Posted on: May 15, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

Who are you and how long have you been active?

My name is David Timko; stage name Slave. I have been behind the decks for almost 2 years now, and have been producing electronic music since around the age of 14.

What’s your setup? How does a track move from initial thought to finished effort?

As of now, I am producing using FL 10 as my DAW with loads of plug-ins and spinning shows using Traktor 2 with the CD-J setup. The birth of my music usually starts with a simple idea that I hear in my head. This can be something as short as a melodic loop or as long as an entire song concept. After the idea, it’s all about fleshing it out. It takes time and patience- lots of patience. It also takes the ability to know when to say enough is enough to an idea that might not be coming together very easily and move onto something else!

What things (music, art, movies) are important in influencing you creatively?

For lack of a better explanation, art as a whole is extremely important to my creative process. To me, art has an infinite array of possible forms, because it’s more about the thoughts and concepts put into something than the final product. My music inspirations come from a dramatically wide range of influences and styles. To me, always being open to every form of musical expression is an important key to finding new sounds for yourself. Film is also a huge influence of mine, as I was a film student before I began producing music. I’m into the darker and more experimental sides of film, which you will see reflected in my style more to come in the future.

On any Youtube video, there are countless genres thrown around for any EDM song. How does that help or hurt EDM, and what genre(s) would your music fall into?

This has been the topic of many a debate, mainly over the genre “dubstep.” It really does encompass a wide range of sounds for one genre, sometimes to the point that people don’t know what dubstep really is anymore. While this might seem like a fault in the music scene, it also keeps things going strong for the new heavy forms of EDM- when you say dubstep, everyone in the room will likely know what you’re talking about. This massive combobulation of different music styles has enabled EDM to branch out into the lives of all kinds of different people, giving an unprecedented boost to its popularity. So in my case, I might be considered a dubstep producer, but that by no means specifically limits my sound in any way.

How has your work with Cumulus helped you creatively and in your career?

Cumulus has been taking the northern Ohio scene by storm and helping it branch out to new audiences and crowds, especially with the Dub101 college tour. Working with them has gained me new exposure on a different plane than just playing at raves would have alone. With this new burst of parties I can really connect with the crowd and filter some of that energy into my productions.

Musicians usually talk about a dream concert, or those earlier acts they would like to play with. What would be your dream lineup?

First obvious answer- Skrillex. Call me cliché but I think the guy’s got a lot of good motives for what he does and I have a lot of respect for the movement that he helped create in our country. Getting to open for him would be fun as hell, more than anything else. I also think we need to bring back the traditional DJ battles, and see some of these big-time headliners going at it old school! Imagine seeing your two favorite producers side by side spinning a 3×3 battle set for 2 hours.

We’ve heard and seen some crazy things at concerts; what incredible or crazy times have you had on the road?

About a month ago, I headlined a Dub101 tour down in Athens at OU. The scene down there is really tight, and I had a fantastic (420!) weekend connecting with the locals and getting the grand tour of the city and its party scene. I ended up at all kinds of different house parties, getting into a lot of crazy shit. If you ever need a wild weekend, Athens won’t disappoint!

What does the rest of 2012 hold for you, and how can readers connect with you and your music?

I feel like this year is going to be really big for me. Up to this point, it’s been a real learning experience, and I feel like my next few releases are really going to be at the next level. DJ Craze once told me that four on the floor is the future of dubstep, and I couldn’t agree more. Look forward to hearing more dirty dance beats soon, as well as remixes. That’s all I can say so far…

Any other thoughts for NeuFutur readers?

My main message is to always party for the love of the music. I get that everyone loves to get fucked up and have a good time, but always remember the music first, because in the end it’s what brings us all together. I would also like to take a chance to shout out to all my fans, friends, and supporters- I couldn’t have done any of this without you all.

How can people contact you?

You can follow me on the great book- www.facebook.com/djslaveproductions. The rest of my contact info is posted up on there- and I always make it a point to respond to messages so hit me up!

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