OFFAIAH

We had the opportunity to sit down with the talented DJ and Producer OFFAIAH. Having recently released ‘When I Push,' alongside the top production talents Eli Brown and Layton Giordani, we were joined by OFFAIAH to take a look behind the scenes of the track's creation, gaining insights into the creative process and the unique elements that make ‘When I Push’ such a captivating listen.

Hey OFFAIAH, how are you today?

Hey – I’m doing great thank you!

Congratulations on the release of ‘When I Push’! Can you start by telling us where the idea for the track came from, what was the initial driving force behind its creation?

The original track, “Push Pull” was written back in 2019 so it’s great to see it making a comeback with a fresh lick of paint for 2024. Personally, I like to keep fit by working out in the gym as often as I can and wanted to write lyrics based on this and encapsulate it in a very short 4-bar phrase to make it as memorable and catchy as possible - and what you hear is the result – perfect motivation for anyone doing a workout!

How did the collaboration between Eli Brown and Layton Giordani come about?

Like a lot of collaborations in this modern age, this one was done with a lot of back-and-forth online. Eli Brown and Layton Giordani initially came to me with the idea, and I was blown away to hear how sick the “Push Pull” vocals sounded on the track.

What did the production process look like? How did you merge each of your signature styles to create the overall sound of ‘When I Push’?

I’m all about producing tracks with vibe and energy, music that makes people want to hit the dancefloor and this production is full of those elements! Eli Brown and Layton Giordani definitely brought their A-game for this production, with their wizardry in Techno music which most will agree stands out amongst the crowd.

Which elements of the track do you think are most important to creating its driving, groovy energy?

It’s hard to single out one particular element as they all go together seamlessly well in complimenting each other – from the driving bassline to the stabby-synths to the non-stop rising in the drop and of course the vocal - it’s all a perfect medley of elements which all blend so well together.

The track features the electrifying vocal line from your single, ‘Push Pull’; can you tell us about your use of vocals in your productions, what is your process for integrating them and do you have any go-to production techniques to make them stand out?

I like to make use of short vocals, usually 4- 8 bars long and see how far I can take it with different chops, repeating words or phrases and FX. Usually, the shorter the phrase the better as it tends to make the vocal more catchy. I’ll use FX like delays, reverbs or making the vocal sound like it's coming from an old telephone for example – anything which I think will make the vocal stand out a little.

Could you walk us through your creative process when it comes to crafting detailed soundscapes, layering in different synth lines, risers, and rhythmic elements? How do you go about structuring your tracks to ensure the listening journey is unique and compelling?

What I like to do is pull up one of the many synths I use, for example, UAD Polymax, Oberheim OB-X or my Access Virus-B, and go through the sounds one by one, and when I come across something I like I’ll tweak it until it’s perfect. This process usually entails listening to the same part of the track for hours on end but it’s well worth it in the end once you get it right! Structuring the track usually consists of listening to the track several times in the studio from start to finish with the screen off so you’re not watching anything – and normally I’ll just have a feeling of what to adjust, what bits to cut out and when to add more. Then finally I’ll play the track out in a live set to see how it sounds and feels in the real world. If it passes that final test, then I know I’m good to go!

How would you say this track fits within your larger collection of work?

This track is probably a small step away from my usual, more House-sounding collection of work, as I dip my toes in the sound of Techno, but not so much that it’s not something I can include in my sets as they tend to include a variety of House, Tech House, and Techno, depending on the night. It’s great to be able to diversify between genres, break down the walls that separate them and ultimately bring more people together.

What is the most enjoyable part of producing music for you?

Music has always been a big part of my life from a very early age so being able to do anything with music is pretty much a labor of love. It started when my father, who was a piano teacher, sat me down at the piano at the age of around 3 years old. Since then, I went on to learn classical music, take all grades up to grade 8 for piano and go on to learn other instruments like the guitar, trumpet and drums. In my spare time at school, I would sneak into the music room where they had an Atari computer with Notator and a Korg M1 where I would try to recreate my favorite House music tracks of the day just for fun. So, I guess that urge to make music was always inside me from a very early age just waiting to come out. It wasn’t until I met a DJ/producer by the name of Matt Darey in my mid-20s that I started to look at making music as a potential professional career. The best part about producing music is having a vision of what you want to see or how you want people to react on the dancefloor and then trying to make that vision a reality through the music-production process.

Can you share with us an insight into your upcoming plans? What’s next for OFFAIAH?

I already have a few more tracks planned for release in early 2024 – one being a remix of “Headspace” by Mistier coming Feb 16th, then a collaboration with David Penn coming March 1st on Toolroom and finally a release on Subjekt/Armada planned for March 22nd – I’m very excited about these releases and can’t wait for you to hear!

As we round up our interview with OFFAIAH, we thank him for his time and for sharing a look into the ways in which he ensures his music continues to impress, bringing hard-hitting energy with every release. Promising an exciting year of music and live shows, we look forward to following his journey as he carries on making his mark within Electronic Music, so be sure to keep up-to-date with OFFAIAH by following him across social media.