Zero Method‘s approach seems honed along the template defined by those late 90s technical mavericks… we know that list by now. But he’s moved forward and upward at facemelting speed… spaceward in fact, for the new Deep Fields album on Red Light dropping soon.
Hey ZM first off, what is a ‘Deep Field’, is it something to do with space? It rings a bell that it is something unchartered…
Yes, exactly! The title comes from the Hubble’s Deep Fields project, and the quote from them is that after it was repaired, they ‘discovered a group of galaxies eight billion light years away. It was, for a time, the most distant cluster ever glimpsed’… it’s part of a new venture known as the Hubble Deep Field.
I think this text describes the whole album: a journey in deep space.
Speaking of things unchartered, where are you based, Zero Method?
I’m working and living in Hungary, in a city called Győr.
When did Deep Fields start to evolve? I feel it has the total intention to really f*ck with the audience and the floor!
The whole idea started to evolve about two years ago. I wanted to make a kind of “big package” from everything I am.
I mean, during the years I have released different kinds of D&B, and I wanted to represent every piece of that. So that’s why it took so long, I had to make this collection: starting with ‘Spotcrime’ and ‘Analog’, through the others. Every track is a bit different.
‘Analog’ is so wicked. I imagine huge irregular machinery when I listen to it, what about you?
‘Analog’ was in the first tunes that I made for the LP. I wanted to make a huge smasher like ‘Groundbreaker’ – previously released on Red Light Recordings – because I was always into this creepy noisy reeces.
You can feel in the tune, as you said, as if a huge machine is going step by step and destroying everything around him, and nothing can stop it!
The vocal shout in the tune “digital” is to illustrate that a digital device can be also so cruel as an ‘Analog’: without feelings.
I remember when Ed/Optiv sending me a video clip of him playing that tune at a party he was performing at with the message: “Sounding siiiick!!”
‘Spotcrime’ is an instantly memorable tune here… what was the vision for it?
‘Spotcrime’ is the first ‘station’ of the space travel, it’s deep, but not as hard as the other tunes, it fits perfectly for the beginning.
When you hear it, you can feel you are taking off from a planet and starting your journey to another one.
Can you take us thru the collabs on here? ‘Frequencies’ slays.
For me it was never easy to make collabs, since I’m using Reason and the others don’t. With Dayan AKA L 33, he sent me some demos for the collab, we picked one, he bounced it, and I have made the first final version of ‘Frequencies’.
Last year we met at a party, and he spent a day in my studio, and we finished the tune and started something new too. It was really easy and nice to work with him!
With Ed/Optiv we know each other for years now and I also wanted to make a collab with him, and it’s ‘Bitter Pill’.
I started a tune, he worked on it and sent me back and I finished the project. Really quick.
The intros and outros on Deep Fields are fantastic… I imagine them playing in mega darkened galleries where people come to see an exhibition and it’s quite unnerving! You should do that.
Thanks, good idea! I wanted to make them drive in and out of the listener and to prepare them for what’s to come.
‘Hardware’ is another fave, how crazy?! What inspired? I love the samples on this.
Thanks! The biggest influence of this track came from Phace’s new LP from the track called ‘My Mind is Modular’.
When I heard this, I had immediately ideas for a tune and quickly started to work on it. I wanted to thank him for this, so that’s why the vocal sample ‘Hardware’ is articulated by a German voice.
I had lots of fun making that tune!
What’s a production technique that you are into that you would share. Imagine you have a roomful of beginners, what would you show them?
Good question! There are a lot of small tricks that a producer can use to make a better sound. Well the most important is – what I think – the sidechain compression of the sounds. With that you can make the funk, and make your tune alive.
It means – for example – when you make the basis of the tune – bass and drum – you are connecting a compressor for the bass channel, and sending the drums into it and switching on the sidechain option.
The effect will be that the bass will be cut, when the drum hits. Of course you have a lot of knobs to adjust it for your wishes: Threshold, Attack and Ratio. You can use this method for rides, hi-hats, percussions and all the sounds you want to “funk”!
Where can we hear you play live?
Next I’ll be playing at Budapest, 29th of August: Normafa Open Air on the Ninjabreakz stage.
What’s next for you ZM?
I’m just starting to work on my new sounds.
This LP was the closure of my Reason life, now it’s time to start something new, in a different production software. First tunes are under construction…
Parting shouts?
Yes! I would like to say the biggest thank to Ed/Optiv for all the support he gave me during the years and for giving a home for my first LP. The second biggest thanks goes to Igg Cybershot.
And the rest goes to all of the D&B heads around the world who are listening and playing my tunes! I know without these girls and boys this whole LP wouldn’t happen! So, thank you!