“I learn bits from him but mostly it’s all happening too fast for me”: Four Tet says Skrillex’s use of Ableton is like “alchemy”Four Tet has shared what it’s like working alongside his friends and collaborators Fred again… and Skrillex, and how Skrillex’s use of Ableton is like “alchemy” as he works at such a fast pace.
The trio are an unstoppable force in the world of electronic music, and Four Tet – whose real name is Kieran Hebden – says he learns from watching both of them work in a studio environment, though Skrillex’s workflow is a little overwhelming.

READ MORE: 7 music production techniques you can learn from Four Tet’s ‘Three’

Fans of Skrillex probably won’t be all that surprised to hear about his rather insane production ways – his experimental nature can be traced way back to his early catalogue. During his episode of the Tape Notes podcast, Four Tet explains that Fred again…, however, has a more mellow approach.
“[I’ve been] learning from Fred a lot about songwriting, seeing him just think so much in terms of the song, always, and being like ‘well, what’s the actual emotional idea here?’ and ‘what’s the song at the heart of it all?’
“[There’s] all sorts of sounds and drops and all these sorts of things, but unless there’s a song in there somewhere then he’s sort of less… It’s not working for what he’s trying to achieve and that’s very interesting to see, somebody who’s such a good songwriter.”

As for Skrillex, he says his production technique is “insane”: “Just watching him use Ableton is the highest level I’ve ever seen, the pace he works at and the way he knows how to use plugins and make sounds, it’s very overwhelming actually.
“I don’t really understand why his stuff sounds so insanely good, I watch him do it and it seems like alchemy to me, it’s another level. And I learn bits and pieces from him but mostly I look at it and it’s just all happening too fast for me to really replicate the ideas but it’s so brilliant to have him be like, ‘oh, hang on let me sort this out I’ll make the drop really really good’ you know? … He just does it in this amazing way.”
Of their dynamic as a trio, he continues, “The three of us complement each other really well, I think. They both bring things that I don’t necessarily know how to do, and then I must be bringing things to them that they don’t know how to do. I’ll finish one of these tracks and they’re saying to me, ‘how the hell have you made this?’”
Check out the podcast below:

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