Exploring Kallaghan’s Unique Journey from Rock to Electronic Music Production

In this exclusive interview with Kallaghan, we dive deep into his journey into Electronic music production, tracing the unique path that led him from the Rock scene to the heart of Electronic music. From his early introduction to music production during a period of confinement to his collaboration with renowned artists and the launch of his own label, Kallaghan’s story is one of evolution and creative exploration. Join us as we explore his favorite tools, production techniques, and valuable insights for aspiring producers.

Hello Kallaghan! How are you?

I am great thank you! Comment ça va?

All good, thanks! What was your journey into Electronic Music production like?

As a teenager, I underwent surgery for peritonitis, confining me to my home for months. During this time, a friend introduced me to Cubase, sparking my passion for recording guitar and I started “producing”. While in France, I envisioned blending Electronic elements with Rock music, but the local music scene didn’t align with this vision. Seeking uniqueness, I felt out of place.

After residing in the UK and Ireland, I eventually moved to California, where I had the opportunity to collaborate with Falling In Reverse on their album “Just Like You.” This experience allowed me to integrate my distinctive “euro” synths into their music. Subsequently, I ventured into producing and songwriting for numerous bands, eventually establishing my own studio in LA. I continue to collaborate with Falling In Reverse.

In 2019, while producing a song for my friend Lexus, I met Pasqual Rotella, who encouraged me to pursue a career as a DJ and to promote my own music. This marked my entry into the electronic music scene. In 2022, despite having no prior DJing experience, I embarked on a year of DJing, sharing the stage with artists like Diplo, Malaa, and Steve Aoki, and even performing at EDC Las Vegas 2022. Additionally, I co-founded “Grailed Records” with my friend CT, a venture that continues to support my personal music projects.

Do you have a favorite DAW?

I come from the Rock World so my favorite DAW is Protools for writing tracks and production. I also use Ableton Live but only to perform certain songs live.

I have Logic on my iPad mini too, and love to write down ideas on the go. It’s really been my main focus lately, to be able to create anywhere and everywhere.

What gear would you recommend for a home studio?

Nowadays, you can work with a MacBook Air M2 at the entry level and an Apollo Solo, along with a good microphone, to record vocals and create your own samples. Honestly, I also use my iPhone a lot to create samples haha, I think the most important thing is to focus on getting to know the gear you like to use. No headphones are perfect, but mine are perfect for me, haha. You’ll probably produce on the go a lot, meeting with people in hotel rooms to create or even in green rooms. So, good headphones are the starting point for me. At home, you can do great work with a pair of Adam 7x and a small sub; there’s no need to spend $$$$.

At my commercial studio in Miami, I am spoiled, and I work on Barefoot MM27s for my main monitors. I also have some BM15 Dynaudio speakers and a live sub by Yamaha. My vocal chain for Electronic music includes a U87 microphone, a custom M5A preamp, a CL1 B compressor, all running into a UA Apollo X converters or Rosetta 800 converters.

What is your approach to samples? How do you think you can make the most out of a sample?

It really depends. Sometimes, the whole writing process is based on a sample and I end up replacing it with an actual synth or producing original vocals instead of the samples I used to build the track. For my song “Am I Right”, I used a sample from splice from a couple of years ago and I created the whole track (Deep House/Bass House) around it. The demo version stayed in the vault till I’d find the perfect singer to collab with and make it an “original” song.

Do you have a go-to process that you use each time you start producing a track?

Absolutely not. Haha

For my latest song “SkyFall” I started with writing the cord progression on guitars, then made the guitars sound like “far away pads” and had fun with the vocal samples I had. It’s mostly vocal sample packs I processed a lot with Unfiltered Audio plugins.

Melodic tracks I start with a guitar, I usually write “a song skeleton first” and then I start producing the Electronic arrangements once I know that my harmonic structure is dope.

I also write a lot of riffs with my guitar that I the replace by mid bass range instruments.

Do you have any favourite plugins, effects or VSTs?

Over the years I collected all the synths plugins I could find haha. My favorites are Spectra-sonic Omnisphere, Serum, Arturia Pigments and I use Native instruments Komplete for all the cinematic and orchestral parts. For my Electronic production, I can do everything in the box, but I love my Moog Sub 37, and I also use a lot of guitars and pedals to create pads and samples. I love SPACE CONTROL when it comes to mastering.

What is one piece of advice you wish someone had told you before you started producing Electronic Music?

What people will point out, as an element that doesn’t sound trending or matching “the trend” is what will make you stand out. Uniqueness is key, especially if you don’t have a lot of funds to promote your music.

What do you do to keep yourself inspired?

I make sure I ask my friends for new music all the time. It’s vital to keep discovering new artists and to stay focused on new genres and movements, it’s exciting to me.

I try to be a “fan” as much as I can.

Are there any YouTube videos, books, courses or blogs you’d recommend to someone just starting out their music production journey?

Sam Sayers is awesome, his tutorials are awesome on YouTube. But from my personal experience, I would say don’t spend any money on a music production school haha. Just go to a studio and work for free, use your money to pay for you new gear and instruments. Go to your favorite artist or producer and try to be part of the production team, even if you pour coffee for a couple of years, you will learn everything you need to learn.

We wrap up this interview thanking Kallaghan for all his insights and advice regarding music production, and for sharing a glimpse into his music journey so far, be sure to follow him on social media to learn more about his latest releases and upcoming shows.

Kallaghan Online: Website | Soundcloud | Instagram