125 - spank.au

Author

Giannis Kampiotis
October 31, 2023

Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, spank.au

Currently in Bali, he started as a radio producer and then went full pro composing for commercials, films, etc. He’s next step, releasing more of his own music 🎶

Interview & Studio Tour

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

Hi there, my name is Basti originally from Berlin but now based in Bali. I began working as a producer for a radio station immediately after graduating from school and soon after that, I started to produce music.

Initially, music production was just a hobby besides working for radio and it took me approximately six years to turn it into a full-fledged profession, primarily focused on composing for commercials and short films but still doing a lot of stuff for radio&podcasts. It took even more years before I finally released some music.

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

Before moving to Bali, I sold most of my hardware but my modularsystem and the 1010music blackbox were and still are the centerpieces of my production process. But I also use Ableton for mixing and mastering.

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

Some years ago, i bought a micro tape recorder on ebay for 5€. It is a great little tool. I use it a lot to add texture to everything but it works especially well on pads or drones. Creating hunting noises and atmospheres is very easy with it too.

Walk us through your process for creating and producing music.

Every jam or track always starts with the modular system. It is divided in 4 separate sections:

  • drums/percussions

  • melodic stuff

  • modulationsources

  • mix/fx

I use a beatstep pro to sequence drums/percussions/samples and an Oxi One for basslines, chords and melodies. So I can start a jam really quick because almost everything is one knob per function and after I got a solid groove, I can start patching modulations and add effects.

Additionally I can spice it up with samples by the 1010music Blackbox.

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

Recording sounds from the Modular into the Blackbox is very handy for me. I can jam and patch with the Modular, record and resample the sounds I like into the Blackbox and then continue patching and tweaking again without thinking about losing a particular sound.

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How would you describe your style?

Ambient-Groove-House-Weird but Catchy-Noise-Techno? I don’t know :)

I always try to produce something I would like to listen to.

What is a big challenge you have as an artist?

Overcoming self-doubt is a common challenge for many artists, myself included.

Posting short jams on Instagram helped me with this a lot.

❝

It’s not about the feedback or views or likes, it’s all about sharing your work and getting comfortable with it.

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

Not really. For me, using Hardware, especially Modular gear is just more inspiring and more fun.

One tip on how to spark creativity?

Record Audio not Midi!

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

I am getting inspired by all sorts of music, so I’m trying to listen to as much of it as I can.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Thank you for the invite <3

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

Gear List

In Case You Missed It

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

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