63 - Dtr0n

Giannis Kampiotis
March 28, 2023

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Dtr0n

Coming from Canada, he lived most of his life in Hong Kong and started playing bass guitar in rock bands at the age of 13. He later got into synthesizers and started creating music by himself after moving to Vancouver 🎶

Read Time: 9 minutes 📰

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Interview

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hi! I'm Dave Wong, and I make music under the name Dtr0n.

I have lived in Vancouver, Canada since 2018, but before that I lived in Hong Kong most of my life.

I started playing bass guitar in bands (mostly rock bands) when I was about 13 years old, and that continued pretty much until I left Hong Kong. I dabbled with synths while I was in bands, but I didn't get fully into it until I moved. I didn't really want to join a new band when I moved to Vancouver. I was keen to see what I could do by myself with a synth setup, and that's what I've been doing for the last few years.

Music is not my job, although I often wish it was. I work as a freelance copywriter, which I do enjoy a lot. But music is what I'm most passionate about creatively speaking.

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

The Beatstep Pro is probably my most important piece of gear, since it's the main controller when I'm chaining multiple synths.

It took a bit of time to get familiar with it, but now it's second nature and can do most of the things I would want. I like to enter my sequences live (rather than dialing notes in with knobs etc), and sometimes I like longer patterns, so it works great for both those things. If I could control 2-3 more synths with it, that would be amazing.

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

My gear is mostly budget-friendly synths, and lots of less budget-friendly pedals.

The Volca series is where I started and they are amazing value. I also have a few Roland Boutiques, and I find I can create pretty much anything I want with those.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

This is probably going to sound basic, but I just sit down and start looking for a sound I like.

Very first step is a 4 on the floor kick to set the tempo and act like a metronome. Then it could be bass, or a lead, or a pad - depends on what sound has got my attention. If it's a pad or bassline, I will try to set my chord pattern and then build a lead on top of that. If I start with a lead sound, then I'll add the chord pattern after.

Either way, I try not to spend too long on it. If it sounds ok, I will stick with it.

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

Don't overthink anything.

If it sounds good to you, it probably sounds good to somebody else. Chasing perfection is not something I've ever been interested in. Just keep playing and try to stay productive.

How would you explain your style?

I'm quite prolific, and when it comes to music I am probably more quantity over quality. Not that I don't want my work to be good quality, I do... but I would prefer to keep jamming and keep creating rather than get stuck.

Although I have a different attitude towards IG content and album/ep recording. IG has to be quick and efficient. For recording, I'll take a bit more time. But I always believe it's all about the next project, and whatever you're doing now is moving you towards something new.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

I have never been good at the promoting part!

I don't like to tell people to listen to my music.. if they want to listen then I am happy to share it, but I feel weird about pushing it onto people who might not be interested. I think it's something I need to get over.

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

I think hardware speaks to a different mindset.

I have nothing against software and in a lot of ways it makes more sense. But there's a few things about hardware you can't replicate. First the feeling of something in your hands - controlling an actual musical instrument. And second, the appreciation of the engineering that went into whatever device you're using.

Also, sometimes they just look freaking awesome and that can be inspiring in itself. The Korg Minilogue is still one of the most beautiful instruments I've ever seen.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

If you can, try to be creative in the morning. When you are still fresh.

A lot of music making happens at night, kind of because it has to. But sometimes it's hard to shake off whatever has happened that day, or you're just tired or whatever. Otherwise, just try to let things happen and don't be too critical of yourself. Maybe today's jam sucked.. big deal. Next time it'll feel different, and probably better.

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

So many things inspire me every day, it would be impossible to keep track of them all!

Do you have a question in mind that you think I should have asked? Or anything else you'd like to say?

Just that the Instagram synth community is a constant source of inspiration and support that I wasn't expecting to find, and it makes a huge difference.

I'm not crazy about social media and I'm skeptical about people on the internet, but the synth community can be such a positive force. It has really helped me stay motivated to keep going. So I try to look out for people who are just getting started and show them some support when I can, as well as keeping up with the regular friends I have made through sharing music.