12 Questions Episode 336: Ian Meyer

The 336th episode of our 12 Questions segment features producer Ian Meyer.

1. How old are you, where are you living and how long have you been producing and Djing?

I am currently 25 years old and I’m living in Moscow right now. I also spend a lot of time in “Valencia” in “Manchester” and also other places with friends in different countries. I started with DJing from attended a DJ school in 2003 and my first live Dj mixing experience was in bar in 2007 at a party with friends.

I have I’ve been recording or playing with music ideas since I was 10 years old.
I used to have a old “Casio” synthesizer for learning my music and I was recording tracks using the record player.

In 1998 I started making music using “Fruity Loops”, “Cubase”, “Ableton”, “Logic” and “Pro Tools”. I was working many years with analog equipment such as “AKAI MPC2000” for drums and “Roland JP8000” for creating Synth samples, Nagra IV-S , Moog Synthsisers. Some great preams, with Tubes. I’m a really big fan of “analog sounds ”.

2. Where do your musical roots lie and what are your first memories of electronic music? Did you know you wanted to pursue it seriously? And there any particular productions or artists from the past that really made you think to yourself this is what I want to do?

All my family are all musicians and I attended Music School learning Drums. After I finished the music school in 2003 I started at a DJ-school.

For a long time I was inspired by listening to “Drum ‘and Bass” music whilst I was at school. From 2007 I was getting into listening to “Liquid Funk”, “Old school”, more “Drum’n’Bass” and I started following radio stations such as: BBC “Radio 1 Shows”, “1Xtra” and I recorded the shows all on my computer between 2007 and 2015.

I really enjoyed listening to “New Generation Jazz” from “Gilles Peterson”. I’m inspired by classic Jungle Music by “Dillinja”, “Lemon D”, Fabio & Grooverider”, “Dj Bailey”, and “DJ Hype, Generation Dub, TC. I also have a have big collection Disco & House Music like, “Mark Farina”, “John Digweed old Transition Shows”, “Carl Cox”, “DJ Pierre” and “Louie Vega”.

3. How difficult was It learning how to produce for you in the beginning? Did you take any Audio Engineering programs or production courses to help you out or are you pretty much self-taught? And did anyone give any advice early on that really helped?

The first time I experimented with production I didn’t think it was difficult but was more interesting. I’m really self-taught; I spent a lot of time reading books about engineering music and lots of Internet research. I did once meet with show experienced studio engineers who gave me some advice and pointers.

4. What parts of the production process do you find the most difficult and what comes easiest for you? When you do hit a creative block what helps you through it?

First I start working with a Kick and Bass and searching perfect tonality for the track. When I write music I can work from 5 to 8 or12 hours and it will be some new improvisation, some new changes, and new and new ideas.

5. What is a normal day like for you? Do you have a job outside of electronic music? And what do you like to do when you are not working on music?

I really love going to the gym, sport is my hobby. But these days I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies.

6. Apart from electronic music what other genres do you listen to and who are your favorite artists outside of electronic? and do these genres or artists have a direct effect on your own productions?

These days, I’m only really listening to Underground music like techno and Tech house. Sometimes Drum”and”Bass, Jungle, Classic Rock

7. What was the first and last physical (CD, Vinyl, Cassette etc) piece of music you bought?

I really love vinyl. When I was studied at DJ school I fell in love with vinyl.
I ended up buying Technics 1210 but not have a lot vinyl and then start work with “Pioneer CDJ”
The first vinyl I bought was “Distorted Minds – T-10 (Remixes) [KAOS 006R] (Dillinja, Clipz Remix)”

8. Tell us something about yourself that might surprise people?

I was working for a long time, like 8 years as an IT administrator (Specialist IT Engineer.) in Medical Canter.

9. Which producers in your opinion get consistently overlooked?

10. Which producers consistently inspire you? And where else does your inspiration come
from?

Dosem, Ramon Tapia, Rafa Barrios, Ramiro Lopez, John Tejada, Nick Warren, Jimpster, Joel Mull, Mark Reeve, Adam Beyer, Harvey Mckey, Carlo Lio, Guy J, Wehbba, Pig&Dan, John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo, Dustin Zahn, Cari Lekebusch, Joseph Capriati … and many others

11. There are countless producers out there trying to find their way and create their own unique sound, what advice do you have for them?

If you want to make really nice music, then I think you should also I should listen to music a lot. If you want to become a great composer, you have to become a great listener. Just I think.

12. If the final DJ/live set of your career was next week what would your last track be?

Hmm, This is very difficult there are lots of great compositions. I think it would have to be a very long track if it was the final. If it were in in the morning it would have to be something very for evening.

‘Source’ is out now on Stellar Fountain, you can purchase the release: here