Who is Tim Green?

An artist of consistent quality Tim Green’s sound has gradually evolved over the years from the dancefloor rocking deep techno of his releases on seminal techno labels such as Cocoon, through to the more refined organic house sound of his recent output which has seen him quickly become an integral part of the All Day I Dream family.

Now Tim seems more at home than ever with his sound, with international gigs at legendary events such as Burning Man to his name and his effortlessly melodic and musical sound being championed by the likes of Lee Burridge and Sebastian Leger.

We caught up with him to see what advice he had for emerging producers and tips for getting the organic house sound which has now become his trademark.

How do you get the Organic House sound?

Keep it simple

Many new producers wonder how to make organic house and get the spacious sound associated with the genre?

To achieve this Tim focuses on simplicity particularly in his most recent productions for labels like All Day I Dream. This is underpinned by having high quality control of the sound selection process allowing the elements to slot together naturally as a track develops. He advocates focusing on the blanks as much as the parts and it is then about ‘putting the right sounds in the right places’.

This can often lead to his music having a lower track count and feeds into the spaciousness his productions are known for. In each production, Tim believes every part should have a clear purpose and this allows each piece of the jigsaw to ‘slot together’.

Tim prefers tight drum programming but then manipulates interesting live samples over the top such as harps or even vocal cuts to add the looser feel found in many organic house tracks such as his huge hit ‘Vacation To Life’ on All Day I Dream. Furthermore, he does not over use automation ‘If I am having to over automate to make the part interesting then the elements are not interesting enough’.

How can I stay focused and finish tracks?

Work with a clear intention and be confident

Emerging producers often wonder how to stay focused and finish their music. They often struggle even knowing when a track is complete.

One thing that Tim sees as critical to creating an effective track and completing it, is being clear on the tracks focus before you enter the studio. He strongly urges producers to avoid just drifting into a session without a clear idea of what they want to achieve but instead invites them to set a challenge by asking themselves ‘What’s going to be different about this track compared to others I have heard or created?’ or thinking about how they ‘can make the process more interesting’ or simply thinking more clearly about ‘whether it is something you would really want to listen to?’

This process of working with clear intentions makes studio sessions more productive and sets a clear goal for the direction you want to move the track in. Furthermore, he suggests keeping a checklist of what you intend to do as you work through the project and mapping out early how the structure of the track will work for a DJ (this again may require you to sit back and ‘detach’ whilst you listen).

Finally, he advises if possible when struggling to finish music to go back through previous tracks you have made because as Tim puts it ‘self-confidence is often the key to completing tracks’. This exercise can restore your belief in yourself as you observe what has worked successfully for you in the past.

How can I make my tracks stand out and improve workflow?

Work fast, be authentic and have fun

Another question that is often asked is how to make your tracks stand out in a saturated market?

Tim gives some key tips in this respect and advises producers to focus on authenticity and musicianship first and foremost. Whilst an awareness of managing gain staging, clipping and correct grouping are important skills in achieving the crystal clear sound that is a trademark of his music, for him musicianship and strong ideas come above anything else. He considers himself primarily a ‘songwriter’ (drawing on his diverse interests in rock and jazz music) and as he puts it ‘you can have a great song that has bad production and is still a great song’ so focusing on the musical storytelling is critical.

He also recommends that producers work fast to improve workflow because people recognise ‘authenticity and emotion’ and ‘will know the difference if you had had fun making it or it has a clear intention behind it’. To this end, Tim has a fluid workflow where he ‘commits quickly to live performances’ by ‘riding the parameters on his Prophet 6 synth and tweaking effects such as his Strymon Blue Sky capturing many ideas ‘on the fly’ before editing the audio down. This adds the ‘human touch’ to his music and help give the feel and expression which is a vital component of so many organic house productions.

Music he says should be ‘free, fun and you should want to share it’ so try not to get bogged down by rigid self-imposed deadlines, concerns about money or over serious objectives

How can I get my tracks to work on the dancefloor?

Sit Back and take another perspective

Have you ever wondered how to get your tracks work effectively on the dancefloor?

Artists are often incredibly involved in the process of making a track, investing time, energy and even attaching emotions to the outcome of each production. Tim advises producers to try to take a step back during the process and have a ‘perspective from outside of your own music’ becoming more ‘analytical whilst listening’.

He acknowledges that this took him a little while to teach himself and can be hard but encourages artists to consider questions such as ‘If I was listening to this in a club would it get me dancing?’ or even ‘Would it annoy me?. This may sound relatively simple but the trick is developing the professional ‘distance’ from the track needed to judge it’s impact effectively.

How can I overcome writers block and improve workflow?

Live a good life to fuel your music

An aspect of production that has perhaps been overlooked in the past but has more recently become a hot topic in the electronic music industry is that of mental and physical health. Tim believes put simply that you should ‘be healthy, exercise and sleep well because this fuels back in to your music’.

He advises producers to find what works for them, which for him is normally ‘swimming’ although since lockdown he has upped his exercise regime instead. His routine involves working in the daytime (usually in the morning) and when stuck for inspiration he ‘takes a walk, listens to a mix or listens to different kinds of music’. This routine of self-care and taking breaks to gather inspiration when needed, allows Tim to be ‘in optimum condition’ and be ‘happy’.

Tim admits to being a bit of a studio hermit as he always stays pretty nearby in case ‘inspiration hits’ but it is having this balance and striving to be ‘the best person you can’ that allows the music to flow resulting in far fewer writers blocks

How can MYT Help you?

Tim signs off by recommending that new producers learn the basics well, admitting that when he started out he really ‘did not know what he was doing’ learning as he was going because there were not the resources out there online.

Now producers can check out online courses such as MYT’s Getting Started In Ableton Live or Getting Started In Logic Pro to make sure they have a rock solid understanding of the fundamentals of their DAW.

MYT's Organic House Course will also help you to get that textured, naturalistic sound that is become a massive trend in electronic music right now!

Click here to find out more and become an MYT AAA Member

For more of Tim’s tips on how to get the organic house sound and insights on how to improve your workflow check out his brilliant MYT Artist Masterclass.