New Jersey’s Danner (US) has carved out a signature sound built on deep grooves, crisp percussion, and emotive hooks.
Photo credit: Danner (US) – Official
With releases on labels like Desert Hearts, Coco, Issues, and Rawthentic, his productions reveal a disciplined yet instinctive approach—shaped by daily sessions and a strong creative identity. Now, he returns with ‘Babalica’, a new single out via Sloth Acid, the imprint founded by Sacha Robotti.
To mark the release, Danner (US) shares five essential studio tips that reflect his minimalist workflow and focused mindset.
1. Warm up your ears
I stole this idea from Ben Remember but it’s been super useful to me. Before I even open my DAW I spend 15 minutes or so just listening to my reference tracks for the record I’ll be working on. Just as you would stretch and warm up before exercising or playing sports, you should allow your ears to warm up. I find that listening to my reference tracks also helps me get into the mindset for the record I’ll be working on.
2. Listen at low volumes
I’m in the studio every day from about 5a–8a while everyone in my house is sleeping. This means I primarily mix in headphones. I make it a point to have my volume low. Same principle should apply if you’re listening back on studio monitors though. Listening at lower volumes will help keep your ears fresh for longer and in my opinion your mix will sound better. If something sounds great listening back at low volumes, it will sound great when cranked up!
3. Sound choice
You can have the best mix in the world but if your sound choice isn’t right, then the record still won’t work. Be mindful of your reference tracks to help you with sound selection. While your goal isn’t to copy a reference track, it’s there to help you with your mix, vibe, give ideas for arrangement, and should help move the track along from start to finish.
4. Less is more
My tracks are pretty minimal when it comes to production. I try to avoid loading up my channels with plugins. If your sound choice is good, you shouldn’t need a ton of processing to get your mix sounding proper. Most of my tracks simply have saturation, EQ, and some compression to do all the heavy lifting. I find you get bigger results by keeping things simple.
5. Have trusted ears for feedback
How many times have you sent a new record to a bunch of friends and they all say “cool record”? I’ve made it a point to only ask for feedback from a few trusted friends who will be honest with me. They know my style, they know my sound, and they aren’t afraid to tell me when something is shit. It helps you become a better producer and keeps a certain level of quality of record. If you don’t have that person(s) in your orbit, there are so many online communities — I’m a member of R Trybe for example — where you can get access to people who can get you that feedback. (I’m not sponsored or anything by R Trybe — just love that community and what they do.)
Danner (US)’s ‘Babalica’ is out now on Sloth Acid. Stream and download here.
Follow Danner (US): Spotify | Instagram | Soundcloud
