Who is your favorite producer?

[Navron]

Lots of great producers out there, both analog and digital, but if you had to pick one producer that would be considered your all time favorite, who would it be? Also, why do you like them, and what sets them apart from other producers? Feel free to include a video example as well if you want.

For me, I've got to say it's Simon Posford. Mastermind behind Shpongle, Hallucinogen, Younger Brother. When it comes to psytrance, it's impossible to not hear his name.

What sets him apart from other producers? Well, aside from pretty much crushing every genre boundary that exists, the overall flow in his music, and the types of sounds he creates, shows a creativity I've not seen before in other producers. He is also known to travel to many different countries and get live recordings of exotic instruments and singers.

From what I've seen, his setup looks mostly analogue.


By far my favorite track by him:

[Icky]

That would definitely be Receptor, that guy is just insane!









He's so diverse, and has such a unique style! I mean not a single song he has made sounds the same. I really don't understand why this guy isn't more known.

[the4thImpulse]

I have mad respect for deadmau5 as a producer, not that I love his music but he really knows how to make a solid production and has done really well in the music industry (as you all know I'm sure).

Aside from that the band Enter Shikari has created a great combination between metal/scremo and dubstep/electronic. They also have really inspiring lyrics about would issues (more specifically a lot about oil and corruption), they also have huge energy when they play live.

[colortwelve]

I'd say deadmau5, but that's way too obvious. So I'll go with Kevin Moore, a.k.a. Chroma Key.

He started out as the keyboard player for Dream Theater, and actually wrote their one big radio hit, 'Pull Me Under.' But after they released their third album, he decided he'd had enough of their developing semi-stardom and became his own solo act, and thus was Chroma Key born.

His music is, well, interesting. Since he left DT he's been involved in his own solo work, which blends alternative rock with psychedelic-type stuff, and a good bit of electronics - he puts a huge amount of effort into all of the sounds he makes on his analog synths, and it shows in his music (he also has a very unique singing voice, which he never got to show off with DT). But beyond his solo work, he's soundtracked several foreign films, and is currently in a band called OSI, yet another prog-metal supergroup, that blends his intricate electronica with Jim Matheos' heavy, hard-rock-inspired prog-metal.

Here's one of my favorite of his solo tracks:



And a couple of his tracks with OSI (the second one features one of my favorite all-around musicians, Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth):





And in case you were curious, the 'hit' he wrote with Dream Theater:

[Freewave]

I'd have to give it to Brian Eno (sorry an obvious choice, but the dude's amazing). Guys resume is almost unmatched and he's been involved in so many important landmark albums (Roxy Music, assisting Ambient as a concept, Bowie's Berlin Troilogy, Talking Heads greatest albums, Devo's best, U2's best, Slowdive's Souvlaki. Guy's a legend and a great producer.

[TheDnBGremlin]

I have to be the guy who says it: Renard Queenston.

This guy has the intellectual creativity to juggle at least ten different aliases, all with completely differing styles of music. Sure, his own influence shows through sometimes, but this guy is what you could define as multi-genre. I can't even count how many albums he's made. He also does physical releases of a lot of his stuff, like recently I received http://psurg.bigcartel.com/product/the- ... ythm-rider in the mail. He's an independent techno god.

[colortwelve]

Renard Queenston

Oh boy. Well, it is true he puts out more each month than many bands have in their entire careers, but his most prolific work, the Renard alias itself, isn't what I'd call super original. The man can put together a release very quickly, but how much of it, when you listen, was really made by him? It always sounds like most of the work is just getting all of the samples to be the same bpm, then slapping a ridiculous drumloop over it.

Not that I hate his music. Sometimes it's fun to listen to. I'm just skeptical of how true it would be to say that he puts out a ton of his own music.

[senntenial]

I'm not sure if they count as producers, but I love is DnB group London Elektricity. They aren't... conventional, they play live. But much of it is pre-recorded samples and such.
Skrillex? Yep.
I really do love him. gotta say I love his stuff, despite the hipsters cries of him being mainstream and ruining dubstep.
Anyway, other people I really have grown to like are Aphex Twin and Venetian Snares. I actually hated VS a while back, but he has grown on me.

[lunarz]

Venetian snares, unbeatable


then his best song EVER!

i also like metal

and screamo <3

a shit ton of dubstep and loads more,
if i showed you all of em wed be here for years, i do not have a favourite, all are my faves

[Doofcake]

I don't have a favourite producer, I've never had a favourite band or anything. I once thought The Beatles is my favourite band, but it turned out I was just in the mood for a lot of Beatles at the time. I listen to everything, I don't even have a favourite genre.
From Dubstep, I like Noisia, Skrillex (just Bangarang and First of the Year) and Excision and Datsik were the first Dubstep artists I listened to.


From all other music genres, I'd have to write a book to write down all the artists I like.

[PrincessAddictia]

Michel Pollen <3
The one and only king of hardstyle. His sound-design is just amazing!

[colortwelve]

Michel Pollen <3

Because of you, I now love hardstyle.

[DJSheogowrath]

Skream, dude puts out so much stuff, and he's basically the godfather of dubstep. He didn't invent it per-se, but he was the first big producer, and he's done so much. These are probably my two favorite tracks by him.

[Navron]

Was trying to find this for the original post, but if you're looking for an amazing psybient epic, here's pretty much the very first song by Shpongle:

[Gray Ham]

Imma go Hip-Hop all over dis.
Trials from the Funkoars (the beat is by him, not the rapping).


Shag gets an honourable mention, though.
http://soundcloud.com/garsidetogo/the-world

[Ed Viper]

For me, definitely Headhunterz. His sound design is intensely amazing, and he even made a freakin' Skyrim song.



Also this song, because I love genre-breaking songs. (love me some of that dubstyle)



Honorable mention: Angerfist. Just because they made a song titled "Ubermensch" (They're also REALLY FREAKING GOOD at terrorcore).

[Whitetail]

Venetian Snares has already been mentioned but I doubly recommend checking out his music, the guy has one of the most diverse portfolios any electronic musicians can boast - much of it all of rather unique character and produced from a fairly huge multitude of methods and interesting in character (he's probably written more songs in 7/4 then he has in 4/4).

Aside from that there's Squarepusher - both a great electronic producer and a great bassist I dig some of the crazy creativity he has going on with his sound, often doing odd things to get some unique timbres to his music. Once again the diversity in his music is quite impressive.







I'm also quite tempted to bring up Tool, but they're more collaborative efforts than anything so pointing out any specific producer among the band would seem a bit unfair. That being said they're one of the most unique bands I've ever heard, combining elements of many different styles into their music - honestly they were a bit of a bridge for me into electronic music with some of their tracks which borderline on progressive EDM.

[MixMastaCopyCat]

He's an independent techno god.

independent techno god

independent techno

[Ed Viper]

I'm also quite tempted to bring up Tool,

I agreed with this before reading the rest of the post. Tool is an amazingly unique band. Much respect.

Also some of the trippiest music videos of all time.

[K3WRO]

Me? Probably Nishimura Yoshitaka, and Ryu, I play a-lot of Arcade ryhym games like Taiko no Tatsujin, Jubeat, Beatmania, DDR etc. It's also what got me into Happy Hardcore!


And Receptor as Icky mentioned, Is why I want to start creating neurofunk, bit of a contrast there XD

[vladnuke]

Renard Queenston.

This.
This x10000

[soultensionbenjamin]

Anybody ever played a game called jet set radio?
if not allow me to introduce you to Hideki Naganuma.

its OK its impossible not to bob your head.

[colortwelve]

I'm also quite tempted to bring up Tool,

I agreed with this before reading the rest of the post. Tool is an amazingly unique band. Much respect.

Also some of the trippiest music videos of all time.

Some of? By all means, sir, please direct me to a trippier video than Parabola.

And even though I mentioned Kevin Moore earlier, I think that since then I've got a few more names to drop (which is not to say that Kevin Moore is not a god in his own right):
Rob Swire (Pendulum, Knife Party),
Jake Stanczak (Ewun, Kill the Noise),
and Scott Albert (Klayton, Celldweller).
All gods of sound design and overall composition, each in their own awe-inspiring way.

[CommandSpry]

nervous_testpilot for the Frozen Synapse soundtrack.

[Indigo Spectrum]

Pegboard Nerds, their tracks are AMAZING.




Porter Robinson is also one of my favorites.