Wilkinson: “Buy one decent controller and synth, and learn them inside out…The producers I admire know their tools incredibly well.”Ad feature with Novation
“Headlining Alexandra Palace has been my dream since day one,” said British producer Wilkinson on Instagram last November. That sentiment was posted two days after the d’n’b artist played his ambitious NIRVA show at the iconic London venue, with 10,000 ravers behind him, hands in the air.
NIRVA, which was the biggest headlining live show of his 16-year career to date, was created alongside INFINITY, Wilkinson’s fifth album. He produced the album during a frantic period of moving house, moving studio, and building the brand-new show. But the March 2026 album’s success is a function of this chaos, with the swirling life events making Wilkinson consider “tension and how songs connect together,” he tells us.
With collaborations from the likes of Kaskade and Camo & Crooked, INFINITY is a gritty, explosive and, at times, pensive record. Alongside the rolling synth bass and anthemic stabs are serene and soaring vocals from Julia Church, Ilira, iiola, and Emily Makis.

We speak with the artist amidst his summer tour to hear why a new plugin purchase won’t unlock the sound you want, and why he just can’t let go of his Novation Bass Station.
Hey Wilkinson! You produced INFINITY while moving house and studio, plus the ambitious NIRVA show. What impact did all of that have on your decisions in the production process?
“It was one of the busiest periods I’ve ever had. The time it took to make the album definitely influenced the different styles of drum ‘n’ bass on the record. As what I was playing in my sets was evolving, so was my inspiration for the album.
NIRVA definitely influenced the album as it evolved. Once you’re designing a live show on that scale, you naturally start thinking about dynamics, tension and how songs connect together. I wasn’t writing tracks specifically for the show, but I was imagining how certain moments would translate live.”
Tell us about NIRVA. What did you learn about your own music when putting this show together?
“It was probably the biggest creative challenge I’ve taken on. A DJ set is one thing, but building a live show from the ground up forces you to look at your catalogue completely differently.
I realised how important space and emotion are. In the studio it’s easy to think about drops and impact, but on stage the quieter moments become just as important because they make the bigger moments feel even bigger. It made me appreciate that a lot of my music isn’t just about energy, it’s about contrast and emotion.”
Wilkinson @ Alexandra Palace. Image: Emma Davies & Ed Fry / Novation
NIRVA has a frantic, exciting light show, but not the kind of visuals we typically see at raves these days. What convinced you to avoid the screens and roll with only the lights?
“That was a very deliberate decision. LED screens are amazing but they’re everywhere now. I wanted people looking at the performance rather than watching another giant video wall. So I put these to the side of the stage so that people at the back could feel immersed in the performance.”
“Light has this incredible ability to create atmosphere without telling the audience exactly what to think. It feels more timeless and leaves more room for imagination. We wanted something that felt immersive rather than cinematic, almost like the lighting itself became another instrument in the show.”
Can you run us through your NIRVA setup?
“Everything is built around making the performance feel live rather than simply pressing play. Ableton Live is the heart of the show, but there’s a lot happening around it. We trigger different sections, stems, and transitions live, and I’m constantly manipulating effects, bringing elements in and out, and extending sections depending on the energy in the room.”
“My Novation controllers are a massive part of that workflow because they let me get hands-on without thinking about the technology. Whether it’s launching clips, triggering moments or controlling effects, everything becomes muscle memory, which means I can stay focused on the performance instead of staring at a laptop.”
Wilkinson @ Alexandra Palace. Image: Emma Davies & Ed Fry / Novation
The Novation Bass Station has been a fixture in your setup for years. What is it about that synth that’s kept it in the chain when so much else has come and gone?
“It just has a character that never gets old. There are loads of software synths that can technically do similar things, but there’s something about reaching over, grabbing a filter and hearing it respond instantly that always sparks ideas. It cuts through a mix really naturally, whether it’s a bassline, a lead or just some texture sitting underneath everything else. I’ve owned loads of gear over the years, but the Bass Station has always found its way back into sessions because it’s immediate. You spend less time programming and more time making music.”
Back in the studio, what’s the path from idea to recorded sounds? What sparks an idea for you?
“Every track starts differently. Sometimes it’s a vocal, sometimes it’s a chord progression, sometimes it’s literally just a sound that makes me stop what I’m doing.”
“I try to get ideas down really quickly before I start analysing them. Ableton Live is where everything comes together because it’s so immediate, and then I’ll start pulling in hardware if something needs more personality. Quite often, it’s the imperfections from a real synth or recording that end up becoming the thing the whole track is built around.”
You said recently that you find a lot of inspiration outside D’n’B, and that you want to “start stepping out of drum and bass in my production and my sets”. What does that actually look like; do you have a vision for that when you’ve finished the tour?
“Drum ‘n’ bass is in an amazing place, but I never want to feel boxed in by one genre. I’m constantly listening to other genres of music and bringing those influences into the style of music I create. I don’t ever see myself ever leaving drum ‘n’ bass behind. I’m just excited to explore some other genres that have a similar energy and include them in my next album project.”

In 2019, you worked with Sub Focus at Real World Studios. Did working in a studio like that change what you reach for when you’re back in your own room?
“It reminds you that great studios aren’t just about having expensive equipment; they’re about creating an environment where you can focus completely on making music. Working there definitely made me think more about recording real sounds and using space creatively, but when I got back home I realised the most important thing is still having a setup that lets you work quickly. Ideas disappear if your workflow gets in the way.”
If a producer wanted the closest honest entry point to your sound on a sensible budget, what would you point them to first?
“I’d tell them to buy one decent controller, synth and learn them inside out. People often think another plugin or another expensive bit of hardware is going to unlock something, but it’s usually the opposite. The producers I admire know their tools incredibly well.”
Wilkinson @ Alexandra Palace. Image: Emma Davies & Ed Fry / Novation
After 15 years of Wilkinson, you must have a good sense of what works for you and what doesn’t. What’s a music production myth you often hear that you think needs debunking?
“That finishing a track means it’s perfect. Most of the records people connect with have imperfections in them, and that’s what gives them their individual character. I think people can get stuck chasing technical perfection instead of emotion. If something makes you feel something, that’s usually the most important thing.”
INFINITY‘s still fresh and the festival run is in full swing. Where does the sound and the studio go next: new gear, new processes, a new room?
“The biggest thing is creating space to experiment again. The last couple of years have been about delivering a huge show and finishing an album. Once touring settles down, I want to get back to making music without expectations.”
“There’ll always be new gear to try, but I’m actually more interested in finding new ways of working. Changing the process usually has a much bigger impact than buying another piece of equipment. That’s where the exciting ideas tend to come from.”
The post Wilkinson: “Buy one decent controller and synth, and learn them inside out…The producers I admire know their tools incredibly well.” appeared first on MusicTech.