With exceptional skills as a producer, DJ, and even a studio and label owner, Ornery has established himself as a versatile talent in the industry.
Photo credit: Ornery – Official
Continuing to release impactful music and showcase his dynamic signature sound, Ornery is quickly becoming a prominent figure in the genre.
This interview will take us on a captivating journey into Ornery’s music production career. He will share his unique approach to music creation and his unwavering creative motivation.
EG: Hi there Ornery, welcome to EG! How are you?
Ornery: Hello, and first of all, thanks for having me. I’m doing very well, thanks!
EG: Can you walk us through your journey into Electronic Music production? What inspired you to start pursuing a career as a Producer?
Ornery: Clubs are what attracted me to electronic music at first. The environment, the atmosphere, the sense of freedom and joy, the chance to live a different reality, even just for a few hours. DJing came second; I got into it very quickly. Digging for music, finding out what other DJs were playing and mixing, developing my own style and taste: those are all things that somehow came very naturally, things that I was into right away. Production came as a “last piece of the puzzle” kind of thing. It opened up an entirely new world: having a complete “blank sheet,” and the possibility to write a new story every time, is still what fascinates me the most about it.
EG: What was the first and last piece of equipment you bought?
Ornery: I’m pretty sure that Native Instruments Maschine (the very first model) was the first “real” piece of equipment that I bought, besides the computer, of course. I tried to find my way around it at the beginning and develop some kind of workflow. The last piece of equipment I bought is the brand-new Ableton Push 3! I admit that I haven’t explored it fully yet, but it’s been amazing so far. I got the standalone version as the possibility to play a live set without a laptop is something that I want to pursue in the near future.
EG: Do you have a favorite DAW?
Ornery: I have to say Ableton Live, although I really like Logic as well. I would say that Ableton is unbeatable for writing ideas and getting them out quickly. The whole live aspect really puts it in a different category. But as I said, Logic is also excellent, and certainly more of a classic DAW, which I don’t mind. I’m trying to use it for creating ideas more often, rather than for finalizing, mixing, and mastering.
“I always start with the melodic part first: it could be a riff, a chord, or even just an atmospheric sample that has something interesting in it”
EG: How do you approach starting a new track? Can you explain your usual workflow?
Ornery: I always start with the melodic part first: it could be a riff, a chord, or even just an atmospheric sample that has something interesting in it. Once I have an idea that I like, I try to build and create two or three more melodic elements around that. Only at that point do I add drums. I don’t mind using samples; I actually find it quite interesting and inspiring. The important thing is to make them your own and add your touch to them. I like to “commit to audio” pretty quickly and drag as much as I can directly into the arrangement view. From there, it’s just a matter of developing the track, making it more interesting, and making it a compelling story. Sometimes the story evolves in a certain way that you have to go back and rewrite some parts that you did in the beginning, so I do that. I try to bounce some rough drafts as soon as I can, just to listen to them in a different environment and see how they feel. That’s pretty much my process. With remixes, it’s very similar, although you have a much larger starting point.
EG: Which plugins and effects are your favorites?
Ornery: I love everything coming from u-he (Diva, Zebra, Repro, etc.), always excellent-sounding. Komplete from Native Instruments is a constant discovery, being such an enormous collection. Lately, I’ve also gotten into the Slate+Ash stuff: a crazy series of instruments and generators that make very interesting sounds and are infinitely tweakable. Must-try! As far as effects, I enjoy using everything from Soundtoys, but also some of the Ableton stock ones, which are pretty good and can give you unexpected results. For mixing and mastering, you can’t beat the Slate Digital collection and/or iZotope Ozone.
EG: What are some of your most-used pieces of equipment?
Ornery: I have to stick with Maschine here. I’ve definitely been experimenting with new approaches and new ways of working lately, but Maschine still remains my “go-to” when it comes to browsing sounds quickly and having an initial spark. My AIAIAI TMA-2 Studio Headphones would come second, probably.
EG: Do you have any go-to production techniques that you always use when producing a track?
Ornery: I have many, but my favorite is probably creating atmosphere using synth/lead/melodic samples. I take a “standard”, clean-sounding sample, cut and loop a small part of it, and then start having some fun processing it. Crazy delays, reverbs, granulators, distortion… The possibilities are endless! You can get lost in it, but as long as you can fit it into your mix, you’ll have something truly unique in your track.
“I’ve actually learned to accept that myself only recently”
EG: What would you say is important to keep in mind when producing?
Ornery: Developing your own way of doing things, without chasing any particular trend. That’s what will really make you stand out!
EG: Finally, how do you stay inspired and remain motivated?
Ornery: A tough question! I think it’s normal to not feel inspired and motivated on certain days, especially after dedicating a significant amount of time to music. I’ve actually learned to accept that myself only recently. So, I believe accepting that is an important first step. More practically, besides the obvious “take a break”, I try to learn new ways of working, find new sounds, or even revisit old unfinished projects. At the same time, I find that archiving projects and organizing things is also very useful and provides you with a feeling of “I’ll recreate this, and it’ll be even better”, which can give you new confidence and a boost of energy.
EG: With such a clear commitment to keep evolving and exploring your sound, you appear to be continuing on a trajectory to become one of the most exciting and innovative talents in the scene today. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Ornery, and we look forward to hearing more music from you soon.
Ornery: Thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure discussing my journey and sharing my insights. I appreciate the support, and I’m excited to continue creating and sharing my music with everyone.
Follow Ornery: Website | Spotify | Soundcloud
