INTERVIEW: JACOB COLON

10/16/2023 13

Join us for an exclusive peek into the creative mind of the talented DJ and music Producer, Jacob Colon. In this interview, we delve into the making of his latest release, ‘Show You How It Go,’ and uncover the inspirations, techniques, and signature elements that make his sound truly unique.

As a special treat, Jacob Colon has also prepared an exclusive guest mix featuring the track in focus and a selection of other electrifying beats. Get ready to dive into a journey through Jacob Colon’s music, from his insights on production to the energetic vibes of his guestmix. This is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Hi Jacob Colon! Congratulations on the release of ‘Show You How It Go’. How are you?

Thank you. I’m doing really well. I’m happy about the responses thus far on my new record.

When you first set out to produce this track, did you have a specific vision or goal in mind for the overall sound of the track? How did it evolve during the production process?

I know I wanted the overall sound to have a Big Room Tech-y vibe. I centered the track around a nice bass groove which I feel carried the track very well. That’s really the concept which inspired the entire flow of production for this song.

Can you tell us about the process behind producing the track? Which element did you create first and how did you build on that to produce the full track?

I’m not sure if this is standard, but I started with the drums and bass. This is how I start most of my songs. I get the drums going and create a nice rhythm with percussion first, then develop a bass line to fit. Once I have a solid foundation going, I started playing with different sounds with the main focus to create a Big Room Tech House vibe. I selected my sounds keeping this concept in mind, but of course, it didn’t come right away. I went through a bunch of different sounds, until I found the right one. I used a couple different tracks as references, to help guide me into arranging this track, but like always, the main focus is to build tension throughout the track and create excitement leading to the last portion of the song.

you are known for a style that blends Tech House and Latin House, what elements of the track do you feel best represent this signature sound and style as an artist?

I feel the best elements to help represent this style, are pretty much the drums and bass. Once I get a solid drum pattern going, the flow of production is a lot smoother.

Is there a particular part of the production process that you look forward to the most?

Yes, bringing in the bass.

Do you have a favourite element of the track?

The bass.

This song has classic one-note held synth sounds. How do you make your horn/drone sounds?

I’m not a huge guy on making sounds from scratch. I like to manipulate presets to help me create ideas.

This vocal has a really great textured vibe that fits perfectly to the instrumental, how did you go about creating/finding this kind of vocal?

I couldn’t really find anything that match the energy and vibe with his track, so I recorded the vocals myself.

With your tracks being so percussion/groove focused, what is your approach in constructing these finely crafted drum grooves?

A lot of trial and error. I use a lot of loops and rhythmic patterns from different genres to create my grooves. There’s a lot of editing as well, to get everything lined up and create a “pocket”.

Do you feel like you have landed on your signature sound yet? If so, what is it? and if not, where do you see your sound progressing?

I feel like my sound is always evolving. But as stated earlier, it’s definitely pointing in the direction of a Latin and Tech House influence.

What is one other genre outside of the Jacob Colon project that you enjoy producing?

Reggaeton. I’m definitely going to jump back into that again soon.

We thank Jacob for his time sharing insights into the production process of his track ‘Show You How It Go’, and now, without further ado, here’s an exclusive guestmix curated by the one and only Jacob Colon:

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