Iuly.B is a DJ and music producer known for his contributions to the electronic music scene, particularly in the genres of minimal and tech house. Originating from Romania, he has gained recognition for his distinctive sound characterized by deep basslines, intricate rhythms, and a minimalist aesthetic. Emerging from the vibrant Romanian electronic music scene, he is also known for his deep, hypnotic sound and immersive live performances. We mentioned Iuly.B in a previous article about music production software. Here is the top-ten-questions interview with Iuly.B. Xenon Magazine: What initially drew you to electronic music, and how did your journey into the world of DJing and production begin? Iuly.B: Hello and thank you for the interview opportunity. I have been listening to a lot of music since I was a child. I remember those times when I was just sitting in front of a basic stereo system, because I had no computer back in the day, and I was purely enjoying music. I was curious about lots of genres but the most intriguing part for me was the bass, so everything was related to it. That’s why when I first heard some minimal techno presented through Richie Hawtin’s sets and compilations, I was completely blown away and got super interested in this genre. Long story short, the journey continued for some years, exploring other related genres from the house and techno area, making me more interested in DJ-ing, followed up by production.
Xenon Magazine: Can you describe your typical production process? How do you approach creating a track from scratch? Iuly.B: My production process lately consists in little planning ahead followed up by a lot of exploration or improvisation. Sometimes I use my personal notes to use specific sounds or grooves in a project and other times it’s pure exploration because the number of digital instruments accessible nowadays offers the comfort of just going with the flow. Diving a bit deeper into the process, I usually load a drum machine from Reason, Redrum or Umpf Club Drums because the provided samples are really nice. After obtaining a decent beat, I focus on the bassline so I can get the groove going – Subtractor does a great job in obtaining heavy basslines. With a nice looping groove I can explore whether I want the other elements like synths or pads to go into an energetic vibe or melodic vibe. It’s usually about the exploration of sounds and effects, because that’s what brings the fun rather than focusing on really specific techniques or ideas, but don’t get me wrong: specific techniques or ideas are good to apply when you feel they’re needed, but it’s not something to always start with. The synth exploration in Reason is also endless. I have used other VSTs in the past from Arturia, Omnisphere, or Reaktor but with the big updates in Reason, I can always find something suitable for a new project. The final part is going into the arrangement mode: there’s also a lot of work here to keep things interesting in order to not sound too loopy. Altering some parameters and changing the sequencer steps are key methods I use to keep things dynamic.
