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Granny David
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Behind the Beats: STBB #679 - Moxatron

Sat May 23, 2020 12:31 am

Interview with STBB Forever Beat Battle #679 Winner, Moxatron



Can you shortly introduce yourself?

Moxatron: My name is Oliver Moxey aka MOXATRON, I’ve been making music since around 2007 and found my self Deep in the Forest of Sounds.

What was your first STBB entry?

Moxatron: Way back! in 2009! my first entry was STBB118

Can you tell us about your musical or other inspirations.. acts/ producers whathaveyou?

Moxatron: When I was around 10 I got my first record of a cereal box, magic number by De La Soul, I was hooked on playing the one sided cutout record!
I then discovered independent style bands,Rock and Roll, psychedelic, metal, Doom metal, hip hop, techno, rave, disco, soul, funk, jazz, instrumentals… Shit the list goes on and on.
I like a lot of different styles and genres of music, there isn’t really anything I wouldn’t listen too.

I like a lot of the old school producers that have been in the game for a while.
Producers/MC’s like.
Aesop Rock, Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Grandmaster Flash. Task Force, Chester P, Famra G, Rick Ross, Redman, EL-P, J Dilla, Madlib, OH-NO, EDAN, Mr. LIF, D.E.L.
The list could go on.

How did you learn to make beats..and do you play any instruments?

Moxatron: I started messing around in Garage band, mashing computer game sound together and learning how to sample, just a lot of experimenting, trying things out, I eventually got round to upgrading my equipment.
I bought Logic 8, and a MPD32. Got myself some monitors and an external sound card.
I stared to try and understand sound waves and frequency, all the science and maths of music, watching youtube videos on tips and techniques. I’m still learning new things all the time.

I don’t really play any instruments like a guitar or trumpet.
except for the USB keyboard, which I have very basic skills on! No piano school for me! and bashing out the drums on the MPD?
I guess they count, more midi controllers/inputs then a real synth or external instrument.



What equipment or software (DAW, VST’s etc) and production process did you use on this track?

Moxatron: I use Logic 8 for all my tracks, although last year I got my hands on a SP404sx which I’m slowly learning how to use.

How did you make use of the sample?

Moxatron: I went about chopping the sample into loops, normally around 1 bars long,
I then laid down some drums, matched up the sample to the tempo.
I normally do this by putting the chops on the count, and the speeding up or slowing down the tempo until it loops.
I then played around with the samples until I had 6 different loops, some playing together some just on their own.
I then copied the loops and started building the structure of the track.
16 Bar into, an 8 Bar Main, and 8 Bar ender.
Once the structure is sorted for the track I bounce the samples to audio, I then Added Eq’s delay, spreader echo , and a filter to the loops.

How did you go about the drumwork?

Moxatron: I loaded up a drum pack into Battery 3, and stated playing around with the first loop, once I had the Kick and Snare down, I then played around with the percussion until I had something I liked. I then bounce the kick and snare as one audio track, and the Hi Hat and and another snare as another.
I then added an EQ a Compressor and some Reverb on both drum tracks.

I use Battery 3 for my drums, I find it’s quite a useful drum VST to use, I have a few kits that I have put together over the years from downloaded Drum packs.

Are there any interesting aspects about the track you’d like to share?

Moxatron: I used 2 types of Echo on the loops to create a staggering effect, some chorus, spreader, Delay Designer and
an auto filter which is stereo wide panning. This crated a very interesting environment for the sample to move around in.

The main output / final mix has A EQ and a Multi pressor and a Limiter.

Any recent projects/collabs going on?

Moxatron: Last year I was really lucky enough to have some of my tracks used in a SkateVideo that came out on DVD, and later on this year they are planning on getting the video online and downloadable, along with the music they used.

Anything else you'd like to say?

Moxatron: Just that this whole Beat Battle thing is awesome! I’ve been doing it for some time now, ( I managed to do a whole year once without missing a week! that was Rad! ) and it’s just always amazing what happens week in and week out!

The amount of input, creativity and just some really cool music to listen too!

There’s no question in my mind that with out it I would’t have pushed myself so much with my music and creativity in beats, hopefully you get some honest feed back, and just to learn and try new things out.
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waxramble
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Re: Behind the Beats: STBB #679 - Moxatron

Mon May 25, 2020 10:10 pm

Great read! Congrats on your win Mox! :)
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