Introducing Anthony Attalla

Introducing Anthony Attalla

17 March, 2011 | 11.04AM

• Written by: sirthomasdu
• Filed under: Music News: anthony attalla, incorrect music, introducing

Detroit’s Anthony Attalla had an impressive 2010, with multiple tracks hitting the Beatport Top 20 and a tour schedule that had him constantly on the move throughout North America and abroad.

His Incorrect Music label boasts work from some of the hottest producers in electronic dance music and has experienced a meteoric rise to the upper echelon of dance labels in only 18 months of existence. Incorrect Music tracks are being played and charted by the industry’s biggest tastemakers, and its global reach goes both ways, with artists from more than 20 countries represented on its impressive roster.

Read on for an interview with Attalla as he lays out his creative process, speaks to the importance of protecting one’s hearing, and indulges a yen for astronomy.

Can you tell us a little about your background? Where did you grow up, and where are you based now?

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and then after university I moved to Detroit for a job. Little did I know at the time that it would shape my life permanently. I mean, I moved there a corporate kid and turned into a techno producer… kinda beautiful, isn’t it? When people ask me, “Where are you from?” I always say Detroit, ‘cause that’s the city that made me who I am today.

How did you get started DJing and making music?

Two different times in my life, actually… I started DJing as a hobby ‘cause I’d always go hear these “big name” DJs and would just stand on the dancefloor saying to myself, “I can do better than that…”

After my DJ career started picking up steam, I realized the only way to truly make this my life was to start making my own music. After I played my first WMC in 2007, I was having dinner with my father and he told me that if I wanted to truly be “great” at this, I needed to quit my corporate job and go at the music full-time. That’s all the inspiration I needed, and that Monday I gave up my “normal” life, liquidated my savings and gave my life to music. It still took a good year before I was up and running from a production standpoint, but that was truly when my life changed and I gave my all to this beautiful style of music.

How would you describe the music that you make?

Hahahaha… I have no idea… I make lots of different styles of music—various forms of techno and house. It seems that I often have talking percussion and heavy basslines, so maybe that’s my style? I dunno… that’s a convoluted question!

Do you DJ or play live, or both? How would you describe your sets?

I still DJ… I’ve actually been starting to formulate the first steps in starting a live set. For the longest time I just wanted to DJ, ‘cause I was in the studio on a computer all week and DJing was fun for me—a healthy break away from staring at my Mac all day… I still enjoy the whole process of DJing, but now, after spending time with people like Lutzenkirchen, it’s showed me the possibilities of a live set, and it’s all I’ve been thinking about lately. So probably within the next year I’ll switch to a live performance.

Did you have any mentors when you were starting out? Who helped you get established?

I have some good friends that helped get me started—Christopher Norman was the guy that initially got me going with production and taught me some early stuff to get me autonomous. Then I went through a period where all I wanted to do was work by myself, but now I’ve come full circle and have found myself really enjoying doing lots of collabs lately with people like Tone Depth, Cytric (Dave Nash) and Subfracal. Working with others has really taught me a lot—we all paint our canvas differently, so it’s fun and exciting to share methodologies with artists you like and respect!

When did you first feel that you had finally discovered your own individual sound?

I don’t think that’s happened yet… Production is a continuous process. If I actually do have a “sound,” then someone should enlighten me as to what it is, ‘cause it seems like every track I make is different. I’m not one to take a formula and keep using it over and over like some producers. I take each track or remix and start from scratch. Maybe I should have formula… perhaps I wouldn’t write so slowly then!

How do you explain your music to your family members?

I really don’t have to explain much… I have a really cool family. They totally get what I’m doing, the type of music it is, and they even listen to electronic music often. My parents will come to my gigs about once or twice a year, and my relatives will come out to see me if I’m playing in their city. I’m lucky in that regard.

In all honesty, if I’m not in the studio working on music or listening to demos/promos, I’m in complete silence in an effort to give my ears a break. I drive in silence, I don’t wear earbuds at the gym, and I even wear earplugs when I go out in almost any social setting. I take my hearing really seriously.

Are you the type of musician who knows what kind of track you want to write before you sit down to make it, or do you create music more from a process of experimentation, trial and error?

Both—with originals I just have fun and see where the track takes me; with remixes it’s more direct and focused on a specific sound that I think suits the label or complements the parts I’ve been given. The only rule I have is that there are no rules.

When you sit down to make a track, what’s the first thing you typically do? How long does a track typically take you to make?

First thing I do is look at a blank project file and get nauseous—just kidding. Seriously, though, I always start with my low-end, ‘cause if that’s not proper, the rest of the track will be shit. Once I think I have that figured out, I’ll move to my percs to set a groove and then just let everything else fall into place in the terms of a hook or melody. I’ve stopped telling myself that things “need” to be added. If my sound design seems right then I’ll bounce everything down into a separate project file and begin to arrange, automate and add all the aesthetics that will give my track the right sheen it needs. Tracks sometimes take a couple days and others never get finished so you never really know how long… If I’m on a remix deadline I try to have the track finished a month in advance so I can test it at my gigs to get the mixdown just right before promo and release date.

Where do you do your recording?

I have a home studio, a thousand-square-foot furnished and finished basement, which is a dream come true. I’ve had to work in small spaces before, and it’s a nightmare, especially in the low-end department. I’m thankful that I have such a massive space ‘cause I get no bass traps, reverb or echo—the sound just disappears, which is really nice for my workflow.

Do you currently have a favorite piece of gear or software?

My Moog Little Phatty is my de facto fave, and all the Logic plug-ins never get old, especially Space Designer. I use that on every track religiously… Oh, and the PSP Vintage Warmer too! Love that guy.

Which record do you wish you had made?

I don’t think I’ve ever wished I made someone else’s record, so I’m gonna answer that “Not Applicable!”

If a wrecking ball was headed for your house, which *one* record would you rescue before it hit?

I think I’d grab my new iMac before any one record… fuck the record, I’m grabbing my computer! I actually had a nightmare last week my iMac got stolen. I even get depressed when I’m touring for gigs and I’m not working on music—I may have abandonment issues… Perhaps I should look into that?

When you’re not listening to electronic music, what do you listen to?

Silence… In all honesty, if I’m not in the studio working on music or listening to demos/promos, I’m in complete silence in an effort to give my ears a break. I drive in silence, I don’t wear earbuds at the gym, and I even wear earplugs when I go out in almost any social setting. I take my hearing really seriously; I’ve had a couple scares after gigs that made me realize how important it is to protect your ears, especially in this profession.

When you’re not making or playing music, what’s your preferred pastime?

Reading and studying astronomy. I’m fascinated with the universe and all the mystery surrounding it. Every time I sit down and read about something dealing with the complexity of space, stars, planets, galaxies, etc., I’m incredibly humbled. Through this I perpetually gain a new appreciation for life and feel blessed to be truly doing what I love each and every day.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing with your life?

Dying.

Tell us about your upcoming gigs and releases…

As far as upcoming releases go, I have quite a few coming out in the next few months. I just had a big track that I made with Cytric called “Lagora” come out on John Acquaviva’s Definitive imprint, and it hit #17 on Beatport’s house chart. Other releases are coming out on my own label, Incorrect Music, as well as Gregor Tresher’s Break New Soil and a couple projects on Trapez as well. All in all I have about 10+ tracks coming out in the next three months or so… Essentially, there will be a bunch of new material coming your way, so stay tuned!

As for gigs, I’m basically on the road for the next three months straight, staring with Miami Week (or whatever they are calling it now) on March 21st. I have a complete listing of my schedule on my Facebook fan page, so if you want to check it out that’s the best place to go… TONS of shows coming up though, so I’m a busy guy, which makes me really happy! All the support I’ve been getting from fans and friends truly is what I live for and makes me more driven than ever… hopefully in 2011 all the hard work will pay off!

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