Belgian producer Random Fox is the winner of our 2020 track challenge with his song “Unite”. We sit down with him and ask him a few questions about his music production journey and experience with BassGorilla.
1 ) Congratulations on winning our track challenge! Did you expect to win?
I was pretty confident I had a solid chance until I heard the other entries… some of them had really catchy tunes. Moreover, I find it hard to assess my own songs, to know what the jury is looking for, if my mix translates well to other listening environments and so on. So yeah, it still was a very pleasant surprise. [If you want to hear the other entries, jump into our Discord channel]
2 ) What is the inspiration behind your track?
The picture that really stood out is the black lives matters activist that rescues a far-right protester. I think it’s cool that in dire times, people can still show they’re human after all, and that in the end, the protesters want unity and not divide. Then, there’s that woman with the free hugs, corona proof and all. That’s hilarious, and humane at the same time. Anyhow, I thought that focusing on how a common threat can bring people together would be cool, with music being a strong medium to send out a positive message. But the only way to really convey that message clearly, for me, was to put it into words as well, so recording my vocals was a logical step. The last time I had my vocals recorded was over 15 years ago, but I saw it as an opportunity to leave my comfort zone and dive into the recording process as well.
3 ) What programs did you use to create the winning track?
Bitwig all the way baby! I come from using FL Studio in 2010, then switched to Ableton in 2011. Bitwig combines the modulation capabilities of FL Studio and Max For Live with a very solid build – I’ve almost never had the software crash on me, and that’s quite unique. All my plugins work as they should (even 32 bit, no jBridge needed), the delay compensation is better than Fl’s or Ableton’s, and I don’t need extra audio tracks for sidechaining like in Ableton. Add FabFilter’s mixing and mastering range of plugins to that and synths like Sylenth and Serum, some Valhalla stuff and Sonarworks Reference 4 to compensate for my bad mixing environment, and that should be more than enough.
4 ) What is your overall experience with BassGorilla?
Extremely valuable. I learned so much, from how to set your levels and check them in spectrum analysers, to sound design and songwriting, and it’s all very structured. I like the artist videos where you see them create a whole track from scratch, and the ideas behind the musical choices they make. BassTime is awesome too, where you can comment and ask questions live, so the artist can home in on your questions. There’s even a dedicated Discord channel for that! [Check out his testimonial below]
5 ) What advice would you give to a producer just starting in the music industry?
I’d say – don’t spend too much money on plugins (like I did…) but instead, focus on some form of music lessons or education – like BassGorilla! There are so many things you can achieve with stock plugins, and if you don’t understand the simpler synths, for example, forget about learning how synths like Serum or Avenger work. Also, don’t give up. I tend to express success in terms of how good someone is in picking him/herself up and go at it again, not in how far they’ve come.