Castor & Pollux are here with us today to talk about their approach to music production, giving us an insight into their creative and technical processes as they share details about their inspirations as a duo.
As they continue to make a name for themselves within Electronic Music as a powerhouse duo, delivering impactful productions and unmissable live DJ performances, this talented pair are cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Bringing Big Room and Techno tracks to their listeners, Castor & Pollux’s music continues to earn them support from industry heavyweights like Steve Aoki, W&W, and Nicky Romero, to name only a few; a credit to their talents as Producers and live DJs, Castor & Pollux are well-deserving of the attention they continue to garner.
So, sit back and enjoy as we deep dive into the vibrantly energetic production world of this skilled Electronic Music duo.
Hi Castor & Pollux! How are you?
We’re doing well. Thanks for having us!
Can you share your journey into Electronic Music production? What inspired you to start creating as a duo?
Our journey into producing Electronic Music starts all the way back in the summer of 2014. At the time, we were back home from college and a buddy of ours told us to check out FL Studio, so we did. Once we downloaded our own version, we watched YouTube tutorials on music theory, plugins, VSTs and more and that got us to create our own music. In addition, our true inspiration was Hardwell. His way of innovation in Bigroom and Progressive House gravitated us to make our own productions in these genres. Having him to look up to was really the driving force as we grew more with our own music.
What are some of your essential pieces of equipment or software?
We don’t have a big studio so we only use studio monitors, PreSonus Eris E3.5 Studio Monitors, as we think that is an essential part of equipment you should have when creating music.
Can you tell us how you approach starting a new track? What is the creative process like?
We always start off with a melody or a drop to give us a basis for an idea. Our creative process is usually a discussion on what type of track we’d like to produce and get a theme behind that with preset sounds that we think would be a great fit. From there we build around that to start creating each section of the track.
Which DAW would you recommend to producers only just starting their music production journey?
We say it’s all about personal taste with DAWs. Whichever one you feel comfortable in starting out as a producer, go with that and learn the ins and outs of that program. At the end of the day, good music can come from any DAW.
Can you tell us which plugins, effects or VSTs you use most frequently when producing your tracks? What are some of your favourites?
We use Sylenth, Spire and Nexus a lot in our productions when it comes to preset sounds. In terms of mixing: OTT, FabFilter, Kickstart2, DST and the Focus One. Mastering, we like using Ozone, as well as the Invisible Limiter. Our favourite VST has to be Spire, we really like the sounds in there with the different packs we have when we’re creating music.
What do you do when you are struggling with a track? Have you developed any processes that help you overcome challenges?
When we struggle with tracks, sometimes we look to start on a new idea because that will clear the head and then you can always go back to the track you were struggling with to make changes. Another thing we do, is maybe get inspired by other artists and listen to tracks within the genre we’re making to come up with ideas as well. Some other processes we have developed are to go to other producers we trust to give us honest feedback. Those friends always give it to us straight and having them be truthful with you can then give you the motivation to fix what you’re struggling with.
What advice would you give to aspiring Producers and DJs?
Trust yourself and make the music you want to make. We understand it’s hard to do that when many of the biggest artists in the world create trends but if you can stick on the path you want to be on and get good at your craft, things will come if you have that hunger. Also, its very important to go out and create relationships as well.
How do you know when a track is finished?
You never really know when a track is finished as there’s always that little voice in your head saying “is it perfect?” but if you’re performing in front of a crowd and it gets a great reaction, you can say it’s done, but that is a really hard question to answer. Once you surrender it to the world, that’s usually when you know.
How do you find inspiration and how do you keep yourselves inspired to create?
We find inspiration from the places we go, the people we meet, live sets from other DJs at major festivals…anything. It can be even when we’re back at our mom’s house in Pennsylvania, being in nature and being away from NYC, gives us inspiration to create tracks. Whatever you do in life, let that give you the inspiration to go in the studio and make something you’re proud of.
A duo fuelled by their passion for Electronic Music, Castor & Pollux have fostered an extensive knowledge of music production and the technicalities behind the discipline; a foundation for their ability to create hard-hitting and powerful music, Castor & Pollux’s well-established production processes appear as the backbone to their creativity. So, as we close out this interview, we thank the duo for speaking with us today and eagerly look forward to hearing more from them soon.
Castor & Pollux Online
