Nicholas Gunn is no stranger to the Electronic Music scene; with several years of musical experience, this talented Producer and Composer has been demanding attention with his distinct signature sound that innovatively explores the Experimental, Ambient, Chill House and Trance genres. Having worked with top-tier names like Andrew Rayel and Armin Van Buuren, to name just a couple, Nicholas Gunn is a powerful force within Electronic Music who continues to make his mark with productions that push boundaries and deliver moving listening experiences.
Now, Nicholas Gunn is here to share an insider’s look into his latest release, ‘Heart of Gold’: a captivating and inspiring new Melodic House track featuring the dynamic vocals of singer-songwriter 88Birds.
Hi Nicholas Gunn! Congratulations on the release of ‘Heart of Gold’
Thank you!
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this track?
Musicality is everything to me in my productions. So, like with all my Chill House tracks, you will hear more of a song rather than a simple approach to stylization and trend. I just can’t bring myself to simplify my tunes for the marketplace. I don’t believe there is much glory in that kind of approach. So, the inspiration was all about the music and to write a tune that was deep, introspective with colour and vibrance.
You collaborated with 88Birds on this track, can you tell us about how this collaboration came about and what it was like working together?
I write most of my top lines and lyrics and honestly, it’s difficult for me to step back on that. However, in the case of 88Birds, I knew I was going to get something spectacular, and they delivered a top line and lyric that was absolutely mesmerizing! 88Birds is a music pro and has been working in the music industry successfully for some time. I knew of their history and had worked with them before so when it came time to dig into a top line and lyric, I kept hearing 88Birds in my head. So rather than me send my vocal rough for them to track, I sent the instrumental and said, let’s make some magic together!
Can you tell us about through your creative process when you start a new track, which element do you start with and how do you normally build on that to produce a full track?
I consider myself a songwriter first. So, everything is built with the song in mind. I usually start with four or more tasty progressions in one of my favourite keys such as F minor, A Major, A Minor, etc. I then produce some style, such as where I envision track to be heading in terms of genre: Chill house, Trance or Ambient, etc. But only just a little bit. Everything changes by the time you get a vocal on the track, such as the choices of sounds and how the track ultimately frames the vocal, so it’s important to hold back here. Then I detach from expectation. I simply sing a melody in my head that I’m hearing against the progressions. I sound it out phonetically and record voice memos of that melody. Then I sit down and dig deep into my past and my life experience, creating lyrics based on how I phonetically sounded out the track in my voice memos. Once I finish writing the lyric and top line, I track my own voice as a guide and then send it out to one of the singers I work with. Once I get that final vocal back, then its production time. Finishing the track, digging deep into style, and intended outcome. My formula works great for me, and my workflow is productive. Of course, there is deviation based upon genre, vocal, no vocal, etc, but it’s a solid formula.
You are known for a style that blends elements from Experimental, Ambient, Chill House and Trance, can you talk us through the process of blending these different elements and styles in your music?
It’s all about the song. Create a memorable lasting reoccurring melody and you can take that and frame it for many different genres. I like to think that you can hear me in any production and that’s an important observation to make, I believe. So, I always start with the song in mind and the genre aspect of things takes over later in my productions, at least for me it does. It all comes with doing the homework though. If you are going to produce a Chill House track, a Trance track, or an Ambient track, it all comes with an understanding of technique and approach. I say this all the time, sound design and production support the song, not the other way around. To believe otherwise places you at a great disadvantage for creating really memorable tunes with hooks.
Were there any specific production techniques or tools that you used to achieve the desired sound in ‘Heart of Gold’?
Sticking to the same DAW and a simple pallet of tried and proven tools. Also, using the mantra “keep it simple” is key. If the sound doesn’t work, then move on. Don’t sit there and back pedal into manipulating a preset so much that you go deaf. It’s pointless and against positive workflow. Honestly, most seasoned producers have a solid formula they follow for various genres and styles. There is always a part of the process that is a motor function, like walking. I am steering away from the overuse of imaging. Many producers are using imaging to broaden their mixes, and this creates frequency modulation in the high-end spectrum and makes it sound unstable. Imaging uses phasing differential to create width and can really mess with your mix. It also can create a low mid-range hole which gives stability to low end warmth. I try to use sounds and techniques that already have width or perceived width. It’s way more important that your mix sounds solid and glued together and that it translates well across many different playback systems.
Did you face any particular challenges during the production of this single? How did you overcome them?
Actually, no. This one went quite well and was smooth from top to bottom!
The atmospheric elements and shuffled rhythmic groove in ‘Heart of Gold’ add a unique dreamy vibe to the track. Can you take us through your process of crafting these elements?
Detachment from expectation is the way I like to frame all my choices. I guess you could say I want to create elements that don’t sound like everyone else. So, I go there without concern for whether I will get added to a playlist or someone will drop the track in their set. I mean, where is the greatness in sounding like everyone else? These choices I made were part of where the track and heart told me I should go, not where my head said I should go…
What elements of ‘Heart of Gold’ do you feel best represent your signature sound and style as an artist?
The complexity of song. The maturity of progression. The color and style of sounds. 88Birds also delivered a vocal I easily could have envisioned myself. A perfect marriage, really.
The track features the mesmerising vocals of 88Birds, can you explain how you integrated the vocals into the mix? Do you have any specific processing techniques to make the vocals shine through?
I do consider my vocal editing and mixing to be one of my best production qualities. The vocal on ‘Heart of Gold’ is no exception and hours of work went into that result. I dig deep to achieve my desired results by not using de-essers that suck the life out of a vocal but rather I carve out and lower harsh high end in the actual audio file. Remove low end frequency that will not register in track and will help it to sit down. Not overusing compression and imaging. Side chaining compression, effects and duplicating and filtering audio vocal files to create delays for more control, etc. Timing and adjusting the vocal against the track. You can’t just dump a vocal on a track, it needs to sit down and glue to the track and that takes time and an understanding of what to do. Sometimes, I spend more time on vocal editing and mixing than on the writing and production of the instruments and backing track itself.
Do you have a favourite element of the track?
I would have to say the vocals and the piano. The strings are also a nice touch due to the way they flow against the track.
What can fans expect from you over the next few months? I have strong focus on my label, Blue Dot this year. I am hard at work developing tracks with Ciaran McAuley, Dave Neven, Jarod Glawe, Chris Howard, Mearzie, Alina Renae and many others. My personal release schedule is booked through March of 2024 and there’s plenty of surprises, such as a collab with Ciaran McAuley as well as Dave Neven and I’s follow up to ‘Love You More’, so stay tuned!
As we wrap up this interview, we thank Nicholas Gunn for sharing a detailed look into his artistic and collaborative process. With a passion and drive for curating alluring productions and an expert knowledge of his craft, Nicholas Gunn consistently produces captivating tracks that deliver euphoric energy and exciting sonic surprises; we cannot wait to hear what’s next to come from Nicholas Gunn!
Nicholas Gunn Online:
Listen and buy ‘Heart of Gold’ now
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