Artist Special - CM At ADE

Amsterdam Dance Event has become the epicentre of the dance music universe. We made the pilgrimage to grill two top acts

Boris Brejcha

How does a pro juggle studio time with a hectic touring schedule? We caught up with the “hi-tech minimal” purveyor at ADE 2019 to find out about the man behind the mask…

CM : Are you a hardware or software guy?

Boris Brejcha: “Only software. No hardware. When I started producing, I had no money to buy hardware, and at that time, you could download the software for free, so it was the easiest way for me to start making music. Since then, I’ve tried hardware, but I like software more – the total recall, not having to plug in gear, and the convenience.”

CM: How exactly does the workflow of software help you?

BB: “For me, it’s much faster. I was born to produce with software! The sound is awesome, and it’s just a matter of taste. Fair enough if you like getting hands-on with a hardware synth, but I’m more of a ‘mouse guy’, happy to click away. I have one MIDI keyboard to play like a piano, but that’s it. I love it that way!”

CM: What software do you use?

BB: “I started with Cubase, and I still use it today – I’ve known how to use it for years. I was playing live around five or six years ago, using Ableton [Live] for that – it’s a great piece of software, just like Logic or FL Studio. More and more people are using Ableton, but all software is good if you like it and you’ve learned your way around it.

“One key reason I use Cubase is because it’s easy on the eye. For me, the UI looks better than Ableton or Cubase, and I like its overview of the timeline.”

CM: What about your favourite plugins?