Name: Ginton
Nationality: Dutch
Occupation: Producer, multi-instrumentalist, performer
Current Release: Ginton teams up with Richard Bona and Salif Keita for “Kalabancoro,” out via Decca.
Recommendation for Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Terrazen. Very good vegan food. I love good, healthy food. I love nature.

If you enjoyed this Ginton interview and would like to know more about his music, current live dates and releases, visit him on Instagram, tiktok, Soundcloud, and bandcamp.  



Debates around production tend to focus on gear. What, though, were some of the things you learned by talking to colleagues or through performing and/or recording with other musicians? What role does community play for your interest in production and getting better as a producer?

Well, I started by playing guitar on tracks made by other producers. While doing that, I would just watch what they were doing on the screen. I’d ask them how they did certain things, or what plug-ins and gear they used to create specific sounds.

After a while, I began using that knowledge to start making my own beats.

Would you describe yourself as a very “technical” person with a natural affinity for technology, gadgets, electronic circuits, software, etc …? What is your relationship with technology in- and outside of music?

Not at all. Quite the opposite. My beats, guitar technique, and DJ skills are pretty basic, but for me, music isn't about having the best technique or gear. It's about listening to what the song needs.

Don't get me wrong, I’ve studied a lot, especially guitar and beatmaking, but I didn’t study to become the most advanced guitarist or producer. I studied to develop taste and to learn how to serve the song.

The word “production” as a separate item from “composition” suggests a creative processes with different stages. Do you see it that way – or are all the steps towards a piece of music always integrated and connected for you?

For me, it's just one thing. In my process of making a beat or song, everything happens at the same time.

Do you want technology and production to mainly “serve musical ideas” – or do you like to bring them to the fore and play with them?

I’ve used them more to support ideas, but I’m definitely more of an organic type.

In how far, would you say, was your evolution as an artist connected to the evolution of your music set-up? Were there shared stepping stones?

My live setup was a journey to figure out. I had to consider a few things.

At DJ shows, there's usually not much time for a soundcheck or setup, so I needed a quick way to install my guitar. I also travel a lot, so the setup had to be compact. On top of that, I needed a good wireless system, because in a DJ booth people often can't see you playing guitar. Going wireless lets me move into the crowd or climb on the booth more easily.

I currently use a Kemper Profiler connected directly to the mixer with a tulip (RCA) cable, and a Shure GLXD16+ wireless system.

There are artists who can realise their ideas best with a traditional – or modified – piano interface, others with a keyboard and a mouse, yet others by turning knobs or touching screens. What's your preferred and most intuitive/natural way of making music and why?

Just by playing the instruments. I play guitar, bass guitar, piano, and percussion.

The more organic, the better.

Tell me about one or two of your early pieces that you're still proud of (or satisfied with) in terms of production – and why you're content with them.

“Black Magic Woman” is the first track I released on my own label, Woody Trees, and it’s still one of my favorites.



I’ve always been a big Santana fan, so being able to remake that track was truly a blessing.

Tell me about the space of your current studio/workplace and how you've set it up to optimise creativity.

I was lucky enough to take over a studio from another producer. He had built it really well, so I could move in easily.

It’s full of instruments, so it feels like my own little playroom.

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?

I don’t really know. Music is just music, and feeling is feeling. If it sounds good, it sounds good.

I don’t really think like limiting myself by not generating every sound there is.

For you personally, where does composition end and production start (or vice versa)?

It usually starts with a small drum loop and some chords. Then I add vocals, followed by riffs, structure, and the rest of the song.

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, tell me about the production process for “Kalabancoro”, please.

It started with the vocals of Richard Bona and Salif Keita, because it was a remake of one of their older songs.



After the vocals, I added a quick drum loop, then a guitar riff, and built the rest of the song from there.

Tell me about your aesthetic preferences for picking effects like reverb, delay, compression, chorus etc … - what was the role of these effects in the production of your current release?

I really like H-Delay. It’s always on my guitar and vocals because it adds depth.

Other than that, I keep it simple—some Valhalla Vintage Verb as well.

Do you see a benefit in getting an external producer on board for your studio work? Do you see a benefit in recording or refining at least parts of your music in an external studio?

Sometimes it's nice. I like the balance between working alone and occasionally having some company.

Have you used AI or generative music tools for your own productions? If so, in which way and what did they add?  

Just to rip vocals for tracks I want to remix. The vocals for “Kalabancoro” were taken from the original using AI.

We can watch videos on production, take producer courses, and exchange deep insights on gear forums. Amidst these options to improve one's chops/skills, how do you keep things playful?

By keeping it close to myself.