Music Production 101 with Sun and Abs

Brothers Sunil Sindagi and Anil Sindagi, aka Sun & Abs are an EDM DJ and Production Duo from India, who have been honing their skills for almost a decade. Their unique style; born from a combination of musical passion, production expertise and the vibrant dance music scene in their home country, has catapulted them into EDM’s Premier League and won them global support from the likes of Hardwell, Quintino, Karim Mika & Moe Aly. Having thrashed a huge number of applicants to finish in the Top 10 of Hardwell’s ‘Mad World’ Remix Competition with their stunning interpretation they soon followed up with their own hit, ‘Pune 52’, which received massive praise from India’s number 1 spinner, DJ Nyk, and a host of others including Ed Mercy, Thermal Project and DJ Kamal. This exclusive interview, provided by Matt Caldwell PR, shares the duo’s career and their approach to making music.

Hi guys, thanks for taking time to talk to us about the production aspect of your career.  Can you tell us about how you got involved in producing?

Sunil & Anil: I got into this when I was 16 years old. I started out as a solo project and later along with Abs I moved towards EDM production. In the early stages we started off remixing bollywood tracks using electronic sounds. We connected really well when making music together and started merging our own sounds together for original productions. Which hardware and software do you use for music production? Sunil & Anil: FL Studio, KRK Rokit 5, M-Audio Keystation 49, Focusrite 2i2.

What is your favorite plugin, synth and sample pack? Sunil & Anil: Sylenth1, ReFx Nexus, Vengeance Sample Packs. You have a background in sound engineering. Do you master your own tracks?

Sunil & Anil: Yes, and we use Pro Tools for mixing and mastering.

Do you sit down with an exact idea for a track in your head or is the process of producing more organic, with ideas developing in real time?

Sunil & Anil: No it’s more of ideas developing in real time. We start writing catchy melodies to begin with and then start designing unique sounds which will sit in the track well.

Where do you find or take inspiration for your productions?

Sunil & Anil: We listen to the best available music in the scene and also watch movies for inspiration. Our biggest inspiration would have to be Hardwell, we love is sound and want to take it and develop it further – there’s so much more to be discovered! You include many elements of traditional Indian music in your work.

How easy or difficult is it to merge such elements with EDM?

Sunil & Anil: In terms of getting Indian sounds, it was a bit difficult for us as there aren’t many VSTs or sample packs that includes these sounds. But in terms of merging such elements with EDM is quite easy. Our upcoming track ‘Tinka’ is our first track which has ethnic Indian instruments in which we have used Sitar, Santur, Tabla etc. It was difficult to find the right sounds which would work well with electronic instruments. The selection of ethnic sounds took us more than 3 months and the outcome was really good.

How long does it usually take to complete a new track?

Sunil & Anil: Not very long. When we have time to produce music we usually write at least 1-2 melodies in a day. Remixes usually happen the quickest cause there’s already something to work with. For a new track sometimes it takes more than 3 months – our first production ‘Pune 52’ took about 4 months to complete. The next one was completed within few weeks.

Which traits do you think make an excellent producer?

Sunil & Anil: Firstly, a great ear for sound and one that should follow new music, and try to adapt changes in production blended with your own creativity. You need to be musically inventive and develop skills with sound and writing music. Finally you need the technical ability to put it all together – knowledge and skills with EQ, compressors, mixing, mastering etc.

What producers are exciting you right now?

Sunil & Anil: Hardwell, The Chainsmokers, Thomas Newson, Dannic and Quintino. You run your own Academy in Pune.

Can you see anyone there destined for stardom?

Sunil & Anil: Yes, we have lot of bright students here. To name a few, we have Ashkraze & Vaddy, who have great music skills and their dedication towards music inspires us. These brilliant minds surely have a long way to go.

What new productions are coming up from Sun & Abs?

Sunil & Anil: Our track ‘Tinka’ is all set to release and we are working on another track titled ‘Veer’ (Working Title) as well as lots of new music.

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