INTERVIEW: electronic music producer Apollo Xo

DJ and music producer Apollo Xo is on a mission to conquer dance floors all over the world, whether it’s an underground after-party or a main stage at a festival, the powerful sound and style of this genre-bending DJ is surely off the charts.

With influences from different genres and an impressive catalogue of releases between his own and remarkable remixes, this DJ is ready to reach new heights with a promising release schedule.

This time, we invited Apollo Xo to share some tips and tricks regarding music production. Check out our interview with Apollo Xo below.

Hey Apollo Xo, how are you?

I’m great! Just finished wrapping up some records to be released, so I’m excited to get the tracks out and let everybody hear them.

What would you say is the best set of gear to get for setting up a home studio?

If you’re a beginner jumping into producing for the first time, all you need is some monitors: I would go with either Yamaha Hs8’s or a pair of Adams just because they seem to have the most flat curve. Second, a laptop or PC a DAW and a midi keyboard. That is truthfully all you need right there. Once you get more experienced you can start getting more analog gear and plugins, but when you’re first starting you need to know how to use the basics.

Which DAW would you recommend to someone starting out?

I feel like this is definitely one of the most debated topics of the producer/DJ community. When I first started producing, I started on Reason and then moved over to FL Studio, then over to Ableton when I moved to Chicago. I think Ableton is the best place to start because there’s a lot of material and tutorials on the DAW itself.

Do you use samples? How do you think anyone can make the most out of a sample?

100% use samples. I used to be against it, and think it was cheating but if you look back through the history of music, samples have helped create some of the greatest classics across all genres. I think the best way to make the most of a sample is by making it your own, chopping it up, putting it in a sampler and really playing around with the way it sounds or putting some creative FX on it.

Can you tell us which plugins, effects or VSTs are your favourites?

Diva, Omnisphere and The Arturia suite are the instrument plugins I currently use the most. As far as FX VSTs, I’ve been using Portal quite a bit. I do a lot of resampling in my productions so running them through the Portal VST gives it more character.

Which part of a track do you usually like to start with first?

I usually start with drums to get the groove going and then the bass, and roughly build out the drop and work backwards to the beginning of the song from there. Sometime, if I have an ideal for a bassline or melody though, I’ll start with that.

Do you have a book or video recommendation for a beginner music producer?

You definitely have to check out Zen World for sound design, for little tips and tricks that will help you out with production. I would also check out Ableton’s official YouTube channel, then watch and replicate a lot of the tutorials on there as well. YouTube in general, is a great place to learn anything.

What piece of advice would you say is important to remember when producing music?

Focus on the journey and how the song makes you feel, as opposed to producing with the intention of getting millions of plays. Also don’t rush it, sometimes it’s good to sit on a song for a few weeks or maybe even a year and go back to it later with fresh ears.

What would you say is a good thing to do or element to add in a track to make it perfect for a live performance?

A break that brings the main lead or the main vocal to the front of the production and really puts emphasis on that element. Then using a big build to tie it in with the drop makes it seem more epic, in my opinion.

How do you keep yourself inspired?

I listen to A LOT of music from all different genres. Not always listening to find something I can rework or sample, but just listening to the structures of different songs and elements they use. Also watching tutorials or live sets from other artists is a great way to get inspiration. Another great way is to take a few days off of producing and then come back with fresh eyes & ears.

Listen to Dance (Apollo Xo remix) below