London-based DJ and producer Talal has built a career spanning performances across Europe, North America, and beyond, with appearances at Robot Heart’s Further Future Festival, Cream Amnesia Ibiza, ADE, and La Torre Ibiza.
Photo credit: Talal – Official
His productions have received support from artists including Adriatique, John Digweed, Maceo Plex, Solomun, Petar Dundov, and Eelke Kleijn, while earning airplay on BBC, Sirius XM, Ibiza Global Radio, and other international broadcasters.
Now, the producer returns to Black Rose with his forthcoming three-track ‘One Thirty’ EP, due for release on July 24th, 2026. Blending Melodic Deep House with warm basslines, evolving melodies, and immersive atmospheres, the release follows a string of charting productions and remixes, including a recent contribution to Booka Shade’s album that reached the Apple Music charts in 58 countries.
To celebrate the release, Talal shares five studio tips covering everything from label research and sound design to songwriting, mixing, and mastering.
1. Understand labels and their sounds
Take a few moments to consider what seasonal direction certain labels are focusing on. It doesn’t mean you need to work to a specific formula, but it helps in the demo pitch process and later with the mastering if you have some ballpark sound ideas in mind. Moreover, label demo reviewers will appreciate that you are sending something that is within or at least partially within the sound area they work in; this makes it easier for them to promote and distribute.
2. Separate sound design from songwriting
Take your time building a good new folder of sounds you find interesting; try to keep this separate from the songwriting process, otherwise you can get overworked, as though building a house and changing the materials of the house at the same time. Once you have a large enough folder of new sounds that you like, stop that process and begin drafting some songs.
3. Break the songwriting process into stages
Make the main full part of the song, take your time, and enjoy getting the full components together. Then return another time to determine the sequencing of the intro, break, and conclusion, and later come back once more to focus on the smaller details that define each section. Trying to do everything simultaneously can become exhausting, while sequencing your workflow often leads to stronger results.
4. Test your mix in different listening environments
Consider your mixdown from different listening perspectives. Some material translates better on a large club or festival sound system, while other tracks work better through headphones. Review your work across multiple playback environments, such as headphones, studio monitors, the car, and live systems. There are plenty of tools available to help simulate different audio contexts, making it easier to make confident final mix decisions before mastering.
5. Give your mastering engineer direction and room to experiment
Think about the sonic references you’d like your mastering engineer to consider, but remain open to their interpretation. Those reference points should already be informed by the labels and styles you’ve researched during the production process. Offer guidance, but also allow enough creative freedom for the engineer to explore ideas that may improve the final result.
Talal’s ‘One Thirty’ EP is set for release on July 24th, 2026, via Black Rose.
Follow Talal: Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram
