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 Tritonal, the duo who're rocketing to success through their DJ sets and most notably, their productions, with signings to labels such as Anjunabeats, Flashover and AVA, took some time to speak to i:Vibes...
TRITONAL IS TRANCE FROM TEXAS
Tritonal consists of two DJs at the forefront of trance music production and live sets. Chad Cisneros and Dave Reed produce cutting edge performances that trigger your emotions to dance and rival the best in music today. In the studio, their extensive sessions are filled with boundless creativity and an unrivalled passion for producing new sounds and slamming tracks. The two met online while discussing sound design and production techniques. They quickly developed a relationship and came to realize that together they could achieve much greater things. At the time, Chad was busy in Austin, TX, remixing for some of the world's most prolific labels such as Armada, Lost Language, Baroque, AVA Recordings, Alter Ego, and Pangea. Dave, on the other hand, was busy in the DC area producing his own artist album. Recognizing that their sounds complemented one another perfectly, fusing driving progressive rhythms with emotional, uplifting trance elements, Dave decided to make a commitment and move 1,500 miles across the U.S. so that they could work together daily. Something special was emerging that was bigger than either had previously experienced. Within the first 9 months of working together, Tritonal had 40 tracks under their belt. As of late, Tritonal has licensed tracks with the biggest labels in trance music, including Anjunabeats, Flashover, Armada, Lost Language, AVA, Coldharbour and many others. They have been placed on Above & Beyond’s Anjunabeats Volume 6, Markus Schulz’s Armada at Ibiza and Noel Sanger’s Amsterdam Sampler. They are truly one of the most exciting duos in today's trance music scene. Look for big things from these two guys in the years to come!
i:Vibes:Hi Chad and Dave, thanks for talking to www.ivibes.nu. It takes some artists 10 years before they can land tracks at major labels, but within short time you guys have released on Anjunabeats, Armada and Flashover. Do you guys sometimes think it’s all a dream? Most guys your age are just thankful to get into a club and see their favourite DJ!
Tritonal: It has always been a dream to receive the recognition and respect from top artists in the industry. We feel blessed to be able to pursue our goals and dreams full time. The reality of this industry, is that it takes years of hard work and dedication to become a world class act, and we both intend to strive for this with everything we have.
i:Vibes: Ten years ago it was normal to meet in a club, nowadays you meet online which you guys did. What was the secret behind you guys getting on so well and later starting to produce music together?
Tritonal: Personally, I feel it had more to do God than with any secret that I have. I was in prayer about finding a good partner to produce with, and happened to meet Dave on the Virus TI Forum. We both respected each other’s passion to learn our craft, and the music that each other had produced. Working with someone in the studio has been a tremendous learning experience for me. Music is very personal, and many times can be frustrating. As I am sure you may assume, we got to know one another very quickly, and had to learn to work together as a team. The learning process continues to this day. We both possess certain strengths that we can draw upon.
i:Vibes: Dave, you’re from Washington DC and Chad from Texas. What were your childhoods like?
Dave: I had quite a busy childhood and was very much involved in martial arts competitions and school. However, growing up in a family that was always involved in music in one way or another, I had come to really enjoy everything about the piano!
Chad: My childhood was full of athletic activities. I did not start writing trance beats at the age of four like you read on so many cliché biographies! Haha Instead, I was playing football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and anything that involved competition.
i:Vibes: What were the first records that you bought?
Chad: Some of the first records that I bought which were dance oriented were The Chemical Brothers, Josh Wink, Prodigy, and one very influential trance album, Paul Oakenfold’s Tranceport. I remember snagging up most the Hooj Choons vinyl releases as well.
i:Vibes: Was there some moment in your lives where you knew 100% that you wanted to experience making music?
Chad: When I was in high school, I experienced my first rave. It wasn’t too long after that, that I was fascinated with the music. When all of my buddies were buying turntables, I made a decision to save my money for a little beat box instead. I bought a Roland MC 505 Groovebox, and started learning how to sequence rhythms.
Dave: The drive to do this really hit me after I got my first keyboard. I got into putting together little riffs and beats (even though they weren’t that great haha). My sister, Natalie, who today now teaches piano lessons, really inspired me; she had already been writing her own songs!
i:Vibes: You guys have a long list of musical influences. There are the usual known Germans, Dutch and UK producers, but you have a Belgium guy by the name of Peter Luts, who has produced so much incredible music in the last 10 years. What makes this producer so special to you?
Tritonal: Peter Luts is indeed an absolutely fantastic producer! There was one track of his that really stood out – “What a Feeling.” The synth sounds, the groovy vocal and the percussion completely won me over!
i:Vibes: In order for you guys to be able to work together, Dave moved 1,500 miles to Austin Texas. That was a big move for a twenty year old. Has it been a difficult decision? Are you going to school in Austin?
Tritonal: It was actually quite a difficult decision for me to make, as I have a lot of friends and family up in the D.C. area and because of that, didn’t want to leave. However, I saw too much potential in the Tritonal collaboration to ignore it. As for school, I completed many of my core classes up in DC and then planned to attend the University of Texas in Austin. Now, music has taken the priority and I honestly feel that this is what I should be doing.
i:Vibes: How is the trance scene in Austin?
Tritonal: The trance scene is actually very good for a city this size. We are fortunate that the main promotor of Austin loves trance and brings most of the big names in the industry. We have played alongside Ferry Corsten, Kyau & Albert, Andy Moor, Above & Beyond, and Deadmau5 all in Austin!
i:Vibes: How would you describe the Tritonal sound?
Tritonal: The Tritonal sound, although we feel is still developing, should be described as intelligent and edgy, but yet curiously uplifting ;) If you check out our tracks, you will quickly discover that we are versatile. We think this is a great attribute, as it gives us a broader toolbox to work with.
i:Vibes: Does your name Tritonal have a special meaning?
Tritonal: This is a great question! We thought we would never be able to come up with a name that would fit us. We originally came up with so many names that sounded cool, but yet had absolutely no depth to them; no meaning. Then the name “Tritonal” came up and we knew that this could apply to us. A tritone is a chord in the diminished fifth and tritonal is 80% TNT, a highly flammable explosive – haha!
i:Vibes: Do you guys have a certain way how you go about producing tracks? Do you have specific duties? Who does what in the studio?
Tritonal: There is no one method. We have been able to create a tool belt of skills that allow us to work in different ways. We like to switch it up and stay fresh. This allows us to continue to learn and grow as well. We do normally like to start out with the main chord progression, and make sure that the bare bones music is invoking the feeling we desire before jumping head first into parts. Other times, we like to create some fresh sounds, and get inspired that way.
i:Vibes: What is your most prized studio equipment in your studio?
Chad: For me, it has to be my Mac Pro.
Dave: Gotta love the Access Virus Ti!!
i:Vibes: How thrilled were when you found out that “Lights over Austin” was being released on Anjunabeats Volume 6 after being very picky with other demos from you?
Tritonal: We were SO HAPPY! We actually still are. Tony, Jono and Paavo have been amazing to us. They have really taken us in, and take time to guide us in the right direction on tunes they feel have potential.
i:Vibes: “Lights over Austin” is a very catchy track. The melody is the type that sticks in your head. What was the most difficult part of this track in order to get the track perfect for you soundwise?
Tritonal: Personally, I think it was the chord layers and groove. We spent a lot of time getting the layers right. If I remember correctly, we used only Logic Pro synths for this, Sculpture and the ES2. We designed the clicky top end out of some interesting FM based knocks, and thickened things up with a detuned analogue driven stab sound that opens up in a really wonderful way. The groove was rewritten a few times. We had to get the swing right in order for it to groove in a way that makes you want to dance, but doesn’t wear you out. Once these two things were locked in, we did the magic on that funky bassline. Dave also came up with the little riff on the end – that, in my opinion makes that track so catchy.
i:Vibes: “Walk With Me” was signed to Armada. What was the inspiration behind this track? How comfortable are you with vocals?
Tritonal: We are getting pretty comfortable these days with vocals. I took audio engineering courses at The University of Texas, and learned proper mic techniques. We are using an Apogee Ensemble for a converter and have a decent mic. Tuning the vocal intelligently is key without it sounding artifacty or overtuned. We are happy with Cristina Soto’s work so far, and are also looking forward to working with other artists.
i:Vibes: “Essence of Kea” is a really beautiful uplifting track. You have proved early on that you can produce different kinds of styles. Do guys have a preference and where do you see the Tritonal sound evolving to?
Tritonal: This is a great question. The future is uncertain. Dave and I both love many styles of music. We do not want people to put us in a box per say, but at the same time would love for the Tritonal name to be known as quality, whatever that style may be. We definitely will be producing trance, but in todays market, that is pretty broad. We want to be able to produce modern uplifting intelligent dance music that can make an impact on today’s oversaturated scene.
i:Vibes: What new releases can we await from you in the next months?
Tritonal: Tritonal – What I Say feat. Cristina Soto (Original and Dub) – AVA Recordings
Tritonal – Let Solitude feat. Soto – Flashover
Tritonal – I Can Feel - Flashover
Jaytech – Pepes Garden (Tritonal’s Air Up There Mix) – Anjunadeep
Tritonal – Cloudbase – Flashover/Levare
Tritonal – Driftoff – Flashover/ Levare
Tritonal – Daybreak feat. Cristina Soto – Coldharbour
Tritonal – Spellbound feat. Soto – Armada
Tritonal & Soto – Piercing Quiet – Flashover
Tritonal – Crash Into Reason feat. Soto – Coldharbour
Tritonal – Evangelia/Sephoria EP – Fraction
Ronski Speed – Decompass (Tritonal’s Air Up There Mix) – Euphonic
Tritonal – Kinetik/Collapse EP – Baroque/Wildchild
i:Vibes: You guys are also a DJ team. What could one expect from a three hour DJ set?
Tritonal: You could expect us to warm it up right in the first hour, giving you fantastic melodic house that leans more into trance. Stuff like Jaytech, Michael Cassette, Myon & Shane 54. As we progress into the night, we move upwards with the tempo, getting into full on driving trance with an edge and a touch of class.
i:Vibes: Do you guys spin CDs or use some other type of DJ equipment?
Tritonal: We spin CDJ’s and also prepare Ableton Live sets. We love both for different reasons. CDJ’s are easier for fly by your pants sets, and Live is amazing for flawless well thought out sets.
i:Vibes: Recently, you guys opened up for Above & Beyond in Austin, Texas. What kind of experience was that for you? Was it the first meeting them?
Tritonal: It was an amazing night. When we played “Lights Over Austin”, everyone screamed and went absolutely nuts. It was the first time that we have gotten that type of reaction from one of our own records. We really warmed it up well for the guys, and did not bang it out. We played really feel good music, without stealing the limelight. We talked with the guys before the set about some of our track selections, and got the thumbs up after all was said and done. We love Anjunabeats, and hope maintain a very long and healthy relationship there. We hope to be playing some Anjunabeats parties in the future.
i:Vibes: What country do you guys want to play in and why?
Tritonal: We would absolutely love to play in the UK as well as the Netherlands – the trance scene is definitely saturated in these regions of the world and we feel that a big step in our career would be to play some big events there!
i:Vibes: What do you guys want to do down the road with music?
Tritonal: Well, we would definitely like to produce some artist albums in the future! I think we’re both always going to be doing music in our lives in one way or another, but down the line, perhaps some movie scores!
i:Vibes: What are your current five favourite tracks?
Tritonal: There are so many, but here are some that have really been standing out to us as of late:
Signalrunners – Meet me in Montauk
Rank 1 – LED Let there be Light
Wippenberg – Chakalaka
Super8 & Tab – Elektra
Paul Keeley – Paper Jet
i:Vibes: What are your five all time favourite tracks?
Tritonal: Andain – Beautiful Things
Tiesto – Adagio for Strings
Above & Beyond – Alone Tonight
Oceanlab – Clear Blue Water
Above & Beyond feat. Andy Moor – Air for Life
i:Vibes: What are your hobbies?
Dave: Well aside from music, which used to just be a hobby, I personally enjoy doing some cinematography and biking!
Chad: I lift weights, run, and play some mad basketball. I played competitively in high school, and can hold my own with the rock!
i:Vibes: Thanks for the chat guys and good luck in the future!!!
Tritonal: Thanks a lot! You too!
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