Interview: We Sit Down With Holbrook & SkyKeeper
Ahead of the release of their brand new E.P next week on our Interstate imprint, we sit down with label favourites Holbrook & SkyKeeper to discuss all things music, production and much more.
1. Welcome back to the Interstate imprint guys. Your new Rising E.P drops soon, tell us a bit about it.
Hey! Thanks! Well, it actually became a good tradition for us to make EPs with an absolutely different tracks.
Rising has that old Coldharbour vibe with a dreamy pad and dark bassline making the track deep enough, but also appearing lead sound to the foreground which totally changes the track with a big drop ahead.
Echoes is different. It's all about progressive and techno sound. We always try something new with such a kind of tracks. From the very beginning we wanted to make the melody which keeps supporting the track all the time and absolutely different drop after that.
2. When creating a new track, do you normally start with the melody and build around it? How does it work for you?
It's like a rule for us. We always make the melody first and start the track just in case we both love and feel it. It always removes all doubts, so that's why we love each(almost :D) of our tracks. So the stages are always the same: making the melody and the breakdown -> making the drop -> building the intro and outro around it. We still think it's the best option for us and actually that's why still haven't had any unreleased tracks since... 2013!
3. What are your plans for 2020 - any releases we should watch out for?
Lots stuff coming in first half of the year. Starting with a banger track on AVA Recordings, then Rising E.P. on Infrasonic and also releases on FSOE and Marlo's Reaching Altitude.
4. Which up and coming artists are your favourite right now?
Beatsole and GXD are on fire at the moment!
5. If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?
The only finished collaboration for 2020 so far is the track with our friends GXD. We still haven't planned any other collaborations for 2020, but! We've never talked to the guys from Solis & Sean Truby duo about it and to be honest we always loved their stuff, furthermore the guys helped us a lot on the way! So it would be nice to make something together one day! Let's condiser this as the proposal, haha.
6. What does your current studio set up look like (hardware, VST's etc)?
We use FL Studio and Ableton sequencers and most part of our tracks contain the sounds from Spire, Serum and Massive VST synthesizers.
7. How long have you been producing and how did you get started?
Well, we've been producing since 2008-2009, releasing the tracks probably once in a half-year or even a year. The trance of early 2000s was so inspiring, it was so easy to fall in love with almost each new track you heard on compilations or radioshows.
8. How/When did you guys decide to join forces and collaborate?
It was around 2009, the pre-party before the Global Gathering Festival. We both liked the dark side of trance, so started to share the ideas between each other. As a result was our first release in 2010. Wow, it's going to be 10 years since we joined forces!
You can buy the Rising E.P from Holbrook & SkyKeeper now.
