A fast-rising name in the global electronic circuit, AVG has been steadily carving out his place with a sound that blends melodic depth, Afro rhythms, and house grooves.
Photo credit: AVG – Official
Backed by artists such as Black Coffee, Themba, and Badbox, his productions reflect a balance of intuition and technical craft.
Recently, AVG joined Pete Tong and Parisi on the single ‘Places & Spaces’, released on Tong’s new label of the same name, where the collaboration highlighted his ability to merge styles into immersive journeys.
Now, AVG shares his perspective from inside the studio, offering practical advice that reflects his own creative process and evolving vision.
1. Understanding the track
In the process of making music, something usually comes into your hands, like a vocal acapella, a bassline, or some samples. There are multiple factors to consider: the key, harmonies, lyrics, and structure. It’s important to understand the strong parts of the track—the ones that catch attention. That gives you an idea of what the essence of the song is, and what we can do with it—how far we can push without losing focus and the intention behind it.
2. Structure
The arrangement is everything for me: what elements come first and what comes later. Usually, I start with a solid drums beat full of percussion and a strong kick. Then I play around with them to make a 16 or 32-bar loop. Once I’m happy, I can start structuring the track with effects.
3. BPM
Finding the right BPM is very important. I usually like to slow it down a bit, since as a DJ you can always speed it up live.
4. Sidechain
I use multiple sidechain plugins, like Trackspacer, to trigger different sounds—not just the kick and bass, but also piano, synths, or leads. The goal is to create glue between the elements and let them talk to each other, if you know what I mean.
5. Be different
Don’t forget to experiment and take risks. Think about what will come next in sounds and trends, and be a pioneer.
Pete Tong and AVG’s ‘Places & Spaces’ is out now on Places & Spaces. Stream and download here.
Follow AVG: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
