Courses → https://edmprod.com/courses

This week, UMEK sat down to chat on the EDM Prodcast.

UMEK is a techno producer/DJ from Ljubljana, Slovenia who has been a scene staple for nearly 3 decades. Over the years he has moved from the classic techno sound, through to tech house, and then back to techno with a distinctly dark and melodic sound.

We dive into how moving genres and selling out was a bad move for his career, and that having a core fanbase is important. As a result, UMEK has side projects such as Zeta Reticula which allows him to explore other sounds without compromising his main project.

We talk about how he almost exclusively uses software for UMEK tracks, and why he got rid of over 20 synthesizers in favor of synths like Serum.

UMEK discusses his writing process and that he doesn't overthink the story behind a track - he just writes music that he thinks will sound good in his sets. He also describes how his DJ sets are a sprint rather than a marathon.

Cryptic Speech EP → https://www.beatport.com/release/cryptic-speech-ep/3337925
The Thrillseekers - Synaesthesia (UMEK Remix) → https://www.beatport.com/track/synaesthesia/15399183
Viberate → https://www.viberate.com/
Show notes → https://edmprod.com/episode-155

Connect with UMEK:
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/umek.si
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/umek_1605/
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/umek
Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Hini2nQyoglzpdKe41cZt?si=7hZEpRmbT4u2eoLOE5GJZw&dl_branch=1

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
3:09 Interview Start & Background
6:23 Accidentally Moving Into Tech House
12:40 The Value Of Side Projects
16:04 Switching To Software from Hardware
23:06 Hardware is Different, Not Better
26:05 Good VSTs are Enough To Make Good Music
27:10 The Main Reason You Shouldn't Hoard Free Plugins
28:24 Using Logic Pro X
30:15 Switching Your DAW Takes A Long Time
32:05 Loudness & Limiters
33:42 Mastering Tracks for 1605
37:09 Why You Should Know How To Master Yourself
42:07 Going From Releasing A Lot To Fewer Releases
47:08 Cryptic Speech EP & Not Overthinking The Story Behind The Music
51:56 Detaching From Your Music
55:50 Success On Beatport
01:01:07 Should You Invest In All Platforms?
01:05:11 Viberate & The Future of Music Analytics
01:08:25 Spotting the Buying Of Fake Plays & Likes
01:10:32 What UMEK Looks to Sign An Artist

EDMProd:
Website → https://edmprod.com
Instagram → https://instagram.com/edmprodgram
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/EDMPsite
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/edmprod
Spotify → https://sptfy.com/edmprod

Aden Russell (Artsea):
Instagram → https://instagram.com/iamartsea
Facebook → https://facebook.com/iamartsea
Spotify → https://sptfy.com/iamartsea
Soundcloud → https://soundcloud.com/iamartsea