PRODUCE LIKE…
The Bristol-based drum & bass musician created his latest track with just a single synth. We caught up with him to see how it was done
As we’ve written in these pages many times before, setting restrictions for yourself can really help inspire your music making. This could involve forcing yourself to work with a limited set of tools, restricting yourself to just a handful of track elements or writing within a confined time period. For his latest project, Bristol-based drum & bass musician Dr Meaker has pushed this idea to the limit, aiming to create a full DnB track with just a single synthesiser.
With two decades of experience in the game, Dr Meaker lynchpin Clive Meaker has carved out a reputation for himself amongst the UK scene, for both his infectious, bass-heavy productions and his live shows, which see Dr Meaker adapted into a full live band complete with drums, live bass, vocalists and a horn section.
For his track The Neutron, Clive stripped things right down though, creating every element of the release using a single Behringer Neutron synth. Originally pitched as an idea for a promotional video for Behringer, the promo aspect was eventually put on ice due to issues including supply chain delays, but Clive had already been inspired to write a full track.
“I decided, as I’m going to be sort of showing off the instrument, I may as well see if I can make a track myself in my own genre,” he explains. “I could kill two birds with one stone.
“I had an inkling I could do it. Back when I started using synths 20 years ago, I used to just try and make drums and all sorts of different sounds. So yeah, I set the challenge but I knew I could do it. And I did it. But it ended up working much better than even I thought it would.”
Not only did he pull it off, but the impressively polished results ended up signed for release on Symmetry Recordings. “It’s out there now as a single and climbing up the drum & bass charts. It’s getting supported by some of the biggest DJs across the drum & bass scene. So it’s been a real sort of success story in that respect.”
We caught up with Clive in his Bristol studio to watch him break down The Neutron, as well as chat about gear, live performance and creative inspiration.
How does the Neutron project compare to the way you usually work in the studio? Do you tend to put restrictions on your workflow a lot?
“Every track is different. I’ve worked with so many different approaches when making tracks.
In the past, I’ve often
