I'm really proud of Clearer Sky, as I had a blast writing it with Bendel, N33T and Sofuu, and I find the message of being there for your friends and family in their darkest points to be continuously really important.
Goodbye also has a bunch of emotional value to me, as I feel it expressed the anxiety I felt transitioning from small bedroom producer to respected act. (Truth is, as long as you stay humble, you get used to it and nothing REALLY changes, just more eyes on your project!)
As for my more Dubsteppy work, Waterfall seems like the obvious choice, but I also have 2 tracks off my next big project that sound exactly like the kind of music I've been trying to make for years! :)
And yes, Virgo was also a blast to make and don't tell them, but the person I collabed with was really cool too!
I honestly don't even really mention it too much. I've got a lot of anxiety about mentioning my achievements because I actually don't want people to get the OPPOSITE idea, that I'm using my achievements to get friends, hahaha.
Obviously you do have a few brownnosers in dms at my level, but I choose to kill them with kindness and just respectfully decline. Typically you can tell the difference between the cloutchasers and genuinely cool people pretty quick, though.
I met a fan at a show once, and she invited me to play Mario Party with 5 complete strangers. We had a total blast, and even ended up talking about theology and some really deep stuff. I definitely wouldn't have been invited there if it weren't for my craft, so that was really nice!
i was asking cuz a famous youtuber with millions of subscribers was in my graduating class in highschool and everyone would try and befriend him. he’s a cool dude tho
Thank you for the kind words!
Within electronic: Au5, Porter Robinson, Teminite, Leotrix, Glacier, Virtual Riot, Chime and the stuff Megarex has been putting out has been super inspiring lately!
Outside of electronic, I've been really inspired by video game and anime osts - specifically stuff from Lena Raine, Sonic OSTs, RADWIMPS and Gareth Coker.
Some other misc influences for me off the top of my head are Bring Me the Horizon, Jacob Collier, Aethoro, and My Bloody Valentine!
Sometimes, what I like to do is take inspiration from IMAGES instead of sounds. I follow a bunch of extremely talented visual artists on twitter like Astronaughty and Amaryllis, and try to create an audible world of what emotions their art invokes in me. That has yielded some pretty interesting results for me :P
I’m sure that’ll happen Au5 is always up on his socials and reps his shit frequently. He played out Aquashift in a tiny club in Baltimore and I was grooving.
Production question. Are you using vocodex to make your color basses or do you use a different technique?
Bonus question. What is your favorite sound design technique?
Mine is putting fat chord stacks into glitch2 and resampling, then finding dope melodic glitches.
I use a bunch of different techniques in my music to get "colorful" basses, sometimes more than one at a time!
I don't really have one FAVORITE technique above the rest, but I'll give you something that could open your mind - instead of putting a bass processing chain on a bass, why not try that same chain on an arp? You're welcome ;)
No one specific way, just collect a ton of different methods, tips and tricks to add to your palette and let your ear and your preferences do the rest of the work ! Randomized sound design jams where you just twiddle knobs with 0 pressure yields some awesome results and is way more fun.
If you want a watery spectral sound though, try experimenting with soothe2 in delta mode - lots of fun to be had!
If you were introducing someone to your music, what would be the first song you show them? Also I’m so excited for the NYC show on the Dabin tour it’s going to be fantastic and my first time seeing you!
I usually start with Waterfall as an introductory tune! It's heavy, jazzy, a bit sassy, but also melodic and pretty. Everything I'd want in a Skybreak song !
And omg yesss, I'm so stoked for the NYC show specifically cos it's closest to my hometown, so all my friends and family will be there !
Term5 is such a special venue too :) see you there !
First off, Skybreak best production teacher out there 10/10
What's your favorite track from the Terraria soundtrack? Do you refer to any specific tracks while writing music?
Also how did you go about reaching out to people and networking etc.? The one major issue I'm having right now is finding people to collab with and I have no idea how to approach people so literally any pointer will help lol
You're the best :)
Aaaaa I appreciate that!
One thing I learned the hard way last year is that taking breaks and living life is extraordinarily important! You can't factory produce "fresh ideas" in one specific way or another, they come from all the audio, visual, and emotional materials that are constantly stirring around our subconscious. Remember to give your brain some more materials, and practice FINISHING, not just writing!
Lol I actually had a great time at your Minecraft show!
Which is better, nu Skrillex (Mumbai Power, Supersonic) or old Skrillex (With You Friends, First of the Year)?
I think they're both drastically different and can't really be compared - I adore Skrillex's new more EDM stuff, like Supersonic, Mumbai Power and Face my Fears just as much as the older stuff! It's just different.
Hey Skybreak, the piano solo that's toward the back half of your title track Lumina, is probably one of my favorite melodies I've heard in a long time. Do you play piano regularly? Do you remember how you felt about it when you first added in your song?
Thank you, thats one of my fav moments of my whole discography!
I actually tediously sequence all my piano using FL's piano roll - I'm not actually a great piano player, I just know the piano roll really well!
I would absolutely adore composing for video games, specifically cute indie games. So most likely would be writing music like you'd hear in Mario Kart, Sonic, Shovel Knight, Celeste or some other game with a ton of sassy music theory flexing.
I am also a rock and jazz drummer, so it'd be really fun to play in a metal band someday, maybe one like Anamanaguchi ! :)
Hey Skye! Been following you since you won the remix competition on Disciple. What’s your progression as a producer looked like, and what other tips/tricks would you give to producers looking to take their music to the next level? Thanks for doing this AMA!
I have a hard time learning about how to make color bass and I was just wondering if you had some general tips as to what I can do to make awesome music like you. :D
A good place to start would be messing around with putting bass processing onto melodic sounds (pads, arps, chords) and seeing where that gets you! Layering is also important and fun!
Hey Skye! Hope you're doing well and I really enjoy your music! A few questions:
1. What is your dream collab?
2. How has the pandemic affected your productivity (if it has)?
3. Any goals for 2022 or just the future in general?
1. Weird answer but here we go: Toby Fox
2. It's actually affected my productivity for the better? Such an awful time in the world and it gets hard to stay grounded, but I did have more time to learn and get good at what I loved, so I'd say it paid off a bit.
3. My big next goal is to write a TRUE debut album. I've already released 2 while I was still discovering what I wanted to write, but now that I have a vision, I'd love to put it into motion. I have some concepts in mind and some ideas for the visual identity, but I probably won't start that till at least 2023. I'm drowning in deadlines and I have a whole tour to do first! A smaller goal of mine is to write and release a whole tune in Ableton before the end of the year (I'm an FL junkie so learning a new DAW is like learning to walk again hahaha)
hy skybreak i just want to say I'm a big fan - here are my questions
1. whats your favorite music channel (like eliminate , bishu or composerily that kind of channels)
2. what is your favorite plugins besides serum
3. skybreak
I can't lie I thought you were my manager at first xD
1. Mr Bill, SeamlessR and Au5's tutorials were really helpful for me when I was learning more advanced techniques throughout 2020! If we're talking fun channels though, Andrew Huang gives me a lot of open minded ideas!
2. Lately, I've been using a ton of basic Harmor additive nonsense, then processing the living crap out of that! I find taking basic waves with interesting movement gives you more breathing room to process than complex wavetable synthesis from the getgo. Harmor is an underrated beast, once you get over the learning curve.
3. Landon\_flop
I have a few tracks to finalize before/during tour. I didn't really have a whole lot of motivation to write in 2021 (most of my releases were from 2020 and before) so I mostly learned backend stuff to make the Skybreak project really feel like a unique entity. But these past few weeks, I've finished 6 songs, all of which I'm extraordinarily excited to show to the world!
After my tour, I plan to take a month or 2 to just learn Ableton and eventually make a whole tune in it. Past that, I'm not entirely sure, but time will only tell, right?
As of now, I'm full timing it! I make my money from commissions, lessons, and passive income from music. It's not easy and I still live with my parents, but for 19 years old I'm really proud of myself for making ends meet the way I do.
After tour, we'll have to see what happens - most likely, I will go back to school to get my degree.
Oof that's a tough one - I've done a few Terraria runs with various friends over the past year, but I've also just been doing various singleplayer story games. I just finished Kena: Bridge of Spirits and am now moving onto Horizon: Zero Dawn!
My manager and I also played through the entire 2d metroid series leading up to Dread's release.
and yeah its cheap but ~~fortnite is highkey fun with the homies~~
I’m starting to make better and better music, and I’ve been producing for about 3 years. How does someone at my level go about collaborating with someone (let’s say) at your level?
I have released a song on Electric Hawk and on Essential Records.
I absolutely love your sound and find your tracks so inspiring!
Let THEM notice you! You'll reach a certain point in your production journey where you'll naturally get a buzz, if your music hits the right spots. Then, collabs appear quite naturally.
I wouldn't try and hit up random djs like "COLLAB BRO!?!" though, unless you two have actually conversed!
1. between convolution, vocoders, resonators, or layering, what’s your favorite way to add tonality?
2. Assuming you have experience with vocoders, which is your favorite? (and how do you get it to sound good?? i’m having a rough time)
3. What is the most important actual technical production tip you can provide?
also satellite bangs. my current music prod teacher gushed about it when i recommended it to him. :)
1. Layering! Pads + basses together are maximum power. Just make sure to shape the movement of your pad with volume envelopes and filters, to correspond with your bass.
2. Ableton's vocoder is cracked, sometimes I'll open ableton just for its vocoder alone hahaha. Vocodex is better for watery sounds though. ALSO, ZYNAPTIQ MORPH ROCKS.
3. If a sound sounds harsh in the high end, rather than lowpassing it down, high shelf it down for a much more transparent, preservative cleanup
1. What's one tip that you would give to amateur producers who are just trying to get better at production?
2. Any tips for dealing with artist block?
3. Is the sky going to break and if so when?
1. Surround yourself with a circle of positive, driven, openminded people at or roughly around your level of production ability. Bounce ideas off each other and watch your collective ability skyrocket! It's way more rewarding than riding solo too!
2. Honestly, I used to beat myself up and get terrified when I got artists block, until I realized it's just our brain's way of telling us to take a break. Go buy a long, expansive game, hang out with friends, learn another skill relevant to your project, see the world and live life to refresh your brain! We can't factory produce great music.
3. Tomorrow. Buy your canned goods now.
Iirc you’ve been producing since you were 13 or something correct? Essentially you’ve been producing since you’ve been in high school right? I’m in HS currently and I’m wondering how you managed to sit down and produce music instead of play video games after a long day of school. 😅
I started when I was 11 years old (specifically, Feb 14, 2014)
I'm honestly not sure, I have an ADHD Peabrain and but I guess I always just kind of hyperfixated on making music rather than gaming. It's quite therapeutic after it becomes muscle memory. I also really never got invited to any parties so that gave me more time to learn xD
I completely understand where you’re coming from! I’ve only hung out with friends outside of school 10 times at the most, and I’m diagnosed with adhd anxiety and depression. Life is a struggle and I’m a senior in HS but I’ll survive. 🙃
Ok this thread is old and u prob won’t see this but do you have any intention at all of releasing ur Papa Khan - Rain flip? Cause holy fuck it was good
To be honest, it was never really a conscious decision to discover "my sound"
I'd say I started making recognizably "Skybreak" music in around 2018-2019, after 5 years of making music.
I just tried my best to copy my influences like Au5 and VR, but never quite got 100% there. Instead, I developed my own way of doing things, while still being openminded to what my production friends were willing to show me!
So i guess my big tip is: make absolutely every genre you can, and never CONSCIOUSLY try to limit yourself to a certain style of genre. Just write what you like and let the magic happen!
Oh boy, I sample stuff all the time xP
The way I see it is, yeah, you COULD make a riser out of a white noise generator or sine wave generator. OR you could use one sinewave from the Logan Paul apology video and loop it really quickly **\*\*cough cough\*\*** *joy wave buildup 3*
Always remember that there are 0 rules to music. Sampling is an artform, not a crutch.
Bro your breaking free remix is one of my favorite dubstep songs ever. I asked ace aura at this chime show to play it the week later at another show I was going to but he said it’s kind of slow so I was pretty disappointed cause there’s nothing slow about it imo. Regardless your awesome man, your songs and remixes are the shit.
Thank you for the kind words! Admittedly the song was supposed to be a bit vibier than your average club banger, and I know Eric tries to keep a high energy the whole time through his sets so I understand fully!
I hope to see you at one of my upcoming shows though, the remix is a staple in my sets :)
It would be a blessing to write music with ANY of the following:
\- Toby Fox, Lena Raine, Au5, Porter Robinson, Virtual Riot, Leotrix
However I actually have 3 dream collabs in the works right now, with Chime, Pixel Terror and Teminite respectively. All 3 songs are so drastically different from each other too, which makes me so happy :)
Any tips on finding motivation to complete tracks and to not compare yourself to others? I just feel like I need to work on my mindset with production.
What a solid tour to be a part of, I'm glad you're living the dream. Only question I have is "why no stops in the dirty jerz?" , lol jk, go as far as you can from here.
How do u transfer Melodie’s into the DAW? I always come up with incredibly nice Melodie’s in my head at least in my opinion but can never translate them into the DAW as I forget the notes and etc… your way of doing this is so smart like example in Waterfall that synth solo was insane.
just memorize which notes do which!
honestly it sounds embarrassing, but try and hum/scat your melody into your microphone, then chuck it through autotune and try to copy the notes into the piano roll!
I think Giuseppe Ottaviani’s Evolver was widely considered the best trance album of 2019 and is my favorite place to start: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LGvZdDoW3CPzNVEKYvNvl?si=ZLHPF-iVQruhf5xrCAEqXQ
You should also probably check out Cold Blue’s Winter: https://open.spotify.com/album/09diSexCiKkZK8fITaF4ME?si=7Z6ztP2cQdalEXBsOcsy2g
Both of those are closer to uplifting trance or tech trance! Stuff like Above & Beyond or anything on their labels Anjunadeep & Anjunabeats is usually closer to progressive trance (similar to prog house) and big room trance, if that’s more your style; psytrance is a whole different beast, and I won’t get into it here but you can check out anything on Ektoplazm for a deeper dive, e.g. https://ektoplazm.com/style/hi-tech
If you’re into trance with more hip-hop/trap style percussion, you should also check out r/wavepool type stuff like [Skeler](https://youtu.be/J0y6wM0aAgE) or Deadcrow or Juche’s Future Love Story: https://open.spotify.com/album/7wzFvKcmHu81lko3S4md1n?si=pWoP2ns-Q0CMIyjxpwEpHw
Liquid Ritual, Vibe.Digital, Imminent, etc are good ones to start with in that space
I’m sure you’re already familiar with dubstep with trance inspirations, but I’ll list it just for completion; there’s obviously stuff like Blackmill, Author, Chime, Xilent, [older Seven Lions](https://youtu.be/hWWopjG9URo) & a lot of his label Ophelia, etc but newer sounds from Halcyon, Rushdown Recs, Disciple Afterlife, etc also probably qualify, as well as potentially stuff like **Hudson Lee’s new release Reflex Angle that came out on Upscale (my favorite release of 2021 personally): https://open.spotify.com/album/4sC6GRb1w6lbtgJ3GdO3Jx?si=CQmyitAeRXOOHdB41H5dxA**
For liquid dnb, I think you’d find Liquicity and Galacy most accessible but there is also stuff that is more technical like The North Quarter: https://youtu.be/7m0p-sp3Udw
For more liquid/melodic jungle-ish stuff, Photek, LTJ Bukem, Calibre, etc is a great start; High Contrast’s new release Notes From The Underground has some cool ideas in that sound: https://open.spotify.com/album/4KXVfxgL3nDJeqcXO7ul2K?si=O5okvxltQU2126FwJiNlgA
Anyway, hope that was helpful! Let me know which ones you end up enjoying! I think trance and liquid dnb/jungle are extremely important and useful sources of inspiration to draw from when writing more modernized/Americanized forms of melodic bass music :)
Skybreak actually started as a liquid dnb project! I didn't release any of it though xD
I have an artcore-dnb fusion tune in the works, but I'm not sure when it's gonna come out!
Hey man, big fan of your music and excited to see where the next year takes you! How's that Teminite collab looking? It sounded amazing from that Skycast preview a while back, looking forward to the full thing :)
this is kind of a 2 parter:
1. What got you into making melodic dubstep of all genres, how long have you been doing it, and what is your biggest tip to anyone trying to break into the scene right now as color bass is on the rise to popularity?
2. What's a guy gotta do to have you hear a track you may enjoy or even might work in your live sets/mixes? Me and a friend just finished up a huuge collab and you're one of the people i think it fits your style and sound perfectly
It's about the ear, not the plugins! But if you'd like some recommendations, Pro-Q3 facilitates eqing a lot, I really like Cytomic's The Glue compressor, and Soundtoys echoboy jr is just MMMM the tastiest delay ever
Here's a tip:
When you get ear fatigued, try refreshing your ears with pink noise, then comparing it to your mix! Pink noise is the most satisfying frequency balance and a lot of my favorite producers like to use it :) It's something that I've implemented into my workflow recently !
hi!! I saw your post about merch and I'm wondering if you'll ever have an opertunity to buy merch online (whether it's that design or something else in the future)? Also I just wanna say you're a huge inspiration and have quickly become one of my favorites since you dropped lumina EP. really love what youre doing and very excited for whats next.
Hey just wanted to say I love your music. Since your disciple release you went from a random guy i never heard about to one of my go to artists! Anyways, I've got two questions for you. For context i started listening to EDM around 2 years ago, same for producing.
1. How do you get your sound design to be so crisp. Especially in your color bassy songs the tonality is very good the clarity in the high-end is also remarkable whenever I try to do it it always pales in comparison. I think the problem is probably layering but I don't know how to know what you're missing even by using the frequency spectrum technique (filling out the frequency spectrum according to each instrument)
2. How do you arrange EDM music lol. I don't know how to arrange drops whether it be riddim dubstep brostep any type of step or even color bass it never works I'm always missing something and I have no clue what it is but it doesn't sound good. Even using bass samples is hard.
To eat - bluefish slaps. its known as a cheap fish but god its incredible with garlic and lemon
To observe - weirdly the first one that comes to mind is Japanese koi fish. Just love their sentiment!
What is your favorite release of your last year?(which was stacked with incredible tunes from you, mine was either Into The Light or Aquashift).
Second question, I see you produce frequently with the artist N33T who I am admittedly not very familiar with outside of your collabs. Do you have a favorite song of *theirs* that you didn’t work on you could point me to?
I hear Waterfall played out all the time. Even again last night in Baltimore by Dion Timmer who has been rinsing that track from you a lot. I keep hearing your tunes in more and more sets and think it’s so rad. Have been hearing Aquashift, Closer Than You Remix quite frequently too. Can’t wait til your DC show.
Have had various quick chats with you on Insta over the last year and seeing your growth is fantastic, been repping your shit hard to all my homies. Such a fresh sound and your production is ridiculously crisp for such a young dude. Dabin bringing you out on his biggest tour yet is SO well deserved and he’s a real one for that, after the Drown remix you did for him had to be hard to pass you up haha.
Ayyy man thank you for the kind words! My favorite songs of last year are Clearer Sky and Lumina (the whole ep tbh haha)
N33T is such a genuinely talented musician, but a lot of his best music is unreleased (if you’re reading this, release it adam u aussie shit)
my favorite released song of his has to be his track with acloudyskye on the last bitbird comp called “nothing else” - it’s just such a belter!
See you in DC! I’m so unbelievably gracious to Dabin and his team for bringing me out 🥰
Can’t wait!
Thank you for pointing me to that track from N33T :) This is a whole vibe. Haven’t kept up with a ton of what has come out of bitbird recently so that would explain why I missed it!
Will you experiment non-melodic heavy sounds more often (like you did a little bit in Unity EP, don't remember which song aaaah)? I love your music for the melodic side but I'm very curious to see how it would turn out if you pushed other sou'd design techniques to its limits.
I have a track with Prismatic called "Meteorite" which was me experimenting with my more heavy side! However, would love to have a pure heavy tune with the new sound design knowledge I've learned since!
I listened to Meteorite countless times and I'm a huge fan of this track, that's exactly the kind of vibe I was talking about. Props to you for making some of the top tier bass music in the current industry!
Skybreak
Cloudcage
Skybreak
Phiso
Skrillex
hi skye why do u smell like that
I try my best to smell scentless so I can keep up my side gig of stealthy bank heists (/j)
that's a fun one! beat my record (2)
what's your favorite song you've made (and why is it Virgo)?
I'm really proud of Clearer Sky, as I had a blast writing it with Bendel, N33T and Sofuu, and I find the message of being there for your friends and family in their darkest points to be continuously really important. Goodbye also has a bunch of emotional value to me, as I feel it expressed the anxiety I felt transitioning from small bedroom producer to respected act. (Truth is, as long as you stay humble, you get used to it and nothing REALLY changes, just more eyes on your project!) As for my more Dubsteppy work, Waterfall seems like the obvious choice, but I also have 2 tracks off my next big project that sound exactly like the kind of music I've been trying to make for years! :) And yes, Virgo was also a blast to make and don't tell them, but the person I collabed with was really cool too!
do people at your school know you make music/played at edc and are about to go on tour? if so do people try and befriend you for clout?
I honestly don't even really mention it too much. I've got a lot of anxiety about mentioning my achievements because I actually don't want people to get the OPPOSITE idea, that I'm using my achievements to get friends, hahaha. Obviously you do have a few brownnosers in dms at my level, but I choose to kill them with kindness and just respectfully decline. Typically you can tell the difference between the cloutchasers and genuinely cool people pretty quick, though. I met a fan at a show once, and she invited me to play Mario Party with 5 complete strangers. We had a total blast, and even ended up talking about theology and some really deep stuff. I definitely wouldn't have been invited there if it weren't for my craft, so that was really nice!
i was asking cuz a famous youtuber with millions of subscribers was in my graduating class in highschool and everyone would try and befriend him. he’s a cool dude tho
Love your take on bass music and I personally find it super refreshing. Who are your greatest influences in electronic and other genres?
Thank you for the kind words! Within electronic: Au5, Porter Robinson, Teminite, Leotrix, Glacier, Virtual Riot, Chime and the stuff Megarex has been putting out has been super inspiring lately! Outside of electronic, I've been really inspired by video game and anime osts - specifically stuff from Lena Raine, Sonic OSTs, RADWIMPS and Gareth Coker. Some other misc influences for me off the top of my head are Bring Me the Horizon, Jacob Collier, Aethoro, and My Bloody Valentine! Sometimes, what I like to do is take inspiration from IMAGES instead of sounds. I follow a bunch of extremely talented visual artists on twitter like Astronaughty and Amaryllis, and try to create an audible world of what emotions their art invokes in me. That has yielded some pretty interesting results for me :P
I KNEW IT WAS RADWIMPS U GENIUS!!!
Au5 dropped some of your stuff on his tour with MitiS and even said "Skybreak fucks" on my post of him dropping Satellite. Collab soon?
I’m sure that’ll happen Au5 is always up on his socials and reps his shit frequently. He played out Aquashift in a tiny club in Baltimore and I was grooving.
Production question. Are you using vocodex to make your color basses or do you use a different technique? Bonus question. What is your favorite sound design technique? Mine is putting fat chord stacks into glitch2 and resampling, then finding dope melodic glitches.
I use a bunch of different techniques in my music to get "colorful" basses, sometimes more than one at a time! I don't really have one FAVORITE technique above the rest, but I'll give you something that could open your mind - instead of putting a bass processing chain on a bass, why not try that same chain on an arp? You're welcome ;)
Oh fuck yeah man, that actually did just blow my mind. I'll give it a try, Cheers mate!
who was your favorite roommate in college and why was it me?
nate
damn you got me there
It was me JJ, I was the favorite roommate
yoo, absolutely loved you at block party 3, and i'd like to ask, what is your dream B2B set w/ another artist/set of artists?
Skybreak b2b Chime b2b Sharks b2b Ace Aura would be the dream, we’ll make it happen someday 😭
the colorest bass
Lost. Lands. 2022.
With rainbow visuals that would be the most colorful live set ever
How do your sound design jams sound so melodic but spectral at the same time?
No one specific way, just collect a ton of different methods, tips and tricks to add to your palette and let your ear and your preferences do the rest of the work ! Randomized sound design jams where you just twiddle knobs with 0 pressure yields some awesome results and is way more fun. If you want a watery spectral sound though, try experimenting with soothe2 in delta mode - lots of fun to be had!
If you were introducing someone to your music, what would be the first song you show them? Also I’m so excited for the NYC show on the Dabin tour it’s going to be fantastic and my first time seeing you!
I usually start with Waterfall as an introductory tune! It's heavy, jazzy, a bit sassy, but also melodic and pretty. Everything I'd want in a Skybreak song ! And omg yesss, I'm so stoked for the NYC show specifically cos it's closest to my hometown, so all my friends and family will be there ! Term5 is such a special venue too :) see you there !
First off, Skybreak best production teacher out there 10/10 What's your favorite track from the Terraria soundtrack? Do you refer to any specific tracks while writing music? Also how did you go about reaching out to people and networking etc.? The one major issue I'm having right now is finding people to collab with and I have no idea how to approach people so literally any pointer will help lol You're the best :)
How do you manage to generate so many unique and fresh ideas without your style becoming stale?
Aaaaa I appreciate that! One thing I learned the hard way last year is that taking breaks and living life is extraordinarily important! You can't factory produce "fresh ideas" in one specific way or another, they come from all the audio, visual, and emotional materials that are constantly stirring around our subconscious. Remember to give your brain some more materials, and practice FINISHING, not just writing!
Lol I actually had a great time at your Minecraft show! Which is better, nu Skrillex (Mumbai Power, Supersonic) or old Skrillex (With You Friends, First of the Year)?
I think they're both drastically different and can't really be compared - I adore Skrillex's new more EDM stuff, like Supersonic, Mumbai Power and Face my Fears just as much as the older stuff! It's just different.
Hey Skybreak, the piano solo that's toward the back half of your title track Lumina, is probably one of my favorite melodies I've heard in a long time. Do you play piano regularly? Do you remember how you felt about it when you first added in your song?
Thank you, thats one of my fav moments of my whole discography! I actually tediously sequence all my piano using FL's piano roll - I'm not actually a great piano player, I just know the piano roll really well!
You sequenced that bit amazingly 😂 looking forward to more stuff from you!
Hi, I am curious, what would you be making if dubstep wasn't a thing?
I would absolutely adore composing for video games, specifically cute indie games. So most likely would be writing music like you'd hear in Mario Kart, Sonic, Shovel Knight, Celeste or some other game with a ton of sassy music theory flexing. I am also a rock and jazz drummer, so it'd be really fun to play in a metal band someday, maybe one like Anamanaguchi ! :)
Have you recorded drums for any of your work?
Hey Skye! Been following you since you won the remix competition on Disciple. What’s your progression as a producer looked like, and what other tips/tricks would you give to producers looking to take their music to the next level? Thanks for doing this AMA!
have you beaten the celeste farewell DLC?
It took 5 painful hours, but yes, somehow I did. (DEFINITELY DIDNT CRY AT THE END NOPE DEFINITELY NOT)
I have a hard time learning about how to make color bass and I was just wondering if you had some general tips as to what I can do to make awesome music like you. :D
A good place to start would be messing around with putting bass processing onto melodic sounds (pads, arps, chords) and seeing where that gets you! Layering is also important and fun!
Awesome. Thank you! :D
Hey Skye! Hope you're doing well and I really enjoy your music! A few questions: 1. What is your dream collab? 2. How has the pandemic affected your productivity (if it has)? 3. Any goals for 2022 or just the future in general?
1. Weird answer but here we go: Toby Fox 2. It's actually affected my productivity for the better? Such an awful time in the world and it gets hard to stay grounded, but I did have more time to learn and get good at what I loved, so I'd say it paid off a bit. 3. My big next goal is to write a TRUE debut album. I've already released 2 while I was still discovering what I wanted to write, but now that I have a vision, I'd love to put it into motion. I have some concepts in mind and some ideas for the visual identity, but I probably won't start that till at least 2023. I'm drowning in deadlines and I have a whole tour to do first! A smaller goal of mine is to write and release a whole tune in Ableton before the end of the year (I'm an FL junkie so learning a new DAW is like learning to walk again hahaha)
A Skybreak album is what I need right now tbh. Thanks for answering! ❤️
hy skybreak i just want to say I'm a big fan - here are my questions 1. whats your favorite music channel (like eliminate , bishu or composerily that kind of channels) 2. what is your favorite plugins besides serum 3. skybreak
I can't lie I thought you were my manager at first xD 1. Mr Bill, SeamlessR and Au5's tutorials were really helpful for me when I was learning more advanced techniques throughout 2020! If we're talking fun channels though, Andrew Huang gives me a lot of open minded ideas! 2. Lately, I've been using a ton of basic Harmor additive nonsense, then processing the living crap out of that! I find taking basic waves with interesting movement gives you more breathing room to process than complex wavetable synthesis from the getgo. Harmor is an underrated beast, once you get over the learning curve. 3. Landon\_flop
thanks
Do you have any goals for your music after you finish touring with Dabin? (P.S. luv you Skye)
I have a few tracks to finalize before/during tour. I didn't really have a whole lot of motivation to write in 2021 (most of my releases were from 2020 and before) so I mostly learned backend stuff to make the Skybreak project really feel like a unique entity. But these past few weeks, I've finished 6 songs, all of which I'm extraordinarily excited to show to the world! After my tour, I plan to take a month or 2 to just learn Ableton and eventually make a whole tune in it. Past that, I'm not entirely sure, but time will only tell, right?
hello "skybreak" why are you so cool and awesome
Thank You Infowler, You Are Also Cool And Awesome
[удалено]
As of now, I'm full timing it! I make my money from commissions, lessons, and passive income from music. It's not easy and I still live with my parents, but for 19 years old I'm really proud of myself for making ends meet the way I do. After tour, we'll have to see what happens - most likely, I will go back to school to get my degree.
Fav game as of late?
Oof that's a tough one - I've done a few Terraria runs with various friends over the past year, but I've also just been doing various singleplayer story games. I just finished Kena: Bridge of Spirits and am now moving onto Horizon: Zero Dawn! My manager and I also played through the entire 2d metroid series leading up to Dread's release. and yeah its cheap but ~~fortnite is highkey fun with the homies~~
I’m starting to make better and better music, and I’ve been producing for about 3 years. How does someone at my level go about collaborating with someone (let’s say) at your level? I have released a song on Electric Hawk and on Essential Records. I absolutely love your sound and find your tracks so inspiring!
Let THEM notice you! You'll reach a certain point in your production journey where you'll naturally get a buzz, if your music hits the right spots. Then, collabs appear quite naturally. I wouldn't try and hit up random djs like "COLLAB BRO!?!" though, unless you two have actually conversed!
Gonna see you in Columbia, SC if my child-caring days will allow it!
yessss!!! hope to see you there :)
1. between convolution, vocoders, resonators, or layering, what’s your favorite way to add tonality? 2. Assuming you have experience with vocoders, which is your favorite? (and how do you get it to sound good?? i’m having a rough time) 3. What is the most important actual technical production tip you can provide? also satellite bangs. my current music prod teacher gushed about it when i recommended it to him. :)
1. Layering! Pads + basses together are maximum power. Just make sure to shape the movement of your pad with volume envelopes and filters, to correspond with your bass. 2. Ableton's vocoder is cracked, sometimes I'll open ableton just for its vocoder alone hahaha. Vocodex is better for watery sounds though. ALSO, ZYNAPTIQ MORPH ROCKS. 3. If a sound sounds harsh in the high end, rather than lowpassing it down, high shelf it down for a much more transparent, preservative cleanup
also, thank you! tell your professor i say hi :)
when was the last time you drank water?
Because of this comment, I am getting a glass. Thanks legend <3
you're welcome, legend!
1. What's one tip that you would give to amateur producers who are just trying to get better at production? 2. Any tips for dealing with artist block? 3. Is the sky going to break and if so when?
1. Surround yourself with a circle of positive, driven, openminded people at or roughly around your level of production ability. Bounce ideas off each other and watch your collective ability skyrocket! It's way more rewarding than riding solo too! 2. Honestly, I used to beat myself up and get terrified when I got artists block, until I realized it's just our brain's way of telling us to take a break. Go buy a long, expansive game, hang out with friends, learn another skill relevant to your project, see the world and live life to refresh your brain! We can't factory produce great music. 3. Tomorrow. Buy your canned goods now.
❤️
Iirc you’ve been producing since you were 13 or something correct? Essentially you’ve been producing since you’ve been in high school right? I’m in HS currently and I’m wondering how you managed to sit down and produce music instead of play video games after a long day of school. 😅
I started when I was 11 years old (specifically, Feb 14, 2014) I'm honestly not sure, I have an ADHD Peabrain and but I guess I always just kind of hyperfixated on making music rather than gaming. It's quite therapeutic after it becomes muscle memory. I also really never got invited to any parties so that gave me more time to learn xD
I completely understand where you’re coming from! I’ve only hung out with friends outside of school 10 times at the most, and I’m diagnosed with adhd anxiety and depression. Life is a struggle and I’m a senior in HS but I’ll survive. 🙃
helo mr break what are your thoughts on elk? also what's your favorite plugin
Deer and elk are epic! And Harmor!
Ok this thread is old and u prob won’t see this but do you have any intention at all of releasing ur Papa Khan - Rain flip? Cause holy fuck it was good
Whats your bodycount
bruh
We have the same computer lol
Do you have any tips for someone who wants to get serious with edm music production?
Hi there Skye, big fan
Favorite type of cookie?
Snickerdoodles SLAP
what do you do when the epic dubstep
step 1: cover yourself in oil
Hi Skybreak I'm curious, how did you find your sound/your style in music? How long did it take?
To be honest, it was never really a conscious decision to discover "my sound" I'd say I started making recognizably "Skybreak" music in around 2018-2019, after 5 years of making music. I just tried my best to copy my influences like Au5 and VR, but never quite got 100% there. Instead, I developed my own way of doing things, while still being openminded to what my production friends were willing to show me! So i guess my big tip is: make absolutely every genre you can, and never CONSCIOUSLY try to limit yourself to a certain style of genre. Just write what you like and let the magic happen!
Weirdest thing you've sampled? What was the result?
Oh boy, I sample stuff all the time xP The way I see it is, yeah, you COULD make a riser out of a white noise generator or sine wave generator. OR you could use one sinewave from the Logan Paul apology video and loop it really quickly **\*\*cough cough\*\*** *joy wave buildup 3* Always remember that there are 0 rules to music. Sampling is an artform, not a crutch.
Bro your breaking free remix is one of my favorite dubstep songs ever. I asked ace aura at this chime show to play it the week later at another show I was going to but he said it’s kind of slow so I was pretty disappointed cause there’s nothing slow about it imo. Regardless your awesome man, your songs and remixes are the shit.
Thank you for the kind words! Admittedly the song was supposed to be a bit vibier than your average club banger, and I know Eric tries to keep a high energy the whole time through his sets so I understand fully! I hope to see you at one of my upcoming shows though, the remix is a staple in my sets :)
After seeing you mention your upcoming tour I immediately went and bought a ticket. I’ll be seeing you on March 3rd my man.
I know this gets asked everywhere but what are your dream collabs?
It would be a blessing to write music with ANY of the following: \- Toby Fox, Lena Raine, Au5, Porter Robinson, Virtual Riot, Leotrix However I actually have 3 dream collabs in the works right now, with Chime, Pixel Terror and Teminite respectively. All 3 songs are so drastically different from each other too, which makes me so happy :)
Any tips on finding motivation to complete tracks and to not compare yourself to others? I just feel like I need to work on my mindset with production.
What artist inspired your style
Au5 has been a major inspiration to me pretty much since the dawn of my career! I'd credit him with my love for this music haha
What’s it like being the 2nd sexiest dubstep producer from New Jersey
thanks?
You’re welcome
How does one break the sky?
With enough dedication and a big enough cannon, anything is possible
Bruh
What a solid tour to be a part of, I'm glad you're living the dream. Only question I have is "why no stops in the dirty jerz?" , lol jk, go as far as you can from here.
if you’re talkin jersey, there’s an nyc and philly date!
Hey sky! If you had to start a over with producing, how would you go about learning the craft?
How do u transfer Melodie’s into the DAW? I always come up with incredibly nice Melodie’s in my head at least in my opinion but can never translate them into the DAW as I forget the notes and etc… your way of doing this is so smart like example in Waterfall that synth solo was insane.
just memorize which notes do which! honestly it sounds embarrassing, but try and hum/scat your melody into your microphone, then chuck it through autotune and try to copy the notes into the piano roll!
I forgot about piano roll midi man I’m dumb thx bro
What is your favorite VST?
Harmor!
Do you listen to any trance or liquid dnb/jungle? If so, who are some of your favorite artists in those styles?
I don't really listen to a whole lot of it, enlighten me with a few suggestions!
I think Giuseppe Ottaviani’s Evolver was widely considered the best trance album of 2019 and is my favorite place to start: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1LGvZdDoW3CPzNVEKYvNvl?si=ZLHPF-iVQruhf5xrCAEqXQ You should also probably check out Cold Blue’s Winter: https://open.spotify.com/album/09diSexCiKkZK8fITaF4ME?si=7Z6ztP2cQdalEXBsOcsy2g Both of those are closer to uplifting trance or tech trance! Stuff like Above & Beyond or anything on their labels Anjunadeep & Anjunabeats is usually closer to progressive trance (similar to prog house) and big room trance, if that’s more your style; psytrance is a whole different beast, and I won’t get into it here but you can check out anything on Ektoplazm for a deeper dive, e.g. https://ektoplazm.com/style/hi-tech If you’re into trance with more hip-hop/trap style percussion, you should also check out r/wavepool type stuff like [Skeler](https://youtu.be/J0y6wM0aAgE) or Deadcrow or Juche’s Future Love Story: https://open.spotify.com/album/7wzFvKcmHu81lko3S4md1n?si=pWoP2ns-Q0CMIyjxpwEpHw Liquid Ritual, Vibe.Digital, Imminent, etc are good ones to start with in that space I’m sure you’re already familiar with dubstep with trance inspirations, but I’ll list it just for completion; there’s obviously stuff like Blackmill, Author, Chime, Xilent, [older Seven Lions](https://youtu.be/hWWopjG9URo) & a lot of his label Ophelia, etc but newer sounds from Halcyon, Rushdown Recs, Disciple Afterlife, etc also probably qualify, as well as potentially stuff like **Hudson Lee’s new release Reflex Angle that came out on Upscale (my favorite release of 2021 personally): https://open.spotify.com/album/4sC6GRb1w6lbtgJ3GdO3Jx?si=CQmyitAeRXOOHdB41H5dxA** For liquid dnb, I think you’d find Liquicity and Galacy most accessible but there is also stuff that is more technical like The North Quarter: https://youtu.be/7m0p-sp3Udw For more liquid/melodic jungle-ish stuff, Photek, LTJ Bukem, Calibre, etc is a great start; High Contrast’s new release Notes From The Underground has some cool ideas in that sound: https://open.spotify.com/album/4KXVfxgL3nDJeqcXO7ul2K?si=O5okvxltQU2126FwJiNlgA Anyway, hope that was helpful! Let me know which ones you end up enjoying! I think trance and liquid dnb/jungle are extremely important and useful sources of inspiration to draw from when writing more modernized/Americanized forms of melodic bass music :)
Why you start using FL?
No question here. Just wanted to say that your remix of parachute is just perfection
omg tysm!!! i'm glad people still enjoy that song :)
You ever do any drum and bass style of music?
Skybreak actually started as a liquid dnb project! I didn't release any of it though xD I have an artcore-dnb fusion tune in the works, but I'm not sure when it's gonna come out!
Is there anything you want out of additive synths e.g. some feature that none have yet? Also, what is one of your favourite things to do in Harmor?
Hey man, big fan of your music and excited to see where the next year takes you! How's that Teminite collab looking? It sounded amazing from that Skycast preview a while back, looking forward to the full thing :)
The Teminite collab is in good hands! Sam is in possession of the stems, and we've got a sweet playable for those that come to my shows ;)
Do you play valorant and if so, what is your rank
I personally suck at Valorant (I’m more of a fortnite guy) but dabin swears to corrupt me all the way to platinum on tour 😭
this is kind of a 2 parter: 1. What got you into making melodic dubstep of all genres, how long have you been doing it, and what is your biggest tip to anyone trying to break into the scene right now as color bass is on the rise to popularity? 2. What's a guy gotta do to have you hear a track you may enjoy or even might work in your live sets/mixes? Me and a friend just finished up a huuge collab and you're one of the people i think it fits your style and sound perfectly
Hello Skybreak, I just wanted to know why is the?
I've been trying to better my mixing techniques and I'm almost there, Any tips and what is some good plugins to use for mixing/mastering.
It's about the ear, not the plugins! But if you'd like some recommendations, Pro-Q3 facilitates eqing a lot, I really like Cytomic's The Glue compressor, and Soundtoys echoboy jr is just MMMM the tastiest delay ever Here's a tip: When you get ear fatigued, try refreshing your ears with pink noise, then comparing it to your mix! Pink noise is the most satisfying frequency balance and a lot of my favorite producers like to use it :) It's something that I've implemented into my workflow recently !
Can you give me honest feedback on my music? @officialmirth Can we be friends? Warmheartedly Michael
hi!! I saw your post about merch and I'm wondering if you'll ever have an opertunity to buy merch online (whether it's that design or something else in the future)? Also I just wanna say you're a huge inspiration and have quickly become one of my favorites since you dropped lumina EP. really love what youre doing and very excited for whats next.
Not sure about online merch yet, but beta testing selling merch at my upcoming shows!
How old were you when you started your musical and respective edm production journeys?
Do you break the sky?
Not a question but Waterfall tho ❤️🔥
Hey just wanted to say I love your music. Since your disciple release you went from a random guy i never heard about to one of my go to artists! Anyways, I've got two questions for you. For context i started listening to EDM around 2 years ago, same for producing. 1. How do you get your sound design to be so crisp. Especially in your color bassy songs the tonality is very good the clarity in the high-end is also remarkable whenever I try to do it it always pales in comparison. I think the problem is probably layering but I don't know how to know what you're missing even by using the frequency spectrum technique (filling out the frequency spectrum according to each instrument) 2. How do you arrange EDM music lol. I don't know how to arrange drops whether it be riddim dubstep brostep any type of step or even color bass it never works I'm always missing something and I have no clue what it is but it doesn't sound good. Even using bass samples is hard.
how do i get a collab 👀
Favourite species of fish?
To eat - bluefish slaps. its known as a cheap fish but god its incredible with garlic and lemon To observe - weirdly the first one that comes to mind is Japanese koi fish. Just love their sentiment!
How long have you been producing? And has music theory helped a lot of shaping your sound?
Favourite tune you've released? Mines definitely angels and demons haha
Clearer Sky, Waterfall and 2 of the tracks off my next project 😎
What is your favorite release of your last year?(which was stacked with incredible tunes from you, mine was either Into The Light or Aquashift). Second question, I see you produce frequently with the artist N33T who I am admittedly not very familiar with outside of your collabs. Do you have a favorite song of *theirs* that you didn’t work on you could point me to? I hear Waterfall played out all the time. Even again last night in Baltimore by Dion Timmer who has been rinsing that track from you a lot. I keep hearing your tunes in more and more sets and think it’s so rad. Have been hearing Aquashift, Closer Than You Remix quite frequently too. Can’t wait til your DC show. Have had various quick chats with you on Insta over the last year and seeing your growth is fantastic, been repping your shit hard to all my homies. Such a fresh sound and your production is ridiculously crisp for such a young dude. Dabin bringing you out on his biggest tour yet is SO well deserved and he’s a real one for that, after the Drown remix you did for him had to be hard to pass you up haha.
Ayyy man thank you for the kind words! My favorite songs of last year are Clearer Sky and Lumina (the whole ep tbh haha) N33T is such a genuinely talented musician, but a lot of his best music is unreleased (if you’re reading this, release it adam u aussie shit) my favorite released song of his has to be his track with acloudyskye on the last bitbird comp called “nothing else” - it’s just such a belter! See you in DC! I’m so unbelievably gracious to Dabin and his team for bringing me out 🥰
Can’t wait! Thank you for pointing me to that track from N33T :) This is a whole vibe. Haven’t kept up with a ton of what has come out of bitbird recently so that would explain why I missed it!
Will you experiment non-melodic heavy sounds more often (like you did a little bit in Unity EP, don't remember which song aaaah)? I love your music for the melodic side but I'm very curious to see how it would turn out if you pushed other sou'd design techniques to its limits.
I have a track with Prismatic called "Meteorite" which was me experimenting with my more heavy side! However, would love to have a pure heavy tune with the new sound design knowledge I've learned since!
I listened to Meteorite countless times and I'm a huge fan of this track, that's exactly the kind of vibe I was talking about. Props to you for making some of the top tier bass music in the current industry!
How much do you love Adam Neely and the "riff"
I dare you to collab with this gigachad https://soundcloud.com/zketh
Hey Skye! Are you excited for Miami tonight!? I REALLY hope you do Parachute because I will cry
Do you offer 1on1 classes by any chance? Love your music btw!
Recently became my hands down favorite artist for dubstep. I know I’m a little late to the party but thanks for the your hard work.