Having relaunched the REALPROG Radio, heading up things REALPROG – UK producer Farius returns with his much-anticipated return to Zerothree with the incredible new single Running Away.
Farius has grown into a figure head of the Zerothree brand and expertly showcases the very best in progressive music on a weekly basis whilst maintaining his incredible presence as a respected artist. Touring the USA and Europe, Farius has become a firm favourite amongst producers and fans alike.
Running Away packs a real powerful punch, that signature Farius bass is very much present, whilst the incredible play on melodies keeps this record building and building. If you need a peak time record to kick off the year, Farius has got your back.
This is Farius, This is REALPROG.
Running Away is top notch and we requested an interview with Farius to explore his roots, discuss in more details about Running Away and find out more details about his career in electronic dance music scene.
Dimitris: When did you start your involvement with electronic dance music and which music style you are more affiliated with and why?
Farius: From a very early age. I was often down my local record store every weekend picking up the week’s newly released CDs (I just missed the days of vinyls!) and adding them to my collection. In terms of production I was quite a late bloomer; whilst I always enjoyed dance music production, it wasn’t until I graduated from classical music college that I started getting serious about making dance music myself, having been DJing for years. Trance and Progressive is my style, but I believe an open musical mind is a huge attribute to success.
Dimitris: Did you had the opportunity to attend any kind of music production course or are u completely self taught? Do you consider that is essential for any artist to complete any production course?
Farius: When I got serious about music production, I had five one-to-one lessons with a professor from my college who taught electronic music production - I was studying classical theory at the time. Those lessons were really to learn the basics of navigating my way around Logic Pro, in terms of original writing and production I am entirely self taught.
Dimitris: In which label was your first ever release and how did you manage to attract the attention of the label?
Farius: My first release was a collaboration on Paul van Dyk’s Vandit Records with Chris Bekker called ‘London Sunrise’. It was really down to Chris that the label took the release to be honest. I sent him a rough sketch of a track to get his thoughts on it, and he came back saying he would love to work on it together. It was quite a different sound for Vandit, so when they signed it I was so stoked. I’ll always be grateful to Chris for helping me with my first release.
Dimitris: Please pick for us your Top 5 tracks that you have produced and you consider them as being highly important for the progress of your career.
Farius:
1. Chris Bekker & Farius - London Sunrise [Vandit Records] - As mentioned, this was my first release with Chris Bekker. I don’t think anyone forgets how important their first release on a major dance label is!
2. Farius - Middle Ground [Delirium] - My first release on Dave Pearce’s label. Listening to Dave every weekend on the radio in the UK was a huge influence for me growing up, so when we met at ADE one year and he picked up ‘Middle Ground’ I was so excited he believed in my sound.
3. Farius - Echo Chamber [Zerothree] - My first release on my now home label Zerothree. I had been sending demos for a while to Jamie (A&R at Zerothree) but they never quite made the cut from a stylistic point of view. When he signed Echo Chamber it was a massive moment for me, and it went on to be my first Beatport Trance top 10.
4. Farius - Waiting (For You) [Zerothree] - From a musical perspective, I think this is one of my favourite tracks I’ve ever written - it’s certainly up there anyway. I knew as soon as I got the first draft down it was going to be a really important and big release for me, and it went on to be supported by many of the top DJs in the Trance and Progressive world.
5. Gabriel & Dresden - I’m Not Like Everybody Else (Farius Remix) [Anjunabeats] - when Gabriel & Dresden heard my ABGT guest mix they got in touch and asked if I would like to remix any track off their album ‘The Only Road’. It was a huge honour, both to remix such legends of the trance world but also have my first release on Anjunabeats.
Dimitris: Let's focus on Running Away, your latest release on Zerothree music. Where did you got the inspiration for the track and what kind of music influences is including?
Farius: I think the original idea was inspired in the studio after a trip to the US - I always feel more inspired after spending time away from the studio in London. The original version of this track had a much harder and more trancey edge, as I wanted to write a bit of a tougher track
Dimitris: How long it took you to produce it and was an easy or difficult process? If you have faced any difficulties please tell us about them and how did you resolved them?
Farius: I actually put the first draft of this track down in April last year, so quite a long time to finish it! This was unusually one of those tracks that I left, came back to, left again for a bit, turned it into a bootleg, left again, then came back to it finish off as an original six months later.
Dimitris: Which was the biggest challenge that you faced during the production of this superb track?
Farius: As mentioned, the track started out as a much tougher track with a harder trance edge as I was looking to put it out on Delirium Recordings or Armada at the time. Whilst there wasn’t any specific challenge whilst writing or programming any element of the track, overall to get the final version on Zerothree I had to soften it up and give it more of a progressive feel - which took a bit of time.
Dimitris: Can you describe to us the steps that you went through the production of this track and of any other track?
Farius: Originally the track had a different vocal sample on it, a different bassline sound, a different arpeggiated topline and a few other smaller elements that changed. In terms of writing the overall track, everything kind of fell into place. The finished version still has the same chord progression from the original throughout, the same piano melody and pretty much the same drums. But when I decided to put the track in a more progressive direction for Zerothree, I changed the vocal away from the original to give it a more housey sound and less of a ‘classic trance’ vocal sound. Whilst I kept the same bassline melody and rhythm, I softened the actual synth sound and made it a little smoother as supposed that classic rugged, tough, saw wave sound in the rolling 16ths pattern. The main element of the track that changed was swapping out an arpeggiated topline melody for the more progressive chord stab pattern melody which runs pretty much throughout.
Dimitris: When the track finished did the label accepted it as it was produced or did the label recommend you to do some changes or fix certain things?
Farius: The version submitted to Zerothree didn’t need too much tweaking - just the odd thing here and there which is normal (and needed) when a different pair of ears listen to a record for the first time. After getting some feedback on the mix from Jamie at Zerothree, I bounced all the tracks down to audio and mixed it fresh from scratch. That was pretty much it - I tested it out at a show in Paris last September and it really went off - so then it was time for mastering.
Dimitris: Is this track an original composition or is it based on a template from another track produced from you or another producer?
Farius: I would say the track fits around the normal structure for my tracks which I have found works for my sets, but apart from that - entirely original!
Dimitris: Please describe to us the studio that you have produced the track?
Farius: I don’t have much in my studio - it’s just a small room in Shoreditch, London which is acoustically treated.
Dimitris: What is your favourite hardware and software set up?
Farius: I am very much one of the new-school producers out there, pretty much everything I do is entirely ‘in the box’. The only hardware I have is a 52 note midi keyboard - that is literally it. I’m sure some people might be surprised by that, but I’ve found the way that works for me when I write and produce - everyone is different. I have much admiration and appreciation for producers who began writing tracks on hard synths and continue to do so, but for me it just wasn’t affordable or physically possible to start out that way. In terms of software, I have really got to know my way around a handful of VSTs so I can really manipulate and build a sound from scratch before processing it. In terms of third party software plugins, I’ve kind of found the ones that work for me - certain delays, reverbs, EQs, distortion etc, but I’m always trying to challenge myself to keep up with the newer stuff out there. For instance the Endless Smiler made by Dada Life was shown to me by another producer last year - that’s the kind of newer plugin I try to work with to push my sound on.
Dimitris: Do you have in mind any new gear that you wish to get in order to raise the quality of your production?
Farius: There are stacks and stacks of third party plugins and VSTs that I would love to get my hands on. As always, it comes down to money and hard drive space. The one VST which is next on my list is Omnisphere 2 - I am almost embarrassed I don’t have it yet as it’s such a beast of a instrument and is so versatile.
Dimitris: Do you master the track yourself or the mastering is task for the record label?
Farius: I always like to get a fresh pair of ears on my tracks. I kind of think it’s similar to a builder and a house. A builder wouldn’t put a house on the market that they have built from the first brick upwards themselves without lots of other people’s input, opinions and ideas - and there are certain things that other people can do that a builder isn’t qualified to do. For me, I never learnt the fine art of the mastering process or master engineering - so I prefer to let someone who really knows what they’re doing in that department do their thing on my tracks. Moreover, I’ve always thought of myself as a musician first and a producer/engineer second. So when a mastering engineer who knows their stuff can apply it to a track I’ve produced, I’m always happy to let them do that.
Dimitris: Do you understand mastering as being essential?
Farius: Everyone is different when it comes to this but for me - yes it is. It can really take your track up a notch or two - but my advice would be to write and produce a track with the understanding that it’s not essential, if that makes sense. That way, when you do finish writing it, the mastering will really polish it and take it to the next level. There are also times when you’ll want to test a track out before its finished - as I did with Running Away - so you can make tweaks to the sounds and maybe the structure where necessary - so in that sense you’ll want the track to be sonically as good as you can get it on your own so it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb in your sets when road testing it.
Dimitris: There is a growing trend of vinyl coming back for good. Would you like to see this track released on vinyl or any other of your future tracks?
Farius: I mean, it would be cool to be able to hold a physical copy of a track I’ve written - bearing in mind I am of a DJ and producer generation that didn’t have it first time around. But I certainly don’t lose sleep over not having my tracks on vinyl! Although if Zerothree are offering to have it pressed for me…
Dimitris: Do you prefer digital files or vinyl?
Farius: Digital all the way - it’s what I’m used to from since I started out (along with the CD phase).
Dimitris: Do you have any future releases planned and when will be released?
Farius: Yes - this year is looking great for releases. I have two more scheduled for the end of February and end of March respectively, and also some others I have finished that will follow in mid 2019 on some different labels.
Dimitris: Please share with us your favourite Top 5 tracks at this moment!
Farius: 1. ilan Bluestone & Sunny Lax - 43+86=129 (Sunny Lax 303 Mix) [Anjunabeats]
2. No Mana & i_o - Bad Things ft. Fay (Original Mix) [Mau5trap]
3. Lee Coulson - We Found You (Original Mix) [Zerothree]
4. Sodality - Challenger (Original Mix) [Statement!]
5. Flynthe & Chewie - Osaka (Original Mix) [Zerothree]
Dimitris: Do you have any more DJ gigs planned for the next few months? If yes please note them down here.
Farius: At the moment I’m playing in the US and Canada, returning to Europe in February. A few dates are in for Europe throughout the year, including Paris and Cologne. I’ll be back in the States towards the end of the year, and then there’s the all important WMC in Miami in March, so watch this space for that…
Dimitris: Best piece of advice you got in relation to your career so far and best tip you learnt recently to make your tracks better....
Farius: Time and patience. I know that’s a big cliché, but its true. I’m very much a ‘now, now, now’ person generally in life - I work at a pretty fast pace 7 days a week and I often have to remind myself that patience can be more rewarding in the long run. That said, dedication makes up a huge part of success in our world, and dedication means working hard and fast at times.
In terms of production and making my tracks better, I have learnt that working with and alongside others brings about better overall results - but it took me a long time to realise that. There’s no shame in having someone else work on your own work. I used to think that it was a cop out to have someone else even mix your tracks down, but as I learnt more about the industry and production, I learnt that as long as you can feel your own originality in your tracks and that you have written it, there is no harm in working with someone else to find the best end product. Send your tracks to others producers for feedback too - not friends who will just tell you what you want to hear - actual producers who won’t sugar coat something they don’t like or doesn’t sound right. Take it on board and use it as constructive criticism, and find a way to hear what they’re saying in a positive light. That also goes for a good A&R person at any label - they generally know what they’re talking about - working alongside them as supposed to thinking you know best will undoubtedly bring about better results in the long run.
Dimitris: In 2018 the electronic music talent AVICII died and this has alerted several artists to become more health conscious. Are there any lessons to learn as an artist out from this sad event?
Farius: Absolutely. I think society in general has a problem with talking about mental health and depression. Personally I believe we need to think about our mental health in the same way as we do about our physical health and bodies. Our industry is a huge hotbed for mental health problems; the hours and the unpredictable lifestyle of travelling and playing shows for a start, coupled with the solitude of working long hours on your own in a studio - for me anyway - can have huge implications on your mental health and well being. And let’s be frank - take all of that and mix it into an environment where there’s drugs, alcohol, adrenaline, excitement and knock-backs all at the same time - I’m amazed that we haven’t been having this conversation for longer about mental health in our industry.
Dimitris: Can you give us your best travel tips in order to survive the long travelling hours?
Farius: Hand sanitiser gel! No, really, people give me funny looks when I wipe down the entirety of my plane seat, armrests and tray table before a flight but if you knew that the bathroom on the plane was cleaner than the seat you’re in…
Sleep too, I always make sure I get four to six hours anywhere in a 24 hour period, whatever timezone I’m in or set time I’m playing.
Dimitris: There is a big movement for revival of classic tracks and as a result of this retro events have boomed with music policy of solely classic tracks. What is your opinion about events or stages only with classics and can you choose for us your absolute 3 favourite classics?
Farius: Personally I’ve always enjoyed being at the forefront of upfront and fresh music - and have always tried to push my music forwards as supposed to backwards, but I totally understand the nostalgia of classic only events. Dance music has been around for quite some time now, there are going to be people who want to be transported back to a time when the music they grew up with was fresh and new.
1. Chicane - Saltwater - this was one of the first trance records I heard which made me really get into electronic dance music and more specifically melodic dance music.
2. Faithless - We Come One - again, another track from my teens which had a huge influence on me deciding to get into DJing, mainly due to the incredible atmosphere the track creates on a dance floor.
3. Paul van Dyk - For An Angel - an iconic trance record and producer who I’ve always had a huge amount of respect for. So when I had my first release on his label in 2016 it really was a dream come true.
Check the Zerothree releases so far!
Thanks so much to Farius for his brilliant detailed and well thought answers.
Many thanks to Greg Sawyer at Additive Music PR for organising this interview.
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