On the occasion of their new release on Clergy, the Cleric’s label, we had a nice chat with Moddullar, a duo of artists emerging on the international techno scene.
Where are you from and can you briefly explain your first introduction to electronic music ?
First, we would like to thank InDepth Magazine for the invitation to record this the podcast and interview. We are from Barcelos, a small city in the North of Portugal. We both live in the same town and we know each other since we were young and attended the same school. Our passion for electronic music grew very gradually. During our teenage years we started listening a bit of everything, like Techno , Deep House , Tech House, Minimal, etc… As time passed and we attended different parties, our taste evolved and it became more refined, we became more demanding in our musical choices until we reached the point where we are today.
In our opinion all of your releases are on point, last of them, released on « Newrhythmic » is the freshest proof of that claim. Where do you find the inspiration for your music?
Our inspiration is often influenced by our mood. Inspiration is something that we can’t explain, it simply happens. We can’t precise where we find ours because, if we could, we would certainly go after that “trick” or “thing” every single day. Sometimes, we can be inspired by some other artist’s music, or even with our own sounds. The best results happen when we are in a good mood and motivated. We believe those two factors are the most decisive ones when it comes to explaining where our inspiration comes from. It’s undoubtedly something very hard to explain.
When starting working on a new track, what’s the first thing you do? And how do you know the track is done?
When we start a new track, the first thing we focus on is the kick. Then we try to find the groove by adding the bassline and percussion and ambient until we have the ideal base and we are able to work on the rest of the track. Once we have a well structured base in the right identity, we move on to the synth, hit hats, shakers… sometimes what happens is that we have to come back to the base and adjust it so all the elements work well together, creating a perfect harmony in the end, until the song sounds well to us every day that we go to work and we listen to it, reason that explains why we spend 2 to 3 weeks in one track. To be sure it sounds really well every time and not only in that day.
Being producers is not as easy as somebody may think. What is the hardest thing for you in your creative process?
In the creative process the hardest part is, without a doubt, to be able to create something original and in our own registry, without deriving from the style we like and want to produce. When it comes to more technical aspects, sometimes the difficulties lie in the task of finding the right sonority with quality and our identity, all in the same track.
When you produce, do you prefer using hardware or software, or a combination of both?
About 70% of the time we use Software because, when we started producing, we didn’t have financial possibilities to acquire hardware. For that reason , we are familiarised with software, but now we have an analog synthesizer and a groovebox that occasionally we use to record some ideas and create our own samples.
You definitely have a unique sounding production, what’s the core of your studio setup? Which instruments and tools do you use to make your music?
We use only a few plugins, we try to focus on one or two and truly understand and master how to use them well. Our preferences go towards the plugins from U-He and sound effects from Waves Audio. We also use internal effects from Ableton live that allow us to mold the synthesizers and transform them a little, like amps, delays, reverbs and so on.
Planet Rhythm, ARTS, Dynamic Reflection, Faut Section are some of the labels you came out with. What must the labels have to collaborate with them?
When looking for a label, we try to choose the one that better fits the registry of the song we want to release and that we believe to be the best option for that Ep or track.
You are also the founders of your own label, Innsignn. What’s the story behind your label and why did you started it?
One of the main goals behind the creation of INNSIGNN was to be able to have in our hands the freedom to release our music and create something interesting inside our own style and perspective. Initially, the idea was exclusively to release our own music, but as time passed, there were really good sounds appearing that we decided to expand the label to other artists, trying our best to make them all feel at home, just like we do.
As the label’s artistic directors, you probably receive lots of demos. What makes you decide whether or not you sign with an artist or for a track?
Our criteria to select future releases and to decide what stays and what doesn’t in INNSIGNN is a bit demanding. Firstly, the music has to fit inside the musical identity of the label. We also have to feel what we are listening. It has to have a soul! Aspects like the quality and originality of the sound are also things we play close attention to, before we make any kind of decision.
What advice would you give to upcoming producers and dj’s?
While we still may have a short career, one advice we can give is that you trust your feelings and fight for what you believe in, making music without obligations or pressure. The best results appear when we create with an open and free mind. Mental pressure is the worst enemy of creativity. In our perspective, hard work is needed above all else. Humility and an extra dose of patience too. Those are the advices and the principles we believe to be the key of success and that we try to follow in order to be able to reach our goals and to feel accomplished. If you cultivate goodness, you will harvest goodness later!
What’s coming next for you in the summer, any plans or exciting projects or releases you’d love to mention?
We are definitely preparing some surprises when it comes to new releases. We hope to release INNSIGNN’s first vinyl 12” format until the end of the year, that will count with a Lewis Fautzi’s remix. We believe the results are amazing and we are both anxious and happy about it. This month we also have the release of an EP in vinyl format 12”, alongside Temudo on Clergy, Cleric’s label. People can already listen the previews on the label’s Soundcloud. We hope to be able to make INNSIGNN’s first showcase, before the beginning of 2020. Stay tuned!