The New Jersey house legend opens up about his approach to sampling and edits, the creative mindset that keeps him inspired decades into his career, and his advice for sending out demos.
Welcome to Sound Advice, the series spotlighting artists’ creative process and their SoundCloud journey. We’ll get the inside knowledge straight from the source on how musicians, producers and creatives are leaning into everything Next Pro offers to elevate their sound, reach the right audience and catapult their careers. Sound Advice is now available in audio format on the SoundCloud Stories profile.
Like so many in the East Coast house scene, New Jersey born and bred
Harry Romero grew up on a diet of hip-hop, freestyle, disco and classic house records from the likes of Kenny Dope and Todd Terry. By the mid-1990s, he was debuting his own tracks on iconic NYC deep house labels like Strictly Rhythm and Nervous Records, and he hasn’t missed a beat since. Harry is considered one of the legends of the house music world and his discography runs deep, with releases on Subliminal, Crosstown Rebels, Nu Groove, Black Book and his own Bambossa label, collaborating with Louie Vega, Danny Tenaglia, Cinthie and Dombresky, among many others. Harry has spent three decades woo’ing dancefloors with his smooth and pumping house sound, from the glittering dancefloors of Ibiza to the terraces of Miami, and everywhere in between.
We caught up with him at home in Plainfield, New Jersey, in his basement studio called The Butcher Shop. We talk about what inspired his new releases on Defected and Radio Slave’s Rekids label, his approach to sampling and edits, and his advice on how to pump up your productions and send out demos. We also find out more about how he uses SoundCloud as a producer and record label owner, and the creative mindset that continues to keep him inspired after decades in the game.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE FEATURING HARRY ROMERO
LISTEN TO "TOGETHER THE BEAT GOES ON" BY HARRY ROMERO
THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE OF SOUND ADVICE
- We catch up with Harry Romero in his home studio, better known as The Butcher Shop.
- Harry recaps his most recent tour run, where he experimented with playing a set exclusively featuring his own productions, and the feedback he received from crowds and Wez Saunders, the CEO of Defected Records, alike. He also explains the reasoning behind why he’s never solely played his own music, touching on the culture shift DJing and performing have experienced in recent years.
- Harry takes us back to the beginning of his career in the late 80s and how he got his start DJing in his native New Jersey, as well as what encouraged him to try his hand at producing.
- How his approach to producing music has changed and evolved throughout the past three decades, including his approach to sampling, making edits and his guiding philosophy that the kick drum and the right bass are like the foundation to a home.
- His best advice for emerging producers, including sharing his special sauce for crafting tunes that pack a punch.
- He opens up about his background in visual arts and how certain things he learned during his time at Rutgers pursuing a fine arts degree has stuck with him later on in life and throughout his music career.
- What goes into the creative process when catering to making music for the dancefloor specifically, and the importance of strong arrangements.
- Harry shares more about his creative mindset, and what he’s learned about pushing himself out of his comfort zone as a producer and DJ.
- How timing can be everything in the creative process, and how sometimes you’re not ready to finish a particular track or idea in the moment, but returning to it when you are is a major key.
- Harry walks us through his latest release on DFTD, “Together / The Beat Goes On” and what influences he explored when making those tracks.
- He opens up about engineering some of Danny Tenaglia’s music and how his approach to producing inspires him, especially when he feels stuck wanting to write smooth transitions, and how things don’t have to be subtle to be impactful. “Certain things can be a smack in the face.”
- Harry talks about how technology has changed since he first got started producing music, and how that impacts his approach as well.
- Harry talks about the similarities and differences between working with legends compared to emerging artists, and what he learns from collaborating with a range of different people.
- He explains how making edits are a way for a DJ to put their fingerprint on a track and make it their own, and how that is a form of expression vital to adding a personal touch to a DJ set.
- Harry explains what his creative North Star is, and what keeps him inspired decades into the game.
- Harry dives into how he uses SoundCloud as a record label and A&R, and shares his advice for people interested in starting their own labels – as well as how to effectively send your demos to labels.
- Harry explains how sharing music on SoundCloud and using private tracks has been an integral part of his daily routine, and how he uses the platform as a source of music discovery and to see what other DJs are playing.
- We get the inside scoop on Harry Romero’s upcoming EP on the techno label, Rekids, which is set for release in early 2025.
- Harry leaves us with a bit of inspiration, recalling some of the formative experiences he had that continue to fuel him today, including DJing at The Sound Factory in New York City and how watching Louie Vega spin was an essential education for him.
LINKS AND EXTRAS
Follow Harry Romero’s journey on SoundCloud.
Hit play on Harry Romero’s “Together / The Beat Goes On” via DFTD.
Check out Sound Advice with Dombresky, one of Harry Romero’s collaborators.
Tap in with Harry Romero’s record label, Bambossa Records.
Explore some of Harry Romero’s formative musical influences, including Masters at Work, Todd Terry and Kenny Dope, to name a few.
Press play on remixes of Harry Romero’s original productions, such as those by Honey Dijon, Steve Lawler, Avision and Riva Starr.
Follow Defected Records, and its breakout label, DFTD.
Listen to the Buzzing: Electronic playlist on SoundCloud.
Never miss an episode and follow the official Sound Advice playlist on SoundCloud.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF SOUNDCLOUD:
- Learn more about using DMs to connect with fellow artists and potential collaborators.
- Learn more about searching your own Likes on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about using private tracks on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about getting started with Insights on SoundCloud.
- Learn more about Advanced Insights, available to Artist Pro subscribers.
- Learn more about unlimited uploads, available with a Artist Pro subscription.
- Learn more unlocking access to unlimited distribution, available with Artist Pro.
To discover additional features a SoundCloud Artist Pro subscription offers, visit here. To catch up on past installments of Sound Advice and make sure you don’t miss out on future episodes, visit here.
CREDITS: Host: Vivian Host, Executive Producer: Mike Spinella, Producer: KC Orcutt, Audio Engineer: David “DibS” Shackney, Coordinator: Trevor McGee
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