it doesn't sound too mechanical and robotic, using distorters (like overdrives, amp...) to generate harmonics and add color... This is something essential for me.

Another thing I love to do is use old break beat samples that have drum parts and modify them, resample them, chop them up... to make them unique. This allows me to give a very organic touch to the drum parts and achieve a very "UK sound" if the track requires it.

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How would you describe your style?

My style is the result of the musical influences I've absorbed throughout my life.

The artist who has inspired me the most since I began to love electronic music is Jeff Mills. I've always been amazed by his technique, versatility, and the combination of his DJ sets with the Roland TR909... truly mind-blowing!

In the Techno scene, alongside him, Underground Resistance, Suburban Knight, Drexcya have always been great inspirations, to name a few.

I also love grittier, punk-inspired sounds like those of Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. Currently, I follow a new group called Working Men's Club. They have a bright future ahead.

I enjoy taking musical journeys with the psychedelic sounds of Pink Floyd. I'm also a big fan of classical music; I attend the theater several times a year to listen to my favorite composers (Gershwin, R. Strauss, Stravinsky...).

I could go on for a while longer listing all the styles I like, but I'll stop here!

In essence, my style is techno with many influences from house, breakbeat, and electro. I love creating tracks that have "surprises", never bore the listener, and get the dance floor moving.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

My current big challenge is to release more of my music. I'm highly focused on producing new tracks and determined to see them come to light soon. The part that gives me the most headaches is the mixing of my music: a crucial process to ensure every sound finds its place and flows with the entire track. It takes constant study, practice, and, above all, ear training to achieve a good technique.

In the first half of 2024, my first EP will be released, a collaborative effort with my dear friend Saverio Ricci, on a label based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, called Sufrimiento Records. We are thrilled they chose us; the personal interaction with the label's team has been really good, and they are doing a great job. If you haven't checked out this label yet, I recommend taking a look. They are releasing excellent music and promoting interesting artists.

The other significant challenge is for the collective I founded in Barcelona, SURVIBE, to continue growing and establishing itself in the city. We're a fantastic team, and little by little, we're achieving it! We're aware that this is a long-term journey

Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?

Undoubtedly, building my hardware setup has been an incredibly interesting and educational experience. It's not just about buying a machine, unpacking it, and plugging in cables. Everything behind the choice of a specific machine involves a search for individual needs, the kind of sounds one wants to create, the most suitable workflow, and how it integrates with other synths in the studio: a never-ending list of variables that provoke reflection and drive study and research.

Today, there's an astonishing number of companies, all trying to introduce something new that fits into a fresh market niche or competes with existing hardware. Keeping up with all the novelties requires a significant level of nerdiness.

It's also crucial not to be swayed by every synth's advertising that hits the market; each one claims to be useful and indispensable. In reality, in my opinion, the mantra to follow is 'less is more.'

Knowing your hardware well is the key to being productive.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Creativity is fueled by consistency and experimentation. It's about pushing beyond one's limits, trying new things, studying, immersing oneself in new knowledge, blending ideas and generating something novel. To me, that is what being creative entails.

All great ideas come from rehearsal and making mistakes.

A book, movie, article, or album that has inspired you?

I've already mentioned Jeff Mills, but with this question, I'm compelled to do it once again. For me, his concert 'Blue Potential,' performed live with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra, was revolutionary and truly mind-blowing. Of course, I have this DVD, and I don't know how many times I've watched it. It brought together everything I love musically: classic techno hits, performed by an orchestra, with Jeff Mills playing his Roland TR909. Wow!

This has taught me that limits do not exist.

Certainly, we can list many more revolutionary musical cases, artists who have broken barriers and made history. But hey, this is the one that is most etched in my heart.

Anything else you'd like to say?

I would like to express my gratitude for being here and having a space to share more about myself, my experience, and my perspective.

I find it very important to talk about each individual's experience. This greatly facilitates the search for the 'perfect synth' or 'perfect setup.'

I hope I can assist someone with this article.

Later, I will leave my contacts; feel free to reach out to me on Instagram if you need any clarification or want to delve deeper into any topic.

Where can people find more of your music and connect with you online?

soundcloud | instagram (@funkinhell_) | instagram (@survibe_music)

Gear List

There's a lot of hardware in the studio; I'll mention the ones I like the most:

• AKAI - MPC Live II

• Dave Smith - Prophet REV2

• Roland - TR8

• Moog - DFAM

• Pioneer - Toraiz

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Giannis @giannis.kampiotis