Interview with Denver Producer: Omega

Once again it’s that time to get to know another up and coming dubstep artist, and this time the producer is one of the States’ own, Omega. Hailing from one of my favorite places to ski, Colorado, Omega caught my attention with an extremely well done Beatles remix of “Come Together” which myself and fellow Chi-town dub heads haven’t been able to get enough of. He currently has releases either out or forthcoming on Monkey Dub Recordings and Open Circuit Recordings and he is a part of the Family Moons artist collective. I’m excited for you to hear this remix so click play and let’s find out what’s going on in the mind of this self-proclaimed schizophrenic super-villain…

The Beatles – Come Together (Omega Remix) by DUBliminalCOM

Tiesto – Knock You Out (Omega Remix) by OmegaDubstep

Thanks for taking the time do this interview, Omega.

Name/Age/location?

- Chris Cox, 27, Denver Colorado

Where did you first hear dubstep, what track was it, and what was
your reaction?

- Well I’ve actually been listening to dubstep for years, some friends got me into the UK garage, 2-step, and early dubstep sound back around 04/05… I was spinning a lot of breaks and psytrance at that point, and I started mixing in some Benga, Skream, etc. to give people a breather from the straight 140 stomping. But the moment that really hooked me, and made me decide to start producing dubstep was seeing Bassnectar at Red Rocks with STS9 – fall of 08, I think… the exact moment was during either “Art of Revolution” or “Heads Up” …my memories of that night are a little fuzzy

How long have you been making it and what did you produce before
dubstep came along (if anything)?

- I started experimenting with it right after that Red Rocks show, but didn’t get serious and start finishing tunes till summer 09. Before that… I first started messing around with Fruity Loops way back around 03/04, making some IDM and nu-school breaks, then got more into psytrance, and psy-chill, downtempo… I also made some electro and dnb in there too. I like a lot of different styles, and I’ve at least experimented with producing most of them at one point or another.

Are you a producer or DJ first?

- Chronologically, I started DJing first, but at this point I mainly think of myself as a producer. I still love DJing, and I don’t bill myself as a “live act”, because I don’t want to be stuck only ever playing my own tunes – there’s way too much good music out there! But these days I put most of my energy into producing.

What is the meaning behind Omega?

- Haha, that’s a bit complicated. The character that I envision for Omega is this sort of schizophrenic comic book super villain: during the day he’s a peaceful, altruistic monk, but at night he turns into a lunatic bent on destroying the world. That’s the idea behind the logo, an Om inside an Omega. My tune “Ultima Ratio Regum” sorta sums up this idea in musical form. In case it’s not already obvious, I’m a straight up dork =P

What is your current setup (gear/software)?

- Gear: Macbook Pro, a couple of different soundcards(Edirol, M-Audio, ESI), Novation Launchpad, Akai MPD-32, M-Audio Trigger Finger and Axiom 61 Keyboard, Korg NanoPad and KP3, Roland SH-201, a pair of Rode NT5 Mics, Blue Sky 2.1 monitor system, Shure SE530 In-Ear monitors, TC Electronic Powercore X8. Software: Ableton Live Studio, Logic Pro. I use a bunch of different VSTs, but my favorites are Native Instruments’ Massive and u-he’s Zebra… and the reverbs, EQs and compressors on the Powercore.

What do you think makes dubstep stand out from all the other genres?

- For me, the best thing about dubstep is the relatively loose standards on what it “should” sound like. I feel like genres in general are sort of bad for the music scene. They are useful as a starting point, as a way to set up some amount of “shared language” between producers, DJs, crowds, etc… But so often, people end up taking them way too seriously, and getting all elitist about their chosen genre. As far as I’m concerned, music is more about the feeling, vibe, vision, whatever like that… not some strict set of rules about tempo, beat structure, synthesis style, etc.

How would you describe your sound?

- Hmm… it varies a lot. Whompy…? That’s vague and nonsensical enough to describe most of my stuff

What made you choose The Beatles “Come Together” to remix?

- It’s always been one of my favorite Beatles tunes, and one day last summer I had it on in the car, and in my mind I just heard the wobble.

Where do you see dubstep going in 2010?

- I think it’s going to continue to blow up, and I hope to see a lot more crossover with other styles. I’ve really been feeling some of the trip-hop crossover, Breakage’s remix of Massive Attack’s “Paradise Circus” being my current favorite example. But I also hope people keep pushing the envelope on the really nasty, heavy shit too

Plans for the future, IE releases, mixes, projects?

- I’ve got a few releases that just dropped, and a few more forthcoming in the next month or two, so I’m excited to see how those go. I’m hoping to start working on a full length release later this year, but for the immediate future I’m focused mainly on singles and short eps, and getting out to play a lot of shows. As far as other projects, I’d really like to do more collaboration, especially working with female vocalists. I’m so into the vibe of sexy female vocals alongside nasty, snarling basslines. I’ve done a few bootleg remixes along these lines, one Portishead tune, and a couple of CocoRosie tunes, and I’m hooked. My dream project would be to actually do some authorized remixes and/or collaboration with CocoRosie. And I’m working on building a proper website, where in addition to the standard bio/pics/discography/schedule/etc. I can also have music production tech area, to share synth patches, Ableton templates, mastering tips, and that sort of thing.

What’s been your favorite experience as Omega?

- Honestly, I dunno if I could pick a favorite… not to sound ridiculously corny, but every time I see a crowd going nuts to one of my tracks, it feels like the greatest moment of my life.

Who is currently your favorite dubstep artist?

- Overall, it’s impossible to say. But right at the moment, I’m totally amazed by Liquid Stranger and Bird of Prey.

One thing you must accomplish in 2010?

- I definitely have to write a track using samples from the crazy Heffalumps and Woozles scene from the old Winnie the Pooh movie.

If you could play one festival what would it be?

- Honu Eclipse. It’s a festival on Easter Island, during a total solar eclipse this summer.

Advice for up and coming dubstep producers?

- Haha, I still think of myself as an up and coming dubstep producer =P But I guess there are a few things that I wish someone had told me when I was first starting out… Keep it simple, focus on a few solid tools, and really learn them thoroughly. When you are starting, it’s easy to waste a ton of time constantly trying different DAWs, VSTs, etc. and never really get enough experience with any of them. For me, the real creativity can only start flowing when my working environment is intuitive and comfortable. And gear wise, IMO, nice monitors (preferably a matched 2.1 system) should definitely be the first priority.

Anything you’d like to add?

- A big thanks to all my fans, and all the DJs that support my tunes! And thanks for featuring me for an interview!