Freekbass appears as a unique presence within Electronic Music, striking out with productions that take influence from genres across music to present a distinctly original signature style. Having just released his track, ‘Change My Mind’, a fusion of Funk and Disco, Freekbass joins us today for this exclusive interview, taking us behind the scenes of the production to allow us insight into his creative processes and production techniques.
Hi, Freekbass! Congrats on your release of ‘Change My Mind’! How are you doing?
Thank you! I’m doing great!
What was the vision and story behind this groovy Funk track, ‘Change My Mind’?
“Change My Mind” is a track that began on my TikTokLive. I livestream every night on TikTok (@freekbass). Each night is a unique show, with new beats & grooves. What begins as mostly improv, building layers with a loop station, begins to take shape into a song. My community there (The Freek Squad) participates in the creation of the new songs with their feedback. This song was actually named by one of our staple members of that community (Cindy).
Could you share with us the musical influences that have shaped the vibe of this track?
As with almost all of my tracks, it all starts with a beat and a bassline. Once I get that groove foundation, I start building off of it with harmony, including keys, vocals, and synths. I’m always deeply influenced by Funk, Disco, and Dance music from all eras. I like blending sounds from the 70s like a clavinet, with a synth and bass tones from 2024.
What instruments, plugins, and VSTs were used in this eclectic piece?
I played multiple bass guitar tracks with different tones from my pedal board (as I do on all my tracks), some live guitar and keys, and used some vocal samples that I altered and then thickened up a bit with additional vocals. The majority of the drums on this, and a lot of my productions, are created on my AKAI MPC One. I’ve been using an MPC for almost as long as I’ve been playing bass. Some of the synth and string sounds are from my Roland GAIA synth, and my Novation Bass Station 2. Some additional samples are sprinkled in from different sound libraries I’ve collected over the years.
What is it about this track would you say highlights your signature sound?
I think the sound of my bass and my bass playing style is what makes it unique to me. I’ve kind of developed this sound of being both a “foundational/groove” bassist, while also being a “lead/melodic” bassist. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always been drawn to Electronic Music since the sound of the bass is limitless.
The track starts off with a groovy bass melody, followed by vocal hooks layered throughout the soundscape. What was your creative process in structuring this track to ensure that the vocals came out at the right moments?
Great question. The song is always the most important thing, so as dominant as the groove or the bass is, it’s best when it is supporting a good hook and melody. In a lot of Dance music, the vocal hooks are what drive the song, so I try to record and mix in a way to elevate those vocal hooks, while still having them lay in the groove in a comfortable way.
Is there a message you are trying to communicate to the audience, with the lyrics in this track? If so, what would that be?
I think it speaks to a feeling almost all of us have felt, that time in a relationship where you’ve taken your stand and perhaps drawn a line. Yet in your heart, you secretly want that person to come back to you. So, there is the power and spirit of feeling great about staying true to yourself, while also hoping that person embraces that and comes back to you. This song is the anthem for that time in limbo.
Were there obstacles you faced and lessons you learned from creating this release you’d like to share with us?
Every new song and mix is a learning opportunity. On a purely technical point, it was a process of getting my dry bass sound and my “TalkBox” bass sound to lay in the mix together in a unifying way, with one tone not dominating the other. An amazing pedal company called Origin Effects sent me over an amp modelling pedal (Super Vintage BassRig) for my bass right before I started recording this one, which was huge in getting the bass sound I was going for. Also, with this and any mix, there is always a big decision on how layered you want it to be, so it enhances the track and doesn’t detract from the groove and sound. I hope I found a good balance on this one.
Do you have plans to perform this track at a future show?
For sure! I do always try to give the tracks a bit of a “remix” when performing live, but this will definitely be on the setlist!
Anything exciting in the works for Freekbass?
I’m releasing one song a month for the next year, while gearing up for more live dates. The bass company I work with, Ernie Ball, is making me a custom MusicMan StingRay bass, which I’m excited to show the world. TikTok recently hosted a music-creator contest called “StreamStar”, which I won. As a result, I got the opportunity to take over their official TikTokLive page, which just happened and was a such wild adrenaline ride! And TikTok is also creating a marketing package around me, so I’m looking forward to seeing how all of that unfolds this year.
With an exciting journey still ahead of him, we’re looking forward to continuing following Freekbass along as he keeps adding to his release catalogue and bringing his magnetising energy to audiences around the globe. So, we close out this interview by thanking Freekbass for his time and encourage you to keep up-to-date with him by following him across social media.
Listen and buy ‘Change My Mind’ now :
https://www.beatport.com/release/change-my-mind/4476426
Freekbass Online
