Name: Stany
Nationality: French
Occupation: Producer
Current release: Stany's debut single "Only You", featuring Rema and Offset, is out via BNL. Also available is his remix featuring Tchami.
Gear recommendations: Ableton Live and a master keyboard.

If you enjoyed this interview with Stany and would like to know more about his work, visit him on Instagram.



What was your first studio like?

My first studio was my room. I had a PC, mk2, numark mixers, a hi-fi system with a cassette player and I had acid pro as a software for the creation of all my mixtapes.

How and for what reasons has your installation evolved over the years and what are the most important tools for you?

As I went from DJ to beatmaker, I had to buy a master keyboard and get a music production software.

I started with fruity loops and a few months later I switched to Reason.

Some people consider instruments and equipment to be much less important than creativity, others think they go hand in hand. What's your opinion on the matter?

True, I agree with that when it comes to composing. But I think the opposite when it comes to production, arrangements, adding subtle details etc.

A studio can be as simple as a laptop with headphones or as complex as a multi-booth recording facility. What is your ideal studio and why?

For me, my MacBook Pro, Ableton live, a master keyboard, a microphone and headphones are more than enough. Because today I do everything on my Mac. I use it to mix and master my sounds.

From traditional keyboards to micro-interval keyboards, from reconfigured instruments (like drums or guitars) to custom devices, what are your tastes in music? What are your favorite controllers and interfaces? What role does the tactile element play in your production process?
 
I've started to buy and use analog equipment like the Moog sub37, or Moog one, Manley voxbox for vocals. It adds another dimension to my music.

The sound coming out of these machines is unique and it adds a more human and organic side to my music.

In view of your selection of tools, how would you describe your point of view on subjects such as originality and innovation versus the perfection and timelessness of music? Are you interested in "music of the future" or in "continuing a tradition"?

I am for both. I want to innovate and hope that my music won't be outdated in 5 years or more.

Music evolves very fast, and we must be careful to use the new sounds.

Most people consider recording tools such as microphones and mixers to be instruments in the same way as keyboards, guitars, drums, and samplers. What is your point of view about this?

I totally agree. With a microphone and some sound design you can make a whole album.

For me the voice is the most personal instrument an artist can have. The mixing table is not because you can mix your sounds on direct software. It doesn't matter.

How would you describe the relationship between technology and creativity in your work? Using recent music as an example, how do you work with your production tools to achieve specific artistic results?

I love discovering new effects plugins or instruments so I'm always looking for new sounds or techniques which can be found at the hands of technology.

There are plugins that master automatically like Ozone from izotope, or that equalize like Gullfoss. We even have plugins that write melodic lines.

I like to let the technology speak in my music from time to time. I like good surprises too!

In a digital work environment, it is possible to build up a huge archive of ideas for later use. Tell me a little about your strategies for building such an archive and how you use these ideas and sketches.

It's simple, I compose at least 3 to 4 ideas a day. I don't necessarily finish my pieces on the spot, so I put them aside and let the idea mature in my head. In general, everything starts with chords or a vocal melody.  

Usually, I don't throw away my sketches. I sometimes even keep them for years because I am always confident that I will be able to use them at the right time.

How do you maintain the element of surprise in your own work? Are there any technologies that are particularly helpful in this regard?

Yes of course. Again, thanks to technology, I can put about thirty effects on the same track and come up with something unique that no one else has done.

Technology also allows me to make music more easily. There are so many plugins today and it doesn't stop!

Production tools can already suggest compositional ideas on their own. How much of your music is based on concepts and ideas you had before you entered the studio, and how much is triggered by equipment, software and applications?

Every music is a concept. A mixture of styles and techniques. The technology is there to facilitate the implementation of these concepts.

Let's imagine, on my single “Only you”, it's this technology that allows me to create this kind of 80s sound, and it's become so much easier and faster to edit your tracks, to try things during realization.

Have some technologies deeply changed or even questioned your way of making music?

No, because I evolved from the beginning with the MAO. Yes, it has evolved but it hasn't changed me that much.

On the other hand, I think that all those who made sounds in the 70s or 80s must be upset (lol).

For some, the advent of AI and "intelligent" composition tools offers the possibility for machines to contribute to the creative process. Do you feel that technology can develop a form of creativity in itself? Is there a sense of co-authorship between you and your tools?

Nah, I wouldn't go that far. In general everything is in my head and the technology has to help me achieve my goal. I let the technology work in the smart effects like Gullfoss, izotope ozone etc ...

I also like to test things like putting my loops upside down or abusing the effects, that's where the technology is interesting. It should allow me to be crazier and surprise the listener.

What tools/instruments do you think could have a bigger impact on creativity but still need to be developed?

Maybe a plugin that would allow you to sing with the voices of big artists haha

Really, everything is evolving so fast. And every time I look for something new, I find it.