Bakermat: 5 things I’ve learned about music production

Making his name with the 2012 single One Day (Vandaag) - which sampled Martin Luther King, Jr, no less - Dutch DJ and producer Bakermat (AKA Lodewijk Fluttert) is also known for incorporating live instrumentation into his sets (he toured with the Bakermat Live Band) and was an early adopter of the tropical house sound.

He was also the ringmaster of Bakermat’s Circus, another successful live show, while 2019 single Baianá has racked up millions of views and streams.

In light of all this success, we asked Bakermat to tell us what he’s learned about music production.

1. Separate the creative process from the organisational progress when you’re producing

“Spending a lot of time organising your mixing channels, making everything neat and well arranged can completely ruin your creative moment. I usually don’t spend any time organising when I’m actually having a creative rush. You can always do it afterwards, or in times of low inspiration.”

2. Try spending some time in your DAW every day

“I noticed that if I would tour a lot and wouldn’t be in the studio for a longer time, I needed some days to get into it again. This is annoying and not really handy when you have sudden inspiration. Your DAW should be like a limb; everything should go smoothly without thinking.”

3. Avoid thinking too much about music theory

“I tend to stay as ignorant as possible when it gets to music theory. It is often that drawing outside the line, by accident or not, that makes for the most original and refreshing result. 

“This counts for notes but also for production, mixing and mastering. To this day I still put a certain compressor on all of my kicks. This is, from a theoretical point of view, completely pointless, but I used to do this because I didn’t know any better. I still do it to this day, though, because it gives my sound some recognisability.”

4. Don’t invest in analogue gear, unless you can really hear and appreciate the characteristics

“Because of the countless digital alternatives that keep getting better, even in simulating analog characteristics, you’d have to be a real audiophile to still invest the amounts of money and time that analogue gear needs. If you’re not that much into it, most digital simulations will do the job just fine and will save you a lot of money and time. I learned the hard way.”

5. Never, ever go into the studio with the goal of making a hit record

“It completely destroys the fun of it all. And it will most likely never get you a hit record. Real hits are born out of fun and passionate studio sessions, without thinking about the next step. Never forget that.”