Creating music takes a lot of work and energy. In this video, Markus Schulz takes us through the process he uses to create music. This video came on the heels of the release of Do You Dream? With the accolade that came with the release of the inventive electronic music, Markus Schulz began conceiving the sound designs that would go to make up his next long-playing excursion which he calls Scream.
“When you’re in the studio, deep in production mode on an album, your mind’s eye is forever picturing the reactions tracks, and moments in tracks, are going to generate”, says Markus. So in many respects, the title Scream is also the album’s mission statement. It’s that response, that surge of feeling and emotion I want to come back up off the floor when one of its tracks goes on. When it happens, you know all the late hours in the studio, putting the pieces in place, have been worth it!”
With a single-minded quality-meets-quantity credo, Markus has made judicious use of known vocal talent and new singer/songwriter blood on the album. These include US-based sensations Jaren and Aruna, as well as Paper Aeroplanes front-woman Sarah Howells. Also front-and-centre, are precocious newer talents, with the likes of Seri and new Markus Schulz discovery-cum-protégée, Adina Butar joining Scream‘s vocal cast.
Giving the album a strong song-edged bias has resulted in one with productions that span EDM’s spectrum.
For every daytime radio inciting number (Until It’s Gone, Love Rain Down On Me‘and current single Caught to tag but a few), there’s also the more underground themes of tracks like Deep In The Night, Absolution, and the album’s thrilling title track. During the final weeks of Scream‘s production, Schulz commented: “one of the side-effects of producing instrumental long-players like my Dakota ‘Thoughts Become Things’ series is that you keenly feel how much you miss working with lyrics and vocals. Scream will be my most vocal-oriented album yet and I believe that the singer-song-writing talent I’ve collaborated with, it will also make for my most accomplished”.
Scream isn’t exclusively about the vocal though. Building the consummate 360° electronic music album requires contrast and that comes firmly into focus with its heart-of-the-dancefloor seeking instrumentals. From the scene-setting beat-free overture of ‘Our Moment’ to the serrated synthery of floor-ammo like Triotronic, Soul Seeking and Loops n Things (with Ferry Corsten) it delivers a comprehensive, panoramic, day-or-night-time listening experience.
Through it Schulz has once again demonstrated that the production side of his mind is alive, kicking and quite literally screaming to be turned loose. And on August 31st that’s exactly what will happen.
BONUS: Markus Schulz Performing
Markus Schulz – Live from Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas #EDC20.