LA-based vocalist, songwriter, and producer KARRA recently launched KARRA Presents, a label dedicated to showcasing the talents of up-and-coming vocalists.
We had the chance to chat with KARRA about the first artist on her label, Dylan Matthew, who has written Billboard-charting songs and collaborated with the likes of Seven Lions and SLANDER.
Where did you first discover Dylan Matthew?
I’ve been familiar with Dylan’s work for a while now, since we run in a similar circuit of collaborators such as Seven Lions and SLANDER. I had my eye on him, but previously never had the chance to reach out to him to get into the studio together.
I coincidentally met his manager, Nathan, at an A State of Trance festival, where I had my debut performance with Armin van Buuren. Nathan also managed an act performing there, so Reid started having a conversation with him in the green room and discovered the connection. That night, I told him about the label I was starting and that I wanted to produce a sample pack with Dylan, and the rest is history!
Why did you choose to work with him?
Dylan is not only a talented vocalist, but a great songwriter, pianist, and vocal producer as well. He got his following from his incredible YouTube videos that showcase his talents, which led to the release of his original songs and collaborations with some of EDM’s biggest heavy-hitters.
Being so young and already making a name for himself in the industry, I knew he was serious and passionate about his work, which are the two most important characteristics when it comes to stepping into a collaborative project of this nature. I knew after five minutes of talking with him in person that we could not only make waves within the Splice community, but in the music industry as a whole. The synergy we have while in the studio is a force that will reach great lengths, and this is just the beginning!
What makes Dylan’s vocals unique?
The most important qualities that I look for in a vocalist is a unique tone, and convincing emotions behind the performance. Dylan’s tone is very distinct with richness and a dynamic grit, yet still has a pleasant undertone throughout. He captures emotions in such a way that takes you there mentally, which is why I believe his music translates so nicely to the listener. When I hear his voice I’m overwhelmed with a refreshing sense of excitement because of how captivating his vocals are, and I can assure you that many others agree!
What’s your approach to producing Dylan’s vocals?
I took the same approach for Dylan that I do with everyone I work with. Our hardware vocal chain consists of a Sony C-800G Microphone, a Vintech X73 pre-amp, and a Tube-Tech CL 1B compressor, which all go into an Apollo x8 interface. I recorded all of his vocals into Pro Tools, then comped, tuned, and edited from there. His performances were on-point, so I had very little to do in this stage besides take down breaths and harsh consonants to make the samples sound as smooth as possible. In regards to the mix, we added UAD’s auto-tune to all of the samples. We then added various reverbs and delays, such as the Valhalla Delay and VerbSuite Classics, to create the wet samples. For the dry samples, we simply added compression and EQ in addition to the auto-tune.
Dylan Matthew offers top-notch pop vocals for you to add to your own productions:
January 8, 2020
