Intro
With over a decade in the music industry, Romboy is the producer/DJ famed for deep, engaging house and techno. Since 2004 Romboy has headed up his own highly respected label, Systematic Recordings, releasing artists such as Ripperton, Robert Babicz and his own club tracks.
We knew he was a fan of analogue kit when we heard his growling basslines, evolving envelopes and filters. So, we thought it was worth asking for a tour of his studio to find out more.
The studio
"Here's my studio and me being too fast for this shot!"
Atomosynth Krakken
"Atomosynth Krakken is a dirty, analogue, synthesizer monster which I have just used for a track together with Ken Ishii.
"It looks pretty bananas and also the sound is really bad and techno-ish. Especially for additional lead sounds. It's a killer tool for me!"
Wasp synth
"One of my beloved machines is without any doubt the Wasp, a limited produced machine from Oxford.
"This synth was born in 1982 as far as I know. You see me highly concentrated but I'm just pretending." [Laughs]
Roland SH-101
"This is a classic and as far as I know Hawtin's favourite analogue synth of all time. I like the simple structure of the Roland SH-101 and you can always use it in any kind of production.
"There are limited red and blue colour editions and there was also a guitar edition my buddy Rodriguez Jr. used on stage when he performed as The Youngsters back in the day!"
Roland TR-808
"Without the Roland 808, electro and Miami bass would never have happened. There are also endless old-school hip hop productions from the '80s and '90s that wouldn´t exist.
"Do you remember Whitney Houston´s I Wanna Dance With Somebody? The alien sounding cowbell comes from this machine. Totally unnatural sounding but highest cult status! Oh, and excuse the dust on the surface - spring cleaning soon..."
Synth tower
"The Objektivity party poster is from my studio mate André Hommen. I tried to remove it by Photoshop but it didn´t look too good. [Smiles]
"Yeah, just a joke. How do you like my synth tower anyway?"
DAT's life
"Chaos says the captain! My plan is to order my hundreds of DAT copies from the past but I never find the time. Well, it looks at least creative and artist-like!"
Wasps
"My dear Wasps in action. They have one of the best spots in my studio room and they deserve it, because they make the dirtiest bass ever!"
Marc Romboy is appearing on the Main Stage at Glade Festival which takes place on 14 to 17 June.
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“They're French. I would say it's a kind of techno prog band”: Elvis Costello reckons that the Brooklyn warehouse gig he saw Justice play was “one of the great shows I've ever been to”
“Michael Stipe said it was his favourite dance album – he used to put it on and then write his lyrics for REM to it”: Rave icons Utah Saints on their legacy, sampling Kate Bush, and the challenges of making their debut album
“They're French. I would say it's a kind of techno prog band”: Elvis Costello reckons that the Brooklyn warehouse gig he saw Justice play was “one of the great shows I've ever been to”
