Graphyt: Free Dubstep Samples + Interview

Posted on 13th October 2022

Proudly hailing from Toulouse, Graphyt has established himself as one of today’s most exciting Dubstep producers.

His early tracks frequently found their way into the setlists of some of the biggest Dubstep DJs including Dirtyphonics, Skism and Zomboy. On Spotify alone, Graphyt’s remix of Giant Squidim (by Herobust & Monxx) has accumulated over 1.5 million plays.

As well as creating an exclusive sample pack for the Devious Machines community, Graphyt also chatted to us about his approach to production.

What production tips can you offer our readers?

When it comes to production, Learning is the key. I try to learn something new every day. In 2022, we have access to so much production knowledge on Youtube and Patreon, so why not use it? Take some new techniques from tutorials and blend them with what you already know to create your own unique results. My own sound design really stepped-up a level after learning about pre and post EQ distortion from watching Noisia on Patreon.

Try to have a good balance between working on monitors and headphones. If you spend too much time on monitors and don’t have a “real” studio, you’ll probably make some irreversible mistakes. The same goes for working too much on headphones.

How would you describe your writing or production process?

I don’t always follow the same process for making music. It really depends on my feelings at the time. I might be in the mood for making melodies, maybe feeling more into sound design or I might want to work on mixing a track. Every day is different. Most of the time for Bass music, I will make a huge bank of sounds, including home-made samples and effects rack presets. I start to think of what kind of vibe I want, and I start to write a melody or use some of my samples to create an intro / buildup, to have something to move to before starting a drop. For the drops I usually start with the drums and the sub bass, then background, then the main bassline synth.

What excites you sonically?

To be honest, I’m excited about too many things in music. I started to play clarinet at 6 years old for 10 years, but quickly became a huge fan of hard rock and metal. I then discovered electronic music with Hardcore (Angerfist, Evil Activities…), whilst also listening to a lot of French Rap.

I started to produce House Music and quirky Electro (Nicolas S.), then started a Drum and Bass project (Digital Fracture) and finally embarked on my Dubstep project: Graphyt.

Right now I really enjoy minimal and deep stuff, no matter what genre it is. As a producer, I really want to experiment more with distortion and try to get some new textures in my music, while blending in much more melodies and emotions than I have before. 

What are your favourite “go-to” pieces of software or hardware?

My favourite DAW is Fruity Loops (FL Studio). I started on version 9 and I’m really happy with the evolution. Sometimes I use Ableton for sound design, because it has some unique effects and features.

As for hardware, I love Dave Smith Instruments Pro 2 synth, which is really crazy for designing everything.

Any tips for ensuring productive flow in the studio?

Always have a tidy workspace setup, with all you might need to maintain a good mood. Most of the time my phone’s notifications are off when I’m in the studio. It’s important to stay focused and also try to minimise the time you spend repeatedly listening to single loops in a track. Focus on one main outcome per session – I would say “per day” but sometimes you have to work on multiple projects in one day.

Outside of the studio, its important to look after yourself – both mentally and physically. Try to sleep properly, have a social life, eat well. Self-care may seem obvious, but these vital elements are easy to neglect. So keep aware to prevent yourself from falling into a pattern of neglecting those basic things. Otherwise quickly the neglect can become quite toxic and detrimental to anyone’s creativity and enjoyment of music. In my opinion we have to be 100% ok with ourselves to have the confidence and drive to create exciting music that we are proud of. So, a friendly reminder to take care of yourselves everyone 🙂

Exclusive Sample Pack for Devious Machines subscribers

Graphyt has created an exclusive free collection of Dubstep samples for Devious Machines community – royalty-free and ready to use.

The pack contains:

• 10 x Bass Loops
• 20 x Drum Loops
• 25 x Drums one-shots
• 10 x Synth loops
• 5 x FX

Graphyt’s new EP, RAVOLUTION, was released this week (16.11.22 on Disciple).

He recently joined MB Artist booking agency, so expect to see him at plenty of festivals in 2023 and look out for an imminent announcement of a US tour in the very near future.

Nico (Graphyt) also makes Trap / Hip hop / Drill beats under the name SLOKIN, and is also currently producing an album for the French rapper, BENZIZOU.

https://www.beatport.com/release/ravolution-ep/3881094

https://drt.fanlink.to/RavolutionEP