Wake Smith’s IT assistant Steve Ford talks about his passion for music production

Wake Smith Solicitors 18 October 2016

My musical influence and inspiration came from my grandad. He was a music teacher and played the piano in the war. I used to listen to him playing and being around him gave me the confidence to play too. I was lucky. I can hear a tune and play it instinctively.

He used to give me lessons but I got really bored of the sheet music like Spanish Eyes, I just wasn’t interested. But the confidence bred in me by my grandad meant I could use music to my advantage.

I’ve always loved electronic music. I had DJ decks when I was younger and used to frequent nightclubs like The Hacienda in Manchester and Gatecrasher in Sheffield. I’ve collected loads of vinyl over the years.

My world changed when one of my mates, Tom, joined a successful studio in Sheffield called Goldenscan. People will remember Sunrise as their massive track. In 1998 I went to his house. He had bought an Access Virus B synthesiser and started playing various tunes we used to hear in the clubs. But when he played them it was incredible. I can feel goose bumps on my arms thinking about it now. I thought, I have got to get into that.

I bought my first synthesiser, an Access Virus C in 2004 when I got made redundant from a job. People thought I was crazy at the time for spending heavily, but it really worked out.

The studio started when a few of us got together about 12 years ago. I had some equipment and joined forces with some other guys and started to make some good music. We luckily moved to The Laundry Rooms in Sheffield, met some amazing contacts and In-Phase Studio became our home from home.

Dave Hogg is my studio partner. We have DJs and bands that come in but mainly we create music – tunes and vocals.  Synfoly is the trance music name we are working under and Frakah is another.

We have a lot of fun doing it. Recent news from our studio is very positive. In the last couple of years we have had successful releases which received amazing support from DJs. Dark Light on Entrance Records, Wait For You and Paradox on Ternary Records and Attila Remix – Rise of the Empire also on Ternary Records were very popular tracks. Check out I-Tunes.

Flying High Sine FM 102.6 FM DJ, George Jopling, also gives us amazing coverage, playing us sometimes twice a month on his weekly show. We have had 11 plays in the last 8 months.

For the Frakah alias we have had plays on Radio 1, coming third in a competition on Huw Stephens show, God of the Pods, with a track called Split Confusion. From that we signed a publishing deal with Fabric London. We also had a track featured on the cover of DJ Mag for their Miami Music edition called Alive. 

My IT knowledge and this type of music seem to really support each other. Dave studied music at university and my IT skills plus our combined creativity really make it work. This is my absolute passion and I continue to get a real buzz out of it. 

Tags

Archive

March 20247February 20242January 20248December 20236November 20232October 20235September 20232August 20234July 20232June 20235May 20238March 20234February 20235January 20233December 20225November 20224October 20224September 20223August 20221June 20221May 20227April 20223March 20223February 20223January 20224December 20214November 20213October 20215September 20216August 20212July 202111June 20218May 20216April 20212March 20218February 20218January 20219December 20208November 202013October 20209September 20208August 20203July 20208June 202016May 202013April 20209March 202016February 20209January 202011December 20199November 20199October 201911September 20195August 20194July 20196May 20198April 20196March 20193February 20195January 20194December 20186November 20185October 20182September 20185August 20184July 20189June 20184May 201810April 20185March 20184February 20184January 20183December 20175November 20178October 20177September 20179August 20175July 20176June 201710May 20176April 20178March 201711February 20176January 201712December 20169November 20167October 201610September 201610August 20166July 20167June 20163May 20162April 20166March 20162February 20164January 20165December 20153November 20155October 20156September 20156August 20157July 20157June 20157May 20156April 20159March 20156February 201510January 20156December 20145November 20144October 20142September 20143May 20144March 20146February 20144January 20142December 20132November 20133September 20134July 20132June 20132May 20133April 20131March 20133February 20133January 20136December 20121November 20123October 20122August 20122July 20128June 20123April 20123March 20121January 20124December 20112November 20111October 20112September 20113August 20113July 20117June 20119May 20117April 20115March 20119February 20118January 20111December 20101October 20102September 20102August 20103July 20106June 20101May 20102April 20106March 20102February 20103January 20102December 20095November 20092October 20092September 20092August 20091July 20095June 20095May 20093April 20093March 20093February 20091January 20092November 20082October 20082September 20081August 20083July 20081January 20082

Featured Articles

Contact us