Name: Robert Babicz

Nationality: Polish, Malta-based
Occupation: Producer, DJ
Current release: Robert Babicz's new single "Remember the Past" is part of Krafted X, the ten-year-anniversary-compilation by British label Krafted.

If you enjoyed this Robert Babicz interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, bandcamp, and Soundcloud.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in production and technology?

Yes, for sure.

I remember a situation when I was 9 years old; I had my own little radio and was listening every day. I even took the radio to my bed when I had to go to sleep.

One day, I came across an experimental electronic music program. I didn't know that this was real music; I thought I had somehow found an intergalactic communication transmission. I was super afraid, and at the same time, I was not able to turn it off because the sounds were touching me so much.

Then, many years later, Phuture - “Acid Tracks” came out, and I got this feeling again. This must be abstract alien music. So, just a few years after this, Rob Acid was born.



What were your very first active steps with music technology, and how would you rate the gains made through experience?

My very first steps in music were done on a Commodore Amiga computer with tracker software; basically, you had a very limited sampler with a few seconds' total sampling time. Then I got the chance to work with real analog drum machines and synths.

I was always very interested in the latest technology, so it was amazing when computers started to be able to record sounds in good quality and the first plugins came up.

There was never this analog vs. digital topic for me; I love everything that makes my song more interesting.

Were/are you interested in the history of production and recording? If so, which events, albums, artists, or insights stand out for you?

Yes, of course. I still record music on old tape machines and use vintage equipment. I love how every era had its own texture.

Making music, in the beginning, is often playful and about discovery. How do you retain a sense of playfulness, and how do you still draw surprises from tools, approaches, and musical forms you may be very familiar with?

I often tell my students that when I make music, I don't think, and trust my intuition. Simply stop thinking and let things happen. When you open your heart, then you will hear what the music needs from you.

I try to work as fast as possible to be able to catch the initial energy of a song. This means 98% of all tracks that I have done were created in 1 day.

For your own creativity, what is the balance and relative importance between what you learned from teachers, tutorials, and other producers on the one hand – and what you discovered, understood, and achieved yourself? What are examples for both of these?

I am completely self-taught. When I started making music, there was nobody, and we had no Internet back then. It was simply learning by doing, and every mistake is a given chance to learn or to find something that you never thought about.

Happy accidents are your friend.

How and for what reasons has your music set-up evolved over the years, and what are currently some of the most important pieces of gear and software for you?

I have been making music now for 34 years and would consider myself an advanced beginner.

I have many wonderful tools, but my centerpiece is LOGIC as my DAW.

Have there been technologies which have profoundly influenced, changed, or questioned the way you make music?

Of course, coming from 100% analog to the amazing digital tools that we have today.

Already as a little kid, I was drawn to all aspects of electronic/electric music, but I've never quite been able to put a finger on why this is. What's your own relationship to electronic sounds, rhythms, productions like – what, if any, are fundamental differences with “acoustic“ music and tools?

I was never really interested in acoustic music somehow, maybe because they were too human for me, as I have always been fascinated by sci-fi and machines.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility with electronic music to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that and the relevance of limitations in your set-up and process?

I can fully relate to this.

I would even go so far as to say, in electronic music, we are gods creating our own universe; it's total freedom.

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, what does your current production workflow/process look like?

In general, I need around 5-8 hours from the very first sound to the finished master. I try to finish 1 song per day.

With all the experience, I don't need to think about how things are done; I just do. I follow the emotions that the song is creating in me.

Rhythm, sound design, melody/harmony, something else – when do the different elements of a piece come into play for you?

It's all one for me; I can see music inside me as an emotional sculpture in time. My material is emotions.

In relation to sound, one often reads words like “material”, “sculpting”, and “design”. How does your own way of working with sound look? Do you find using presets lazy?

I don’t judge. If I find a sound from somewhere that fits my idea, then fine.

But I love creating sounds also from scratch and let things happen, and decide from there.

What, to you, are the respective benefits of solo work and collaborations, and do you often feel lonely in the studio? Can machines act as collaborators to you?

I am not lonely at the studio because I have a perfect studio assistant, my cat.

To some, the advent of AI and 'intelligent' composing tools offers potential for machines to contribute to the creative process. What are your hopes, fears, expectations, and possible concrete plans in this regard?

We live in super interesting times. I am looking forward to getting a super cool AI assistant helping me to modify and expand my music ideas.

If you could make a wish for the future directly to a product developer at a hardware or software company – what are developments in tools/instruments you would like to see and hear?

I have tons of ideas for tools that would make my music making better.

Let the companies contact me, and we can talk about it.