Boogietraxx shares his “secret recipe” for a great track within his scene. It’s less about the formula and more about the tools and workflow to expose tips and inspiration!
1Themes
Disco House & Jackin’ House really encompasses what I produce. 115 bpm to get groovy, 127 bpm to be exciting. Mainly strong female vocals from the 70s—they drive the track’s emotion. I dig through Splice and old disco/folk records and loop one bar at a time to find good loops.
2Equipment
I work in Ableton and use a Maschine Mikro to tap out intricate drum patterns in midi mode. I start tracks on my KORG NanoKey2, mapping chords and intro pads then move to my M-Audio Keystation 49 for more complex melodies (it has more keys). I love the stock Ableton synths, especially Operator and Grand Piano (with a flanger and side-chain to create filter house feel). u-he’s Repro-1 & Repro-5 are great for writing basslines and their Diva synth makes nice arpeggiated melodies and top lines. I write out the basslines on my Fender Squier Jaguar bass, run through Guitar Rig 6 to simulate bass amps and add better tones.
3Live
Right now my gigs are mostly based on CDJs. I’ve drummed in bands for 15 years so I’m working on a live set up to play with my stems—solo at first (I love how Henry Invisible does it) but ideally two/three people for guitars and keys. My wife plays keys and is featured on some tracks.
4Get a taste of Boogietraxx
Boogietraxx is Brandon Anthony Keeks. As a rhythmic renovator of retro funk, Boogietraxx offers a lens into the discoverse that brought dance music to the masses but offers a uniquely soulful and modern twist.
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