Focusrite
Ampify Sounds: James Orvis
One of a series of short films exploring the approach and musical creativity of the producers behind Ampify Sounds’ soundpacks.
When you get together with a group of like-minded people with a shared love of something, you’ll often find them come alive. When it’s a bunch of producers who love electronic music, sometimes that can end up being absolute audible chaos. Luckily, it turned out to be the opposite of that and ended up being something special—a glimpse into that moment when everyone is in-sync, deep into the moment. In their zone.
Here’s where we pick up our story with James Orvis.
It’s no secret that James, owner of Leeds-based record label Balter Records, loves techno. Putting on shows, jamming with friends and label mates, being at live venues and soaking it all in—he’s in his element when surrounded by music.
We were tagged in to help give Ampify users an insight into what kind of musical brain orchestrates some of the sound packs they use.
With a few packs under his belt, James is a seasoned veteran by now, with genres spanning techno, trap, and even disco. We spent some time with James in his studio letting us poke around his setup and giving us the rundown on his approach to making music, as well as having a jaunt around his usual haunts; letting us understand why taking some time away from stuff and finding a balance is sometimes the best way to getting into the zone and making your best work.
The connection with others is what really makes it for him, though. Whether that’s the connection with the listeners of the music he makes, other musicians around him or the label he is building, it’s the community aspect of music-making that drives him. We 100% resonated with that, as the filmmaking community has a similar vibe. Coming together to build something through a shared appreciation of any medium is a powerful thing.
It was great to get to know James and spend time with a bunch of people so passionate about their craft.
Also, MAN, wasn’t that a good plant shop? Big props to The Plant Point. Worth the trip up north just for that.
