FutureMusic: How do you usually start a track? Is it an acid line, drums…or Is it a sound, a melody, or a vibe you’re trying to capture?
Vaunt: It almost always starts with the acid line. I love the process of programming sequences directly on the TD-3. The interface, which is identical to the TB-303, is famously inconvenient, but those limitations force you to rethink every note and step.
That’s how a lot of my tracks come to life, even if I eventually re-do the line as MIDI to use with a VST later on.
FutureMusic: Can you walk me through a specific track where you felt like you broke new ground creatively? What was the aha moment, and how did you capture it?
Vaunt: Most of my tracks give me that feeling of achieving something new, but I suppose “Kiss My Acid” and “That Acid” were the ones that really galvanized my sound and what I’m known for…
FutureMusic: Your music often blurs the lines between chaos and order. Do you see your creative process as an act of imposing structure on chaos, or unleashing chaos on a structured framework?
Vaunt: I’m definitely in the camp of unleashing chaos on a structured framework. It’s very important for me to have a solid arrangement and a specific set of emotions in place before I go hard with the acid lines and kicks!
FutureMusic: What’s the most challenging part of your process, and how do you overcome it?
Vaunt: The hardest part is knowing when a track is finished. There’s always one more thing to tweak or an idea that didn’t make the final cut. I often find myself making “post-release” edits to play in my sets, so see if you can spot the differences!
You eventually develop a sense of when enough time has been spent on a track and it’s time to move on.
FutureMusic: Do you have methodologies for pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone creatively?
Vaunt: I wouldn’t call it a strict method, but I try to let outside influences seep in. It could be an anime I just watched or a conversation that sparked a vocal idea. I just go with the flow and see what comes out, and so far it’s been working well.
