From punk rock fan to electronic music producer, former music production student Chris Rich has worked relentlessly to pursue a career with his label of choice. Having just dropped his latest EP ' Self Oscillation', we caught up with him to learn more about his exciting career so far.
At the the start of his production journey Chris was little unsure about what direction to take. Having finished secondary school he new he was drawn towards music and wanted to pursue a career in the industry. What that career looked like was a little unclear to Chris at the time.
Fast forward to 2020 and Chris is enjoying life as a psy-trance and techno producer and signed to his label of choice, Bom Shanka Music. With gigs happening all over the world, we caught up with Chris to find how it all came together since graduating from dBs in Plymouth.
What was it like to study at dBs?
Considering that I went directly from my secondary school to dBs back in 2004, it was a complete change in terms of what my idea of education was.
I would never had expected to be able to have so much fun, alongside learning in such depth about a subject. I absolutely loved my time there.
All of my tutors were great, I felt I got to connect with them all on a personal level as well, which really contributed to my learning. Super laid back environment, but always keeping you wanting to learn, alongside unparalleled resources.
How did your time at dBs help you progress in your career?
dBs gave me an insight into the music industry, learning from real professionals, with a true knowledge of how things operate. They've all worked in various different roles, so the bank of information available to you is truly varied. When I was there I was quite young, so I was a little unsure of my direction. I went in as a young kid wanting to record punk bands and came out producing electronic music as my main career focus. However, I was given the tools to do either of those things and a lot more.
What have you been up to since leaving dBs?
When I left, I spent most of my time honing my production skills even further and finding a niche in my style. I also relentlessly pursued getting involved with my favourite label. I did this alongside setting up my own record label and starting an event called Digital Mind in Plymouth.
What projects have you been working on recently?
I managed to get signed with the label I mentioned (Bom Shanka Music) and a tonne of releases followed. I'm really happy to be part Bom Shanka, it truly feels like a family! I've released EPs with them, alongside many syncs on compilations and my own full-length album. You can check all that out on the Bom Shanka website, alongside work from some other really awesome producers. I have just finished a brand new EP titled 'Self Oscillation', which you can check out on that link as well.
Tell us about your favourite career moments so far.
There are so many cool moments, but my absolute favourite has to be performing on the main stage at Boom Festival in Portugal. It has an absolutely massive dance floor and a huge crowd. I've also performed in New York, Mexico, Brazil, the Sahara desert, Australia, South Africa and many more places. I don't think I would have been able to achieve what I have, had I not have gone to dBs Music, so a massive thank you to everyone that's worked there.
One tip for people aspiring to have a career in the music industry?
Keep doing what you want to do. If you're writing tunes, don't listen to people's opinions of whether or not a genre you love is good or bad. If you love what you're doing, then literally do it. Be persistent, and work your ass off.
Do you have any other exciting projects we should know about?
Richie Asimilon (part of the Bom Shanka collective) has developed 'Bom Shanka Machines' featuring range of different VST plugins for producers to use. The catalyst for creating the instruments was initially to replace older units which were no longer available, that he missed using in his studio work.
As time went on, Richie began drawing inspiration from techniques used by other artists on the label and this led to him developing a series of plugins with features specified by us. I ended up designing a glitch effect plugin that Richie programmed and developed, he called it 'Chris Glitch'. I never imagined that I would have a VST that is commercially available which was designed based on my production techniques!
Finally, any advice for people thinking about a course at dBs Institute?
DO IT. If you want to move forward in the music industry, this is the way.
Read more of the fantastic success stories from both our students and our alumni.