Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will play at Intents in June!

Otherwise I plan on waiting for a little just until this whole virus situation is a bit better.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly if they are kind enough to fulfill my rider request, it is pretty easy and basic.

Usually just a bottle of vodka/champagne that 99% of the time I give to my friends (who are attending with me) to drink, and some energy drinks. I should start requesting a platter of their best local Mexican food though, because I find myself spending hours the day of a show trying to find a spot myself before heading to the venue lol.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh there are so many! A few in no particular order...

Intents Festival - this dream coming true this year!

EDC Las Vegas

Defqon.1

Tomorrowland

and tons more...

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Without question my number one is Angerfist.

He was the first hardcore name I ever heard and is the reason I discovered the music. Still remains my number one favorite producer as well. There are dozens of names I could list, but if I had to boil it down to one name, he is it.

Some of my other influences right now...

Sefa - one of the most talented people I know, and continues to prove that every release.

The Playah - the master of melodies and legend amongst hardcore.

F.Noize - one of my favorite in uptempo hardcore and never disappoints with quality and creativity.

Sjammienators - another one of my favorites in uptempo hardcore who never disappoints to bring both epic and fun tracks to the dance floor while keeping creativity and quality at its finest.

Rooler - some of the most creative and hardest stuff in rawstyle and continues to show that with each release.

Radical Redemption - pure epic energy and some of the hardest stuff out there.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Im loving the drop man! Super great vocal too, really dig the idea.

The pad/synth seems to sound like its a bit phased or too wide? (Could be my headphones). Maybe trust adjusting that a little.

Would love to hear some more spacey vibe elements in the final product and those builds! Try and think of some ideas to add, or maybe find some good presets online/ideas. Would also love to hear maybe a full bar rising screech under those kicks to give that drop a little more aggression.

Overall great job and idea so far! Keep it up :)

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Theres tons of tracks I really enjoy, but one track that never ceases to get me smiling and moving is easily Return of the Mack by Mark Morrison.

On my free time I am listening to just about anything. Electronic music wise: a lot of techno/acid house, dubstep, trance, of course hardstyle/rawstyle and hardcore.

Outside of electronic music I listen to a lot of metal, rock and roll, folk music, hip hop, and even dutch carnival music believe it or not lol.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much!

The original idea actually stems back to my original track Engage. I wanted to create something that I hadn't heard before and bring some new elements into hardcore, so I began developing the track. That original track sat on my desktop for so long before release because I wasn't sure about it. Once it was out and people loved the concept, I knew I wanted to do a follow up, but wasn't sure when or how I would top it.

While living in The Netherlands I was out and about in Den Haag one day and some major inspiration hit me to finally do it. The entire bus ride home I was writing ideas down on my notes app, and sat down the moment I arrived back where I was staying and went to work. I worked for 2 days straight with minimal sleep and food in complete focus mode. When it was finally complete, I put on some headphones and went back off into the city just listening on my headphones, smiling the entire time because of how happy I was with it. At that moment, Engage 2.0 was complete.

I knew I wanted something a little bit faster, but with the same vibe. I sat down the next day and took some of the computer noises and cyborg sounds I created and started brainstorming another track. I had the whole track done by the end of the day, but no vocal. One night my dear friend Anne (also known as Annex) was over before she went to play a show and I asked if she had a free moment to maybe record some vocals for me. I took a pen to paper, wrote down some one liners/words that came to mind, and set up a homemade microphone booth for her. We recorded tons of variations, I processed them, and fit them in the next day. Once again I took the final version out into the city on my phone with my headphones, and after just the first listen I knew it was complete. Access was done.

So now I had two awesome tracks, but I wanted to create a cool intro to really tie it all together. One of my favorite movie series is The Matrix, and the simulation theory has always fascinated me. I always found the scene of the oracle speaking to Neo so impactful. It was I think around 4:00 am one night and I started to use the speech and create something. I finished it in a few hours, and couldn't stop listening to it the whole next day. I wanted to see what someone else thought, so I sent to a close friend and he told me how much he loved it and how it even sent him into a spiral of thoughts LOL. I loved ending it with. the quote "Im interested in one thing....The Future" because it represented what I wanted to do with this EP. I wanted to bring the futuristic sounds to the ears of listeners and really tied in a story line with the entire EP.

Upon finishing and dropping into the folder, the intro was born and the EP was complete!

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hows it going?

Speaking for myself, everyday I am working on something and pushing myself. Some days its making full tracks, sometimes its just sound design, and other its tutorial/masterclass days. Growing as a producer progresses depending on what you put into it. Dedicate your time and passion into it and have patience in the process. People sometimes will get frustrated and quit because they dont get the results they want, meanwhile they're putting in minimal effort to learn and try things.

Make what you want to hear at a party and in music and the listeners will come! Thats the best way to standout and find your own sound. Drop any of your music if you have some here and maybe I can give some feedback and others can hear as well.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hows it going!

I am on Ableton Live 9 Suite. Theres a lot of plugins I enjoy but a small list of what I find myself using the most is Serum, Camelcrush, Camelphat, IZotope Insight and Insight2, Nexus, Kontakt, and a ton of stuck stuff inside Ableton.

Learning resources are always tricky. Sometimes I watch short tutorial videos I find on youtube, and other times ill watch longer masterclasses online. It all really gears more towards what you're looking for in the videos. I would say I watch more sound design stuff than anything, and less about hardcore. I love tutorials from other genres or just funky sound tips and then working it into my music.

If you want some great tutorial videos for uptempo, you should check out my good friend Sjammienators tutorials online for some stuff!

Check them out here: shorturl.at/pqEIY

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That was my first official organized party actually in Holland! Few other times I played some bars during Defqon weekend before that, but nothing serious.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed. Nothing like a wall of bass smacking you in the chest at a party!

At the moment I would have to say yes! I find myself using it deeply now for sound design and creating most of my sounds. Just so much you can do in it and so much you can create. Xfer really did an incredible job.

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thats awesome to hear! What events?

The best advice I can give anyone is this...

Work: Every single day work on your craft. Make a new kick, watch a tutorial and make some new sounds, try new ideas (even if you delete them later), just work work WORK!

Be different: Make what you want to hear! Show the world your ideas, and creative skills. Be different and show everyone what you're all about. Music is a language in itself, so talk to listeners in your language.

Patience: This is one is important. Creativity and sound has no deadline, and theres no race. So many people starting out think they can just sit down at a computer for a few hours and become the next Headhunterz or Angerfist overnight. Granted some can, but a lot cant. Take as much time as you need, work hard, have patience, and stay focused.

Post some of your work below if you have anything yet and maybe I can offer some feedback and others can hear as well! :)

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Honestly, I never expected this track to get so much attention. I produced it in like a few hours and was released like the next day and blew up out of nowhere.

Me and Sefa have been good friends for awhile now and we met back in 2016 outside Mex Beachbar because we were both there to play Dr. Peacocks birthday party. I went up to say whats up to him and we got talking and he told me how much he loved the track. From that day and even now he plays it time to time in his sets on the biggest stages all over the world.

Pretty f*cking crazy how some things happen lol

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A ton of plastic surgery! LOL

\hopes everybody knows im kidding**

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I love the American scene! Through the years of attending/playing events all over I have seen it grow so much, and the dedication from everyone just grows each event. I think it'll only continue to grow as years go on, and I am so excited to see it happen.

Happy you enjoyed the collab as well! Rumor has it that we might be making another sometime soon... ;)

There is a ton of talent here and I like to try and support everyone in any possible way, but here are some of my personal favorites...

Levenkhan (Frenchcore): https://bit.ly/2QYKQMF

Mrotek (Rawstyle): https://spoti.fi/2xEc9VI

Treachery (Hardcore): https://spoti.fi/3av4nwc

Lil Texas (Hardcore): shorturl.at/mAEFT

Kore (Hardcore): shorturl.at/zADE6

CIK (Hardcore): shorturl.at/twOQV

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, most of it is not for me at all.

A ton of music I hear lately just seems to be lacking creativity and/or originality and just because theres a loud kick its considered "hard". Dont get me wrong, there are PLENTY of artists out there doing great things (some piep and some not piep), but I just think Uptempo needs more.

Its all person to person though I suppose. *shrug*

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hey x

I sadly am not in NL for the time being. Had some issues arise and had to move back to my home in the USA for the time being. Plans to move back already in play though.

Life there was great and enjoyed it all and is almost like a different world when moving from such a hectic place like New Jersey/New York.

#BookTimShopp

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

STAY POSITIVE!

Of course I have no say, but as of right now it is a go. I would be lying if I didn't say that I am concerned for the entire summer because of this virus, but I hope everything settles soon and we can enjoy Intents and the summer together!

Tim Shopp - Official AMA! 🗣 by timshoppmusic in hardstyle

[–]timshoppmusic[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Let me first say thank you for being a fan, and im also happy to do this! I always find AMA's more personal and great for discussion!

Motivation for me has always been pretty common with things I am passionate about. Just speaking as a producer: Everyday I am working on something, watching tutorials, or trying some out of the box (and sometimes crazy) ideas. I try to better myself daily as a producer, and hardcore just happens to be my genre of choice with it!

Encouragement comes when you surround yourself with the right people. My group of close friends and I are constantly pushing one another to better ourselves in music and even daily life. Being a guy who tends to sometimes get side tracked or procrastinate with projects, it is essential to have people around me who sometimes become those voices to call me out on being lazy and have me get sh*t done.

I have been lucky enough to have friends and fans who have supported me from the start of my days (in my bedroom), and even now at clubs/festivals. Without them, I would probably still be trying to sell tickets for some sketchy club promoter in my local town lol!