Die Antwoord “Bang On Em”

When the power duo Die Antwoord was looking for a collaborative producer and engineer for their record “House Of Zef,” they knew they wanted one person who could wear multiple hats: engineer, Producer, Creative Partner, and Mixer. Enter Chris Tabron, the first call engineer and producer to some of the largest artists in music. 

In this Puremix Exclusive, join Chris Tabron as he walks us through how “Bang On Em” developed from a production in progress with long-time collaborator DJ Hi-Tek to a final product. Starting with a conversation and a visual idea board, Chris discusses how the project came to be and deconstructs the production and mix of their hit single “Bang On Em.”

Watch as Chris:

* Explains the initial conversations of the song and how they created the vision for the lead single and the record

* Discusses the collaborative process of working with Ninja, Yolanda, and Hi-Tek

* Tells how he structured each of the collaborative sessions to be creative and productive

* Talks about choosing the gear he used based on the necessary workflow of the project

* Deconstructs how he molded the iconic synth line to fit with the rest of the track and explosive vocals

* Dissects each drum and percussion track layer-by-layer analysis of drums and percussion, elucidating the rationale behind each choice to enhance the groove and momentum of the track.

* Breaks down his thought process on creating sonic “scene changes” for each section of the song

* Demonstrates his vocal treatments on Yolandi’s chorus vocal to create explosive consonants that support the energy of the song without becoming problematic

* Explains fitting Ninja’s signature rap vocal sound into the track

* Shows each stage of his mix bus processing and explains his approach for sculpting and enhancing the mix, but not relying on the processing to hold the mix together

Watch Chris Tabron, mix “Bang On Em” from Die Antwoord. Only on puremix