HOW IT WAS MADE: Subsonic Ft. Shxdwgirl – “Where You Are”

Fresh from a two-month run across Australia and New Zealand and straight into a stacked summer of European shows, Subsonic has been keeping the pace high in 2025. His latest single, “Where You Are” with Aya Anne (aka Shxdwgirl), dropped via his Frequencies label and has already been road-tested to big reactions at festivals and club dates across the continent.

The track is a sharp example of why Subsonic’s sound continues to land with both fans and peers. It pairs an instantly memorable lead with tight, controlled low end and the kind of polished mix decisions that hold up in any setting. Coming off collaborations with 1991 and Ekko & Sidetrack, plus remixes for Dom Dolla and Kanine, “Where You Are” arrives in the middle of a run that is pushing him into headline territory.

Here, Subsonic takes us inside the session, from the Serum patch that anchors the hook to the processing, plugins, and arrangement moves that locked in the energy for one of this summer’s standout drum and bass singles.

Serum

Everyone knows Serum – the industry-standard plugin for sound design.

The main melody and focal point of the tune is just mainly one Serum patch (with an extra layer in a higher octave on the intro). It’s a very simple sound; I didn’t even change the wavetables from the initial opening setting.

The sound relies on a really fast LFO on the fine pitch of OSC A to achieve its character. That adds a lot of texture to a standard saw wave. The second oscillator is also a standard saw wave with a fair amount of unison, used as the wide layer to the lead.

I find having one oscillator completely mono and the other stereo helps keep the sound full across the spectrum and consistent across different listening environments.

Processing inside Serum:

• Distortion
  
• Light EQ
  
• Lots of reverb and delay to make it spacious and euphoric
  

Processing outside Serum:

• Heavy OTT compression (applied before reverb/delay to make them pump without drowning the main sound)
  
• Light EQ to finalize
  
• Ableton Saturator for soft clipping
  
• Automation FX throughout the track:
  
  • Filter
    
  • Endless Smile (atmosphere in breakdowns/build-ups)
    
  • “The Vibe” by Phil Speiser (similar use as Endless Smile)
    

Soundtoys Decapitator

Decapitator is a fantastic distortion plugin. I’ve used it for years but recently started exploring new uses.

Rather than fully distorting a sound, I now often put it on a group/bus to glue elements together. For example, I used it on the Sub Group, affecting both midbass and sub bass together. This not only added grit but also made them sound more like one cohesive element, enhancing the whole track.

I also used Decapitator sparingly on the Tops group (hats, percussion). It helped the kit feel more unified, rather than sounding like disconnected samples.

Waves CLA Vocals

Waves plugins are a staple in my production workflow – most are old but still top-tier.

I used CLA Vocals quite a bit here, specifically:

• “Bite” to boost the top end of the vocal
  
• Stereo to widen the vocal, since I only had one take. It gave the illusion of a fuller vocal presence.
  

Other features like the slap delay are also great, although I didn’t use them in this case.

UAD UA 1176SE

The UAD plugin collection is another go-to, offering a modern alternative to Waves plugins.

I used the UA 1176SE compressor at the end of the vocal chain. Its main role:

• Bring the highest and lowest vocal levels closer together
  
• Add a subtle analogue colour (it emulates vintage hardware)
  

Quick Fire Tips for Making DNB

1. A good bassline will carry the whole track.
   
2. Don’t forget to add background elements – they make a huge difference.
   
3. Don’t slack on the intro – building tension is crucial for the drop.
   
4. Louder isn’t always better.
   
5. A catchy element makes your track more memorable.