In The Studio With AK

May 20, 2021

An electronic maestro with the penchant for textural soundscapes, ones built to transport listeners to faraway lands, takes part in CULTR’s In The Studio. This week we feature AK the burgeoning act that hails from the German city of Kassel. It’s from there that AK paints delicate and airy mystifiers that have brought him to the attention of Monstercat. From one of the label’s newest musical forays, Silk, he springs from forward to further recognition and with him, comes a sound that feels fitting to wear the Silk moniker. Most recently, his single “Back Again” bears that mark and unleashes a sinuous sound that wraps around listeners with wondrous beauty. It’s why we sat down with the young producer to learn more about him and see the behind-the-scenes.

Without further adieu, AK takes us on a tour of his studio.

STUDIO

I’ve been in my new studio for about a year now, and I really wanted it to feel more like a cozy workshop, rather than a traditional studio, because that makes writing music a lot easier for me. I’ve basically made every track here since “Leap Forward”.

SOFTWARE

I love working with Ableton Live. I love how straightforward and non-distracting the interface looks, and how Ableton has all these creative devices natively. I’ve worked with other DAWs before, but I’ve solely been working with Ableton Live for about 7 years now.

SOUND

My favourite studio monitors are the Adam A7X’s. I had the KRK Rokit 6 G3’s before these for a couple of years, and I remember there being a noticeable difference. My advice would be to go for whatever you can afford because in the end, you’re going to probably have fun no matter what monitors you’ll get. I’d also recommend listening to the speakers you want to buy beforehand, if possible. I really love the Beyerdynamic DT770’s, because they are very reliable/rugged and relatively affordable.

HARDWARE

I really enjoy hardware instruments because they let me experiment with sound in a lot more tactile way than software does. They really help sustain my creativity. My favourite synth has been the Korg Minilogue XD for about 1.5 years now. I’ve also really been enjoying Empress Effects’ ZOIA (it’s an insanely cool pedal!) and Koma Elektronik’s Field Kits. One piece of gear I’d really love to have is a Juno 60, but they are expensive and require quite a bit of space! And I’d be a bit worried about its maintenance.