Disruption can hit our lives at any time and in many different ways, creating a world of pain.   Maybe you’re moving house, or welcoming a new family member…   Perhaps you’re changing jobs, or getting a promotion...   Or maybe it’s exams, a new course, or unexpected travel.   These situations happen to all of us throughout our creative journey, and for some people the effects last way beyond the actual period of disruption…   …creating a real mountain for them to climb before they...

Today I’m talking about possibly THE most impactful piece of advice I could give you on your music production journey.   It’s a topic that is incredibly important, and one of the biggest ways to accelerate your progress as a music producer.   …In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it's nearly impossible to succeed without this ingredient.    This topic is about finding people to work with who have complementary skill sets, perspectives, and ways of thinking so that you can make...

In this episode, I'm sharing an unpleasant experience that Mrs M and I faced within days of arriving here in Austin.   This is something that could have seriously messed us up…   …but instead, Ana and I were able to seamlessly move through it without feeling stressed, hopeless, or desperate about what was going on.    We’ve been fortunate to go through some challenging situations in the past that have helped us to build our resolve and our thought process so that we can now tackle...

Miami based DJ Adrian Blaga who owns and runs the Magician on Duty label is a man who's growing in multiple facets of the music industry.    “There's no doubt about it. If you wanna be the best at what you do, you need to show up and you need to be better than everybody else”   We dig deep into what it takes to climb the ladder as DJ, producer, and label owner. And the importance of discipline and consistency to be the best at what you do.   “The more you do one thing, the better you...

While many producers try to sound like other artists, my guest today has always chosen to go against the grain.   In this episode I'm sitting down with co-founder and owner of the iconic Hospital records, Drum and Bass legend Tony Colman, who performs and produces as London Elektricity.   With a punk attitude of doing things differently and getting reactions, Tony broke stereotypes and boundaries by doing what he wanted and not what was expected.   “There's no point unless you do it...

With his first music released at age 14, Tim Engelhardt has gone on to consistently release on some of the most respected labels in the industry, playing his music out around the world.    Today Tim talks about his unique journey, what he embraces in his productions and his process of discovery and learning, exploring the possibilities of the tools available…   “there's a tendency for a lot of people to almost discount the stock plugins or devices…just an exploration of the presets can be...

Owner and runner of the iconic label CLR, podcast and radio host, music producer and one of the most in-demand DJs in the world, Chris Liebing is a man who has had a huge impact on the techno scene.    We sat down to talk about starting out as an artist and the importance of building strong relationships and a reputation of trust with the people in the industry who will get your music heard…   The mentors and label owners who are your path to releasing on the labels you love and getting...

As a music producer it’s all too easy to be influenced by trends, and to end up switching tracks to what’s popular at the moment.   My guest today chose to back himself, staying true to his path and having the confidence in himself to go for what he really wanted to go for and remain authentic.    David Penn (Defected, Glasgow Underground) is a house music legend. A man with a career that spans over 25 years that has seen him DJ all over the world and regularly top the music charts.   ...

With releases on Defected, Toolroom, Solid Grooves… Josh Butler is, without doubt, one of the UK’s premier House talents.   I sat down with him to cover the full spectrum of what it takes to be a pro artist…   …finding creative flow state, methods for inspiration, road testing tracks, and tips on how to boost your chances of having labels listen to and sign your music.   Josh talks about the dangers of overproducing, of diminishing returns, of reversing all the hard work and the vibe that...

We continue this week with our second special episode hearing about the journeys and lessons from the producers inside of the FMM community.   And today I’m delighted to be speaking to Jonas Klugel who produces and DJs under the name Azpecialguest. Jonas has had an incredible 12 months, a very accomplished DJ, recently nominated best new Danish artist 2022 and rubbing shoulders on stage with Hans Bieger. He's now following suit with his productions, hitting the top spots in the Beatport...

Today is a very special episode of the series in which we’re going to be hearing about the journeys and lessons from some of our producers from the FMM community.   And I’m super excited to share these journeys with you because they’ll give you the opportunity to learn from producers just like you…   Producers who have BIG ambitions, and who’ve wrestled and overcome a variety of challenges to see the amazing results that they are achieving today.   And stories like these are SO powerful...

One of the things I've noticed that affects so many struggling music producers, and maybe you can relate, is that they have so many false starts.   They show up every day for a short period of time….   …And then it's back to the same old distractions that get them frustrated, overwhelmed, and with absolutely nothing to show for themselves.    Successful people are simply people with successful habits.    We first make our habits. Then our habits make us.   Our habits become who we...

We’re flipping the script on you today, quite literally!   It’s always super valuable to hear straight from the horse's mouth, so we’re turning the tables and passing the virtual mic into your hands, to dive into your burning questions.   In today’s episode we invited you, our listeners, to direct the topics that we would cover and to steer the direction of the show…   What's going to help you on your creative journey to move forward?    This brought up some interesting and recurring...

What would you do if you suddenly lost your hearing?   What impact would this have on your abilities as a music producer?   These things can hit us suddenly and without warning…   And leave you reassessing many aspects of your life!   When I recently and unexpectedly experienced a sudden onset of hearing loss, combined with tinnitus and other ringing artefacts in my ear, it left me battling against damage to my hearing.   And I'll be honest, it's been pretty scary.    In this...

A boxer can train hard, spar hard, and still not win the world title on their next shot.    But who is more likely to win it on the shot after that?    Is it the person who put that work in or the person who didn’t?   We have to have absolute belief that we can hit the goal.    …because if you don't believe that a thing is possible, you won't go all in.    And at the first sign of hitting a hurdle you may well give up, instead of expecting it as part of the process.   And if you...

This week’s podcast took an unexpected turn…   When two members of my team decided to give their own commentary on my podcasts!   Now it’s all well and good me giving you my opinions and thoughts each week but I’m always curious to hear others’ takeaways.   And that’s exactly what I got this week I was away travelling to see family overseas.   Rob and Terra from the Team, both music producers themselves, regular listeners of the show and kick-ass members of FMM, staged a team...

How can you show up in a new way to move from procrastinating to finishing? …to getting signed on the biggest and best labels in your genre?    Well, the best way to discover this is to hear from people who've made these leaps… …and made them in a short period of time.   The producers in this episode don't have any particular talent. They don't have formal music training. They don’t have the world's most enviable collection of studio gear. They don’t have sound engineering degrees. ...

You name one pro-athlete, one entrepreneur, one top CEO, one pro producer who doesn't have a consistent source of feedback.   Feedback is not just important, it's essential for any artist's development.    And if you don’t know how to receive feedback…   … you will squander its potential to help you improve.   …and you will alienate the people who are supporting you.   So if you want to build valuable relationships with people you trust and who are invested in your success…   And...

One word guaranteed to strike fear and terror into a creative’s heart…   …Deadlines!    What runs through your mind when you hear that word?   Too much pressure! The enemy of creativity! The quality of my art will suffer!   Any piece of music you write can be open to a never-ending set of revisions, tweaks, and changes.     There's always something else to do, right?   And this creates a problem for many artists who tend to drag out their creative process for so long that their...

Have you ever found yourself trapped in the murky world of perfectionism?   If the answer is yes then you will almost certainly know how debilitating it can be…   Second-guessing everything that you do.   Endlessly spotting something else to change.   The sheer frustration of knowing that it is time to move forward yet stuck in perfection paralysis, literally not moving forward at all…   But consider this…   You can't possibly make perfect music.   So what if you just take a...

You would be crazy to want to stunt your growth as a producer, right?   …but a fair few people fall into a trap that leads to exactly that.   These are the people who tend to hold onto knowledge and keep it to themselves.   This typically comes from a place of insecurity. A place of fear of giving someone else a competitive advantage.   …But the reality is, the reverse is true.    By holding onto knowledge you play a smaller game and can get left behind, sometimes to a degree that you...

When I started digging into the effects of multitasking, I was absolutely blown away by how deep the rabbit hole goes…   It runs so much deeper than I imagined.   It slows you down, it lowers your IQ, it weakens your memory.    It kills your creativity and productivity while giving the illusion that you are getting more done.   And quite frankly, as someone who creates every single day, this was a real wake up call.    When I started to uncover the impact that this has on all areas...

Have you ever heard a piece of music that lit you up and changed your day for the better?   Perhaps it lessened the fact that you felt fearful, anxious, or worried about something.   Now more than ever, we've been given a sense that our actions really do impact the world around us.   Maybe it's just one person in one moment that takes them from a place where they're struggling…   …to a place of inspiration and growth.   You just don't know the impact that your music could have on...

  Have you ever felt disconnected from your art and disinterested in what you're doing?   Sure, we all have times when our output isn't meeting our expectations and that’s just part of being a creative…   …But what about when you experience the continual feeling of being a bit flat, uninspired, and demotivated in the studio?    Well today we're gonna delve into the murky world of creative burnout.   This is very real and can be very demoralizing.    It tends to bring up questions...

Do you want to know the REAL biggest mistake you can possibly make?   Well today we're talking about the problems that come with success.    If you want to play a bigger game and achieve more in your life and with your music, you will be inviting new and bigger problems into your world.    …and avoiding them is exactly the way that you'll never reach your true potential.   If you play it safe you'll play a smaller game until you reach the biggest problem of all…   …looking back and...