Download a free MASSIVE X patch from hard dance maestro Kilbourne

In the last couple years, Kilbourne’s name has become synonymous with a new breed of hardcore: chaotic, unapologetic, fierce, weird and free. Her releases on labels like Casual Gabberz, Nekro Editions and Lenny Dee’s Industrial Strength – plus forthcoming EPs on PRSPCT and Evar Records – are thick slabs of visceral body music, exploring themes of release,...

2w

Watch Thavius Beck explore the deep new integration between MASCHINE and Bitwig in this video

Over the past few months, our friends at Bitwig have been hard at work on a new update that brings new hands-on workflows for owners of MASCHINE Mk3 and MASCHINE+. And to give you the full rundown on what’s now possible, they’ve enlisted the help of producer, rapper, and Bitwig Certified Trainer, Thavius Beck. Check out the video above to see what’s...

2w

5 free KONTAKT guitars for everything from raucous rock riffs to smooth, funky licks

There’s no shortage of incredible professional guitar libraries on the market for KONTAKT and KONTAKT PLAYER, but for the producer in need of just the occasional rhythm guitar track or background lick for use as a component within a beat, their equally ‘pro’ pricetags can be hard to swallow. Thankfully, though, there are also numerous excellent free...

3w

Batida originator DJ Marfox shows us what the genre is all about in this NI-powered sketch

For Lisbon’s batida master DJ Marfox, sketching is fundamental. His off-the-wall kuduro cuts are short, sharp shocks to the dancefloor – dense with quirky details but over in a flash. Those are just the ones that made it from his live sets onto record. “90% of my tracks are sketches,” he confirms. “I choose to keep them like that so I can pick and use...

4w

Strezov Sampling: The Art Of The Choir

For almost a decade, developer Strezov Sampling has sat at the apex of sampling orchestral sections, ethnic instruments and voices. Their uncompromising approach to sampling authentic performances has inspired scores of musicians. You’ll find their KONTAKT instruments gracing the templates of thousands of professional composers – and now they’re also...

4w

Make your passion a profession: Build your own instruments

In this series, producer, DJ, label head, and mix engineer, Kevin McHugh sets out to explore some of the less obvious ways in which music makers can turn their existing skills towards a fulfilling career. Along the way, he’s speaking to successful figures from each field and diluting their wealth of combined experience into practical advice for aspiring...

4w

Henry Jackman breaks down his experimental score for Apple TV+’s Cherry

“You got to imagine they just conquered the world with those Avengers movies,” composer Henry Jackman stretches his arms aloft over Zoom as he shares palpable excitement at the detour that Cherry, the new film he’s scored from directors Anthony and Joe Russo takes. It’s true, following up a couple of the highest grossing movies of all time with a tale...

5w

Spice up your synth collection for free: Violet selects 5 hidden REAKTOR gems

There seems to be no area of music creation and performance in which tireless Portuguese artist Violet – aka Inês Borges Coutinho – isn’t involved. As a producer, her work draws on a kaleidoscopic palette of stylistic elements, from techno, house and breakbeat to retro-pop and cinematic electronica, serving up a raft of singles and EPs since 2012, as...

May 2021

Gareth Coker talks sample libraries, Ori, and the custom sounds behind his upcoming Halo Infinite score

After graduating from London’s Royal Academy of Music and then spending three years teaching English in Japan, Gareth Coker moved to the USA to focus on composing for games. He now writes expertly crafted interactive music for many hit game franchises, is signed up as one of three composers on the upcoming Halo Infinite, and will shortly be making a...

May 2021

TOKiMONSTA on collaboration, trailblazing, and her recent Twitch event, Every Woman

Los Angeles-based electronic artist and producer Jennifer Lee, better known as TOKiMONSTA, owes it all to her community. “The city and the people really shaped me as an artist,” she explains over a Zoom call. Emerging alongside other local talents like Flying Lotus and Daedalus at the turn of the 2010s, Tokimonsta became one of many producers to break...

May 2021