MIX: Razda

Simplicity comes at a price, and Razda’s music is proof that searching for the essence of a minimal groove can involve a lot of tenuous work. His new album Another Paradise flows effortlessly though, capturing the effervescent movement of a nightlife most of us are so happy to rejoin right now. The crystal clear drums and the deep bass of the two tracks of this release are the fruit of years of research during which the London DJ has perfected his craft, fine-tuning his vibe. Razda has prepared a raging mix to pull us into his sonic universe. And, of course, we took this occasion to ask him a few questions about his creative process, his production techniques, and his upcoming projects.

I read that your EP Another Paradise was the result of a long search for the right sound and the right groove. Can you tell us about your background as a musician?

Well I've loved music for as long as I can remember, as a kid I would go through my mum’s CDs and play them on the stereo pretending to host my own radio show. She had music from RnB, ’80s, and garage.. growing up I took an interest in hip hop and started rapping, recording my own mixtapes over instrumentals I’d find on the Internet. 

When I was old enough to go out raving I started listening to drum n bass which I fell in love with. I wrote lyrics and managed to become an mc, going out every weekend, I managed to network in the scene and get myself bookings and work with some of my idols, MCs like Eksman and Funsta just to name a couple. 

I worked with a DJ called Turno for many years and we made 3 mixtapes together, they were called Raw Taktix. Whilst MCing to dnb I bought a set of decks, 'Technics 12 10's', and I would buy records every week and practice every day, and that’s where the love of djing comes from. I eventually got a Mac with Logic and started to produce my own music, which is where I found my love for house music!

Can you tell us about what brought you to your new album? What vibe were you looking for? What were some of the steps you took to achieve this sound?

I have been making house music for around 6 years and have always been happy with my ideas, but I felt that the sound quality was never up to scratch with other tunes I would buy and play in my sets, so I would be hesitant to play my own stuff. 

Recently, over lockdown, I found a few techniques and processes to finally get the clarity I was lacking, and developed a new groove in the tunes themselves, use of percussion and bass lines mainly. I wanted my tunes to sound like the stuff I play. So, with the EP, I just imagined I was in a club playing to a room full of people, and the vibe I wanted just seemed to come together.

Both tracks on Another Paradise seem aimed at the dance floor. I'm curious to know your philosophy on what makes a good dance track? How can you make sure a beat works in a club setting?

Visualize the moment you’re aiming for while making the track. Put yourself behind the decks while sitting at the computer. I feel a good club track has to have the energy in the drums to carry a deep-sounding bassline... otherwise, the track can sound a bit monotone. Snappy drums with a deep bass seem to work for me.

The choice of synths and vocals to compliment the main foundation of the track is important. Treat it like a puzzle and put the pieces together.

The EP features a very defined and tasty aesthetic. What are some of the studio tools and/or plugins you use to achieve this sound? How do you use them?

I used the Bass Line 3 from AudioRealism to make my bass, it has a step sequencer that creates a nice groove. Once I've created the right riff or melody, I use some distortion and FabFilter EQ and a sidechain from Native Instruments’ Vc 160 compressor to get the right movement around the kick drum. 

I use Slate digital on pretty much everything and definitely recommend it. It has everything you need from eq to saturation, to compressors, basically everything. It adds so much clarity to every element when used right. 

The one thing I find really brings everything together in the mix is the Cytomic’s The Glue compressor. Since using it, it has literally glued everything together. And then the FabFilter Pro-L 2 limiter to get the final volume.

Another tip I can give is to mix down your sounds as you go along. It's something you should be doing to make life easier with the final boost at the end of a project. 

Through My Eyes features a prominent vocal sample. Would you see yourself working with vocalists in the future? Where would you like to take your musical project? What would be your dream scenario?

I've always loved a good vocal over a tune, it adds emotion and character like nothing else. I'd love to sing over my own track as I love writing lyrics, but I can't sing so that won't be happening any time soon.

My younger sister is a very talented singer-songwriter, so I’m sure we’ll be working on some music together very soon. I’m open to making all genres of music and I have produced a few different styles here and there, but I'd say a dream scenario would be to write and produce my own album with a multi-genre vibe including rap, vocals, and instrumental beats. And feature some of the best artists from around the world.

As the world is opening back up, who are some of the artists you can't wait to play in your DJ sets? Who are your favorite artists at the moment, and what do you like about their music?

I have a new taste for minimal tech these days, artists like Rossi., ANOTR, Toman, Prunk, and many more, the list goes on! The sound I hear from these guys is very clean, most tracks have a very cheeky groove which gets me moving. When I bring a track in most of them seem to work really well in the mix as there isn't much going on. Less is more in that respect.

I’m always excited to see a new track from any of these guys, and will always find myself pulling their tracks out in my set. As well as playing five or six of my own tunes now that I’m happy with my sound.

You've prepared a mix for us today. Can you talk a little bit about the mix you've made?

The mix I have made for you guys Is a representation of a set I'd play at a club. Not a warm-up set. I have a mixture of tracks new and old that I love by some great artists. Along with a variety of my own tracks that I have produced over the past year. I like to take people on a journey when doing a set. And hope you feel that when you listen.

What do you think makes a good DJ set?

Knowing what to play and when.

For instance, if you’re playing the first set of the night, dig deep and find tunes to warm the night up, don’t be playing the heaviest beats you can find as they won't get appreciated in the right way and it shows you don't understand your position on a line-up.

I rarely plan a set in advance. I always vibe off of a crowd, and when I'm mixing one track, in my head I can hear the next track so I pull it out and it works. When I say I don't plan a set, I mean I don't plan the order, I just have a load of tunes in a folder and dig them out one by one.

What's coming up for Razda?

I have another release with Unreserved Records lined up, hopefully around December. After getting a number 1 in the tech-house release charts on Beatport, I feel I need to keep the momentum going, so I will also be releasing some free downloads, maybe some cool edits to get everyone singing. 

Booking-wise, I’m currently doing sets locally to where I live at the Dog & Whistle and hopefully, in the new year I can start playing at more and more events around the country.

Another Paradise is out now via Unreserved Records.

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