Metronome #068: Austin Welsh

Insomniac’s Metronome series features mixes from some of today’s fastest-rising electronic stars, as well as championed legends. It takes listeners deep across a wide range of genres, movements, cultures, producers, artists and sounds that make up the diverse world of electronic music.

Not everyone is lucky enough to share the same gracious start that Austin Welsh has enjoyed for himself. Oftentimes, aspiring producers end up having nothing to show at the end of the day but a few battle scars and pockets turned inside-out. Yet this East Coast fledging, almost immediately after flying the coop, managed to land label deals with the caliber of imprints most would be too intimated to hit up in the first place. And with the invitations from other imprints rolling in, there’s no question he is more than capable of holding his own.

The Sweat It Out! crew seems to think so, considering they swooped up his newest batch of body-shakers, the triple-headed Hot 110 EP, as well as another forthcoming release en route. Welsh is certain to gain even more traction when that happens as the late bloomers on the dancefloor begin to catch on to the guy’s slinky, make-the-ceilings-perspire productions.

Maybe you’ll even be the one to turn your friends on to him, since he’s next in line to step under our Metronome spotlight. All the info you need to know can be found after the jump, both through the chummy chat we had and a quick mix of grooves he’s assembled as an intro.

Where does your connection to dance music stem from?
I’m in a rare group of kids from the early ‘90s who grew up with dance music from the crib. My dad was heavy into it all, so I was surrounded by the Chemical Brothers, Sasha, Mauro Picotto, Goldie—I grew up wanting to be a DJ.

What would you say you love most about the scene?
The scene inspired me to continue, and it aligns with what I aspire to do with my music. From the foundation, it’s music that aims to create an environment of unity and inclusion. Music has been such an integral part of my life; there is something really special about sharing that with others. Being in a scene that comes together through music and celebrates that kind of environment… I’m down with that.

Back in 2014, you walked away from Point Blank, having studied under their program. How much music knowledge did you have before you started there?
Going back, I began classical training at age 12, playing piano, sax and guitar. I began studying production at 14 with an old version of FruityLoops, making some absolute terrible noise, as beginners do. A few years later, I moved to Ableton and Logic. I had a few releases out under previous aliases. A prime example of where I was: I wrote half the Hot 110 EP prior to Point Blank. Being self-taught up to that point, the school cleaned up my foundation and introduced me to new ideas and workflows that I’ve used since.

What valuable lessons have you learned about music that your coursework didn’t necessarily teach you?
A big one for me goes with the saying “less is more.” I can definitely be that person who gets locked into the technical side of production, but I find, at least in the writing process, I write best when I give myself limits to work within.

To what do you attribute your success in the industry so far, and do you have any pointers for aspiring producers who are looking to make it to the next level?
For almost half of my life, I’ve spent any time I’ve had learning more about production and audio in general. Or as my friends joke, I essentially spend all my time convincing everyone I’ll be homeless. Regardless, I think genuine passion, persistence and sacrifice play a large part. I would also say a fair amount of luck. I’ve also had some absolute friends sticking their necks out to vouch for me a time or two. For anyone coming up, keep your chin up and your nose clean.

From all of your accomplishments thus far, what are you most proud about, and why?
I was fueled from the start for this project, kicking off with Nurvous and KMS Records. Both of those labels mean a lot to me, so getting to work with them early on was inspiring. I also get excited when I see people enjoying my music, and that probably means the most to me. I’m really grateful for each opportunity I’ve had so far.

You’ve recently dropped your Hot 110 EP on Club Sweat. How did you initially link up with the Sweat It Out crew, and how has your experience been working with them and playing at their hosted parties?
A while back when Beckwith was releasing an EP with them, he passed one of my demos over to Sinden, who is A&Ring there. Sinden dug the track and asked to hear more. Being massively excited, I just sent him a playlist full of demos from over the years. I’m sure he wasn’t expecting all that, really. But he was way cool about it, taking the time to listen through them. We decided on the ones in the EP, and one more forthcoming on Sweat It Out. Working with them has been great. Got to meet everyone in person last month in Miami, was wild—those Australians turn up! A super supportive and exciting crew to work with.

As for the release itself, how long did the project take you to complete, and what has been the most positive, reinforcing bit of feedback you’ve gotten on it?
In a sense, several years. That release is made up of two tracks I originally made in 2012, “With You” and “Blame Me.” The track “Hot 110” was made recently with Club Sweat in mind. Kinda joking (but pretty serious), the fact it happened was my “reinforcing bit of feedback.” Definitely a crew I’d wanted to work with.

Share some words on your Metronome mix, please.
These are some newer tracks I’m really digging right now. Thought it’d be cool to open the mix with “Hot 110” and play to its style. Greco and Mad Villains are in there, both close friends who make solid music—ace tracks from them. Got Low Steppa and Skapes in the middle, both of which have been influential on my production. Just had a track release with Low Steppa’s label Simma Black. Hyped to be working with them for both the music and the culture. Hamdi did a wicked, bass-heavy remix on “Rinse & Repeat” closer to the end, riding into my track “With You” closing it out.

What does the rest of 2016 look like for Austin Welsh?
Working hard to make this year big, and so far I’ve got loads coming up that I’m amped for. The soonest of which, I’ve got a track with Sweat It Out on the way, as well as some remixes—one on Daylight Robbery Records and another on Billions. Also, been hustling in the studio, finishing up a few EPs and collaborations for the summer.

Track List:: Austin Welsh “Hot 110”
Greco “Take It Back”
Low Steppa “0024”
Skapes “South Bronx”
Mad Villains “G.I.T.H”
Riton “Rinse and Repeat” (Hamdi Bootleg)
Austin Welsh “With You”