Jody Vukas has been steadily carving his niche in the Electronic Music scene, blending dynamic soundscapes with meticulously detailed production. His recent release, ‘Satellite EP,’ encapsulated his evolution as a Producer and DJ, giving way to two deeply immersive tracks for listeners to engage with.
In this interview, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Jody to unpack the inspirations, challenges, and technical mastery behind his ‘Satellite EP,’ delving into the making of ‘Satellite’ and ‘Contact’ to gain an insider’s look into his creative world, process, and creative approach.
Hey Jody, how are you?
I’m great, thanks!
To start, what was the initial goal behind the creation of your ‘Satellite EP’? Did you have a specific vision when starting the project?
Funny story, I didn’t have a goal for an EP until after the 2nd track ‘Contact’ was finished. Even then, I planned to send the tracks out for placement independent of each other. Oddly enough, the tracks fell by the wayside as some really good opportunities came my way and my bandwidth was pegged. It wasn’t until a couple of months later when I was getting some really good feedback on both of the tracks – that’s when the EP idea was born.
How would you say the two tracks, ‘Satellite’ and ‘Contact’ complement each other within the EP? Was this synergy intentional from the beginning?
I feel that they are Ying & Yang to each other from an energy and vibe perspective.
‘Satellite’ has a melodic groove under an emotive lead that drops out and makes you feel like you’re floating, “like a satellite”. You see what I did there?
‘Contact’ is a bit moodier with analogue-feeling leads and bassline that give it a raw kind of feel. When the bassline drops in at the 4-minute mark, it resets the senses and all you can do is move.
Can you share a behind-the-scenes moment that was pivotal during the production of either ‘Satellite’ or ‘Contact’?
Yeah, sure! Here’s one, so ‘Contact’ was initially inspired by Gabriel & Dresden’s track “The Clearing” that released on Anjunadeep last May. Such a well-done record that really connected with me. I couldn’t get the melody out of my head, so I sat down at the keyboard and started playing……looking for a melody of my own to work with. ‘Contact’ is where I landed.
What tools, instruments, or software played a crucial role in shaping the sound of the EP?
I did the majority of the creative process inside Logic using ANA 2 for a lot of the leads and Thorn for pads and bass. I would say that these soft synths were instrumental for both tracks in the EP.
The gritty synth layers and shuffled rhythms add a raw edge to the title track, ‘Satellite.’ How did you design these elements to achieve an intense sound and atmospheric vibe?
Once I created the synths and had them arranged and layered, the magic happened in the mixing phase – with different techniques like parallel compression, using compressors like Empirical Labs Distressor, and EQs like the Pultec EQP-1A. Then a touch of tape saturation and voila!
What were your biggest influences while working on your ‘Satellite EP’?
It starts with The Kite String Tangle. Nils Hoffman did a song with them called ‘Holding Me Back’. The synth work caught my attention and then the ideas started to spin up. I used a similar technique on the leads, like I did on my single ‘So Real’.
In ‘Contact,’ the punchy tempo and heavier low-end create a driving energy. What techniques did you use to balance the low-end while keeping the mix clean?
I first made sure that the kick and the bass had their own frequencies to occupy. For the bass, I added some layers to thicken things up while cutting some of the low end without impacting the sub bass. Once I was happy with the EQing, I bussed them and ran them through Softube’s Bus Compressor. As for the kick, I created the kick with Kick 3 software, which I use quite a bit these days. The kick also got some EQ treatment, followed by running it through a dbx160 compressor and some saturation as well. It’s a formula that has been pretty effective and efficient for me.
Both tracks evolve progressively with detailed arrangements. How do you structure your tracks to maintain listener engagement from start to finish?
That’s a moving target sometimes. The arrangement is another name for the song’s evolution or journey for the listener. I have several years of DJ and Producer experience that has given me a good understanding of what works, what works well, and what doesn’t work. Truthfully speaking, arrangements were challenging for me early on and now that I look back, I laugh because I made it more challenging than it needed to be due to my own limiting beliefs. Something that I had to take a close look at and blow them up.
Finally, what can fans look forward to next from Jody Vukas?
This year is going to be a breakout year. I have some big projects in the works along with music releasing on some larger labels which is exciting. I have already gotten some amazing feedback and responses this year already from tastemakers like Miss Monique, which is humbling and exciting at the same time. I will also be touring more, which kicks off with me playing at Ministry of Sound on Friday February 7th. Then I will be down in Miami in March for the Winter Music Conference/ Miami Music Week. The possibilities are unlimited!
Thank you for taking the time to catch up with me and talk some shop.
Throughout our conversation, it is clear that Jody Vukas’ dedication to pushing boundaries and refining his craft has positioned him as a unique voice in the Progressive and Melodic Techno space, reinforcing him as a Producer and DJ to watch as he continues to build his discography and bring his sound to listeners globally. With new projects and a busy touring schedule, 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Jody Vukas, so be sure to take note and follow his journey across social media to not miss out on any upcoming releases or news.
Listen and Buy ‘Satellite EP’ Now:
