BlackGummy on his approach to sound design: “Instead of just focusing on how something sounds, I pay attention to why it sounds that way”LA producer and DJ BlackGummy has long built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of electronic music – and a major part of that evolution, he says, came from shifting his focus from how a sound feels to why it feels that way.
Speaking with MusicTech, he explains that this mindset was shaped in part by his time working with Steve Duda on the now-iconic synthesizer Serum, an experience that fundamentally rewired his understanding of sound itself.

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“Having Steve Duda as my mentor while he was developing Serum gave me an inside look at the mechanics and details that make the synth as special, unique, and forward-thinking as it is,” says the producer.
“From his ability to achieve higher bit depths in the wavetable than other VST synths available at the time to the way he approached sound at its most fundamental level, it definitely changed how I listened in general.”
That shift led him to focus less on surface-level tone and more on the architecture behind it: “Instead of just focusing on how something sounds, I started paying attention to why it sounds that way — what makes a waveform feel alive or warm, how modulation affects emotion and how small imperfections can make something more human,” he explains.
“I stopped relying on presets and started treating every sound as something that should have its own identity and purpose.”
It’s a philosophy that underpins much of Ra(z/is)e, his new concept album built on raw waveforms, evolving textures and intentionally imperfect movement.
And that same mindset also informs how he thinks about the wider world of music production. Asked which production myth he wishes people would let go of, BlackGummy’s answer is immediate: the idea that there’s a “right” way to make music.
“People get caught up in rules about mixing, loudness or arrangement but in reality, creativity doesn’t follow a formula,” he says. “Some of the most interesting sounds or moments I’ve made came from breaking those rules or doing something that technically shouldn’t work.”
What matters most, he adds, is instinct: “It’s easy to get stuck thinking you need to follow the same steps as everyone else, but experimentation is what makes music personal. If it feels good and sounds right to you, that’s what matters most.”
Read the full interview at MusicTech.
The post BlackGummy on his approach to sound design: “Instead of just focusing on how something sounds, I pay attention to why it sounds that way” appeared first on MusicTech.