Behind The Scenes Of Bradley James’ ‘Chiron’
Staffordshire based producer Bradley James has been causing major waves in the Dance music scene thanks to his highly crafted productions that have been gaining the attention of A-List labels and some of the world’s biggest DJ’s.
Despite such a young age, Bradley has already achieved some remarkable feats. After releasing his debut single ‘Charger’ via Matchbox Recordings, the multi-talented artist was then fast tracked up the Dance music ladder when he got noticed by BBC Introducing, before going on to release singles on renowned labels such as Housesession, Recovery House and Club Sessions – achievements many can only dream of. We sat down with Bradley to get some insight knowledge into his latest production ‘Chiron’, out now on Housesession Records.
Hi Bradley, thanks for taking time to answer these few questions. To get things started, ‘Chiron’ is your recent release that just been released on Housesession Records. How did the track come about?
I was playing around with a new effect I got, and stumbled across what became the lead sound of Chiron. I love the throaty sort of sound that it has, so that is where the track started, and then it was a case of building the rest of the song.
Can you describe a typical Bradley James track using only five words?
I’d say energetic, gritty, powerful, fresh, and often varying. I experiment with different styles and genres, so these 5 words will probably change from one track to another!
Why did you decide to go for an Electro infused House record?
The lead synth that I worked with just felt perfect for an Electro/Future House track. The relatively short note stabs, rather than longer notes, give the track this great loose bouncing kind of feel that works well with the genre.
Housesession Records snapped the track up for their Miami 2016 compilation. Can you tell us a bit about the story behind signing the track to the label and why did you decide to sign it to them?
I’ve been working closely with Housesession for a couple of years now, after my debut EP – Breakthrough/Infinity – was released on one of their sub-labels; Bang It! Records. As I was producing the track, I kept thinking to myself, ‘Housesession will love this song’, because a lot of their releases at the minute are using this new future house style of sound.
How does it feel to be included alongside names like AM2PM, Luca Debonaire, Matt Caseli, R.O.N.N. (aka Ron Carroll), Tune Brothers and DJ Dan on the compilation?
It’s great to be alongside these guys, it really gives you a confidence boost when your track is selected to be on the same release as such great producers that have been around for years.
The track has already gained a lot of widespread press support. How does it make you feel when the press fully support your record?
Hearing positive feedback from press regarding my track is one of the most important things to me because I’m hearing it from people who live and breathe music, so I really value their opinions.
Let’s get into the knity-gritty of the production, what equipment did you use to produce the record?
This was actually the last track I produced solely in Reason 8 because I’ve since moved over to Logic Pro X. This track was produced with my usual equipment and software, but with a couple of new Rack Extensions that I was experimenting with, as well as classic Reason effects like the Scream 4 Distortion unit, which added so much character to the sound.
Can you tell us a bit about your workflow? Do you start with building a drumbeat or do you start with writing melodies?
Most of the time, I start with playing around and experimenting with synths and different effects. From there, I develop a simple lead melody, before adding drums. Then I tend to go back to the melody and make it more complex and add small changes every 4 or 8 bars.
Were there any elements of the tracks that were the most fun to make?
On this track, I really had fun with the drums and percussion. I used a drum and bass style sample for a little fill during the chorus, and it was fun to work the drums and percussion around this. Also, I really like the lead synth – the gritty, throaty sound is really addictive.
How long did it take to produce the record?
Production was spread across 3-4 weeks. I got the basics of the track down quite early, but it took a while before I was completely happy with the final version.
Do you mix and master your own productions or do you get help from an engineer?
I do the majority of the mixing myself, but I then use an engineer to master the final project, who also gives me any advice on what I should change in the mix. I’ve learnt recently that mixing and mastering is at least 50% of what the final track will sound like – I can’t emphasise the important of it.
Where did you get your inspiration from when producing the track?
I had been listening to some of the recent releases on Housesession and a few tracks that use this Future House kind of sound, which lead me to play around with some synths and effects. As soon as I found my lead sound, I knew exactly where I wanted it to go.
Can we expect a follow up to Chiron in a similar style?
I’m working on so many tracks at the minute, all with different sounds and genres, but there are a couple of Future House style tracks that will hopefully be released soon.
What does the future hold for Bradley James?
A tonne of new releases – both on labels and free downloads. I really want to spend as much time working on music as possible because I want to continuously improve the quality of my tracks. Also, hopefully soon I will be doing live shows, as well as more remix work!
Listen on Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/housesession-records/bradley-james-chiron-original-mix
Out Now on Beatport
https://pro.beatport.com/track/chiron-original-mix/7670435
Bradley James Online
www.bradleyjames.co.uk
www.facebook.com/BradleyJamesMusic
www.twitter.com/bradleyjame5
www.soundcloud.com/bradley_james
Housesession Records Online
www.housesession.com
www.facebook.com/housesessionrecords
www.twitter.com/Housesession
www.soundcloud.com/housesession-records
www.youtube.com/user/HousesessionRecords
