With this much time, that snare will be great

While much of the live entertainment industry was shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic, music producers, the people behind the tunes that make us move, had more (sometimes too much) time to focus their time and energy into their music. Whether it was finishing old songs from dusty projects, honing a workflow, or just having no social obligations to impede progress on music, many artists found ways to adjust to life during the pandemic. Fifteen months later, we are starting to see the fruits of those labors from many of our New England-based producers.

I interviewed four producers from around New England about their habits gained during the pandemic, as well as what having all the extra time to work on music meant for them. Nick Minieri (Boston, MA), Spekski (UK/Boston, MA), Undrig (Maine), and Zach Santabarbara (Connecticut) each were kind enough to answer some questions about their music production, pandemic thoughts, and optimism about the future now that live events are back. They were universally appreciative of the time they had to delve into their music during the pandemic, but are excited to bring the interpersonal aspect back into their lives.

Being able to concentrate on production was a benefit to everyone I spoke with, though some missed the creativity spawned from bouncing ideas off friends and hearing works in progress on more than home studio sound systems. Most are looking forward to getting back to performance (as they all DJ as well), but keeping it in balance with their music production. Gaining insight into their processes was another common benefit, such as Nick Minieri improving on "self-censoring my work, marinating on tracks for months to ensure they still hold up". Spekski is awaiting dancefloors again because "'I've always found you learn a lot playing an origin track out for the first time", while Zach Santabarbara now sets up "block(s) during the day where I feel I could relax and not be disturbed by anything else" and fully see through an idea to completion. Undrig feels "fortunate to be in a position where I have the luxury of being creative at all".

All four of producers released music during the pandemic, from either their SoundCloud or Spotify pages or on major music sources like Bandcamp, Beatport, and Juno Download, so be sure to check out their music once you're done reading the interviews. And with new projects in the works or just needing finishing touches, give them a follow and be on the lookout for their next new releases.

Nick Minieri - Producer/DJ - Zakim Records - Boston, MA

Nick Minieri moved to the Boston area in 2004 and has been an active part of the local music community since he arrived. Working as a graphic/production designer by day, he has work many hats in the Boston nightlife scene. From running Zakim Recordings and the Beantown Boogiedown blog, to party photography, music production, and DJing, Nick has earned the respect and admiration of his peers in the scene. Now focusing primarily on music production, Nick and I emailed back and forth about how the pandemic affected his production workflow, precautions he's taking as live entertainment begins again, and thoughts on the future.

Ryan:

As a dance music producer, how has the pandemic affected your creative process?

Nick:

Covid definitely affected my workflow. Before the pandemic my day-to-day routine had lots of structure and would always have the discipline to work on music in short bursts whenever I had downtime (such as on my lunch break at work, after work before going to the gym, etc). But with working from home and zero social life, I had to put a lot of extra effort in to disciplining myself to stay productive in the studio. The constant flurry of bad news and thinking my entire identity outside my day job was rendered irrelevant didn't help things much, especially last spring/early summer. Also some of the labels I released on became inactive so I had to make my own imaginary deadlines just to get stuff done.

Ryan:

Are there any habits you created during the pandemic which you will keep on once New England reopens?

Nick:

Not sure if it's a good or bad thing but I definitely became much more self critical of my work during the pandemic. This is something I've thought about a great deal in recent months. I think not having friends around to give my props on my music at parties has given me the ability to become much more objective on how good or bad a song I make really is.

Pre-Covid I was always in a rush to release stuff, bombarding labels with demos, getting rejected and then hastily putting it out myself, rather than just scrapping or improving it. This led to having mediocre work in the wild that I ended up hating after six months to a year. Last June I self-released an experimental ambient EP I prematurely slapped together that ended up being very poorly received, to the point I withdrew it from distribution. It taught me an important lesson that I need to be better at self-censoring my work, marinating on tracks for months to ensure they still hold up when listening to them without any emotional attachment. I've actually come to prefer releasing my stuff on labels because at least it goes through an A&R filter; essentially a second opinion providing constructive feedback where needed.

So in a nutshell, I'll likely be releasing less music moving forward, but hopefully a much higher ratio of QUALITY music on labels I respect and identify with.

Ryan:

Has moving to a more digitally interactive world been beneficial or detrimental to your growth as a producer? Do you see things reverting or persisting once restrictions are lifted?

Nick:

During the pandemic I spent less time on social media in general; it was hard for me to watch people reach their boiling points over everything happening in the world and my motivation to produce changed entirely. While I've always enjoyed the craft, in the pre-Covid world I was admittedly caught up in the superficial benefits to making music as well: retweets, likes, reposts, playlist adds, blog features, the whole social media validation machine. As I was spending more time offline during Covid I felt less of an urgency to constantly post all the time about music stuff. My motive for making music subsequently changed from a means of getting that dopamine rush to more of a coping mechanism to keep me mentally and creatively stimulated during what was perhaps the worst year of my life. I definitely plan on becoming more active on social media again as we approach normalcy and I start playing out again, but I won't be posting previews of every 16-bar WIP I knock out like I used to either. Plus keeping a bit of mystique makes things more surprising and interesting overall.

Ryan:

Once live events are in full swing again, will you maintain as strong a focus on production as you have been, or will your involvement in the live music scene draw away from that focus?

Nick:

I think "scene" stuff and production will be pretty balanced; I do most of my music work on sunday through wednesday anyhow so my social life never really interfered with my output in the studio. I'm getting a few DJ gigs here and there which is also cool. Not really feeling a rush to get back into doing party photography any time soon however.

Ryan:

What concerns or hopes do you have now that Covid-related restrictions are being lifted?

Nick:

I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about the numbers overall. Less than 30 confirmed daily cases in suffolk county and trending downward. Hopefully the numbers will stay down in the fall once it gets cooler out. I think my bigger concern lies in the rest of the world's lack of access to vaccines and good healthcare. But either way, I plan on going to small events and outdoor parties this summer. Not in a rush to hit the larger clubs (sinclair, bijou, etc) yet.

Ryan:

What upcoming projects are you most excited about, and where can we listen to or buy your music?

Nick:

I've made close to 25 tracks since the beginning of this year and am starting to shop some of it around now. A lot of it is house but I've been focusing entirely on DNB since the end of April and making some stuff I'm really happy with. Hoping at least some of it will see the light of day.

My stronger released tracks are on my audius page; my soundcloud has a mixture of originals, dj mixes and free sample packs, and I also actively run a spotify playlist called low pass party where I curate the work of little known/up-and-coming house producers.

Low Pass Party is great because it's a way for me to promote other people's work, similar to my old blog, but without having to spend loads of time writing and maintaining the site. Hoping to expand this to my YouTube page, which has several thousand subscribers, and somehow integrate it into a promo channel. Would love to have some sort of platform to promote other people's work long after my party days are over.

Ryan:

Any final thoughts?

Nick:

Overall I feel like I've improved my craft by leaps and bounds over the past year and a half, and most importantly I'm still having fun with it. Almost no one has heard what I've made in that time span so the fact I've removed any need for external validation has sort of proven that this is probably something I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life!

Follow Nick on twitter @nickdawg and snag his recent release Modern Memory on Misplaced Recordings Vol. 3

Spekski - Producer/DJ - Student at Berklee College - UK/Boston/Vancouver

Spekski is a student at Berklee College in film and classical music, producer of neuro DnB, and a staple in the Boston drum and bass scene since his arrival for school. Currently in Vancouver on an internship, we chatted over email about his background in music production, being back home in the UK during the pandemic, and what he'd like to see in the future of DnB.

Ryan:

Introduce yourself and tell us about what drew you into music production.

Spekski:

My name is Spekski, and I write DnB along side film and classical music. Coming from the UK, I grew up surrounded by DnB and took to producing when I was very young, by the time I was 16 though I had started to become much more involved in the world of classical music, attending the junior section of the Royal Northern College of Music which lead me to stop producing for a few years as I focused on writing classical music. I found my love for production again shortly before coming over to Boston for university, and since then have had releases spanning labels such as Korsakov and Divination Recordings, with releases on a few other labels around the world currently in the pipeline.

Ryan:

As a dance music producer, what impact has the pandemic had on your creative process?

Spekski:

The life of a producer can be a reclusive one even in normal times. The pandemic has however meant that I haven't been attending raves, which has lead me to start to continuously experiment with my sound and push boundaries into new styles of production. I think the lack of packed dancefloors around the world has had this effect on a lot of the DnB scene with a new wave of tech influenced DnB immerging, something I have been experimenting with a lot myself.

Ryan:

You are also a student at Berklee College studying music composition. How has remote learning impacted your education?

Spekski:

Remote learning has been a strange experience, and I definitely miss the every day social interaction of being on a college campus, it has freed up a lot of my time however without the need to commute which has been nice in some ways, giving me more time to produce and work on personal projects.

Ryan:

Has moving to a more digitally interactive world been beneficial or detrimental to your growth as a producer? Do you see things reverting or persisting once restrictions are relaxed or lifted?

Spekski:

I have really missed playing in front of a crowd since Covid hit and can't wait to get back out there again. That being said during the pandemic I have really pushed to take my production to the next level, and have some serious heat for when raves return. I hope that now restrictions are lifting again I can get back out to play as much as possible to try out some of these tunes on the dancefloor, I've always found you learn a lot playing an origin track out for the first time and will keep pushing my sound to keep growing and keep people dancing.

Ryan:

Once live events are in full swing again, will some of your focus shift away from production to performance?

Spekski:

I tend to plan my sets extensively, often over the period of a few weeks depending on the gig. Even with the extra time commitment of performing again though I'm not going to let my foot off the gas in terms of production, and keep building on the momentum I've been building up over the past few months.

Ryan:

Do you have any concerns or hopes now that Covid-related restrictions are being lifted?

Spekski:

One thing I can't wait to see now live music is making a return, is how this new tech influenced style of DnB will develop. I love the style, but it will be interesting to see if producers will start to head in a slightly heavier direction now crowds are a thing again.

Ryan:

What upcoming projects are you most excited about, and where can we find your music to listen or buy?

Spekski:

I have an EP in the works at the moment with some really crazy collaborations lined up for it which I'm hoping to shoot for the big labels. Alongside that I'm involved in a new DnB duo, we will be starting to release music in the near future and may have an album on the way. My music is pretty easy to find on any major platform, just search 'Spekski' and have a browse.

Ryan:

Any final thoughts?

Spekski:

I can't wait for raves to make their return and the scene to get back on its feet. There's a lot of really innovative music coming out at the moment from up and comers all over the world, and I think DnB is heading in a really interesting direction at the moment.

Spekski has a new release forthcoming on Alpha Cuts Vol 2. from Protocode Records, and recent releases on Divination Recordings and Korsakov Music are available on Bandcamp, Beatport, and Juno Download for purchase, as well as Apple Music, Spotify, and other major streaming services.

Undrig - Producer/DJ - Heavy Pressure/Resonant Sound - Maine

Undrig has been DJing and producing music since early 1999. He has produced various genres of electronic music, much of it bass heavy and percussion focused. Based in Maine, he frequently performs at nights in the Portland, ME area, including Flask Lounge and Urban Farm Fermentory. John gave me some quick hits about his production, being able to dive into his creativity during the pandemic, and optimism about the future.

Ryan:

As a dance music producer, how has the pandemic affected your creative process?

John:

When the pandemic began, I went into hermit mode and made a live AV set about the nastier side of AI. By the time Summer came I took a stab at recording drum covers of songs from bands like Rush and Pantera.

I just feel really fortunate to be in a position where I have the luxury of being creative at all. Instead of worrying about an eviction or losing a job.

Ryan:

Are there any habits you created during the pandemic which you will keep on once New England reopens?

John:

Hopefully falling asleep at a reasonable hour.

Ryan:

Has moving to a more digitally interactive world been beneficial or detrimental to your growth as a producer? Do you see things reverting or persisting once restrictions are lifted?

John:

Streaming seems to have given an opening for more inclusive lineups involving women and other historically marginalized groups. Some of these people are about to play for crowds for the first time ever now that restrictions are being lifted. That makes me really excited for anyone who has produced something or started djing during lockdown. It's inspiring when the perpetual sausage party of lineups gets disrupted. I hope it persists long after restrictions are lifted.

Ryan:

Once live events are in full swing again, will some of your focus shift away from production to performance?

John:

I've been holding onto some really dope music I've found and been sent, since the pandemic started. Keeping it away from any live streams I've done, so it'll feel fresh to me, with things opening back up again. Will the people be ready once my cake throwing arm recovers from the soreness of my second shot?

Ryan:

What concerns or hopes do you have now that Covid-related restrictions are being lifted?

John:

I hope people tip their bartenders well and pay performers fairly!

Ryan:

What upcoming projects are you most excited about, and where can we listen to or buy your music?

John:

I just released some music I made with label boss Submerged on an Ohm Resistance compilation called Perihelion 2209 that I am really excited about. My tracks can be bought at https://undrig.bandcamp.com

Ryan:

Any final thoughts

John:

I've already seen a few of you and I can't wait to see the rest of you!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Gaia Rising - August 14, 2021 - Urban Farm Fermentory, Portland, ME

Listen to Undrig and buy his music at https://undrig.bandcamp.com and keep up to date with his new releases and mixes at https://linktr.ee/Undrig

Zach SantaBarbara - Producer/DJ - CT

Zach SantaBarbara is a second-generation raver from Connecticut with a life-long love of electronic music. Between having a mother who has raved since the 90s and video game influences, electronic music has been there for most of his life. Picking up music production about five years ago, Zach makes primarily drum and bass, but any genre of music is fair game. We video chatted about what the pandemic meant for his production process, the balance between DJing and music production now that live events are back, and what we need to do to be safe going forward.

Ryan:

As a producer, how has the pandemic affected your creative process?

Zach:

It's definitely been a blessing and a curse all at the same time. I've had extended time to work on music during the shutdowns, but at the same time, it's a double edged sword of not being able to go out and experience things. That's a big part of the creative process. Just going out and enjoying yourself, and enjoying music in the scene, it kind of helps that drive. So that definitely sucks. But it's nice that everything's starting to get back around now, and events are starting to come full swing again.

Ryan:

Are there any habits that you picked up during the pandemic, for your production that you're planning on making sure you keep on once the live events start happening again?

Zach:

I started implementing a schedule for production time. It's not a set schedule, but more of a block during the day where I feel I could relax and not be disturbed by anything else. If I get stuck into an idea, I could sit there and fully see it through instead of having to go do laundry or go to work.

Ryan:

Since you know, all of our connections have been digital, and we haven't had that face to face during the pandemic. Do you feel like that's been beneficial to you as a producer being able to get yourself out there and connect more easily?

Zach:

Yes and no. It's been nice being able to reach out and connect with a lot of people from outside of New England or even the US, and get different insights and just meet other people online. Because everybody's had the time to get bored, and wants to do new things, or meet new people. At the same time, it's not as easy because live streams are kind of hit or miss. It's really when somebody's not busy, or if they're in the mood. It's been nice doing the live streams, though, I can't lie. It's not less pressure, but it's more comfortable, if that makes sense. You’re doing it on your own time. You don't have to worry about equipment or showing up to a gig or sound. So that's definitely been nice too.

Ryan:

You’ve put a lot of your work out there through Facebook and SoundCloud, and directly asked for feedback. Do you think that has helped you or been detrimental to your production?

Zach:

It’s definitely helped a lot. Other producers have time to talk to each other. You get that when live shows are going on, but not to the same extent. Everybody has time, so we can hang out and bounce ideas off each other. But not being able to test your music on a proper system before release kinda gets a little wonky sometimes. Just because you produce something and you like listening to it doesn’t mean it’s going to sound good out or make sense in a mix. That’s a lot of practice that you can’t get if you don’t have the equipment.

Ryan:

Once live events start happening again are you planning on putting production on a back burner and focus on getting back to djing, or trying to find a balance between the two?

Zach:

It’s definitely going to be a balance. It’s not going on the back burner for sure. I’ve been learning to schedule music into my life more, so you’ll be seeing more new music coming from me soon.

Ryan:

Now that live events are coming back, do you have concerns about how everything opened up around Memorial Day all at once?

Zach:

It’s half and half. I’m happy that we’ve come to the point to where we can finally open back up. There will be those couple of bad apples out there that just aren’t going to care, but if everybody has their vaccinations it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. And those that are vaccinated don’t have to worry about it as much. It’s more the venues that have to worry, that’s the part that sucks. Because if something happens, then we lose somewhere else to do events. It has negative backlash on the community, and it’s not the rave scene in general, it’s everywhere right now. Whether it’s any music scene, any art scene.

Ryan:

Will the ways that live venues are taking precautions will be a factor in whether or not you perform or attend events?

Zach:

Absolutely. I’d rather make sure all the patrons I’m performing for are safe. I don’t want to put anybody in danger to come out and see me perform music. I will say a lot of venues I have seen have been doing a very good job about that. Whether elements social distancing with tables and half-open dancefloor (now fully open), or in New Haven, where Stella Blues has opened back up again, which is a half bar/half venue that they do a lot of bands at. They have been great with having a back deck that’s completely open-air and optional seating, so you don’t have to be on top of each other.

Ryan:

Any upcoming releases or shows you can tell us about?

Zach:

I have a bunch of new music that will be coming out soon. I have 1 or 2 EPs that will be coming soon. And I have a couple upcoming drum and bass DJ bookings, but I can't announce them yet.

UPCOMING SHOWS

For the Skreets - July 23, 2021 - Stella Blues, New Haven, CT

Listen to Zach's latest tunes at https://soundcloud.com/zach-santabarbara
Keep up to date with future releases and bookings at https://www.facebook.com/DjZachSantaBarbara