Where did the idea for this project come from?
Ramon: We typically try to come up with ideas for these types of things from the perspective of “what would we like to have ourselves that doesn’t exist yet.” There are many great drum- and synth plug-ins but for our style and the way we work, we often find ourselves needing to process the sound extensively to achieve the desired result we hear in our minds. These expansions were an attempt at cutting that process somewhat short and aim for a product that doesn’t need a lot of post-processing to sound cinematic, dark and alternative.
Richard: We also wanted to make sure that users have the option to change a sound drastically with just some small adjustments. This is why we spent a lot of time thinking about which macros we wanted to have for the instruments and what kind of underlying effects that would be needed. In the EZX, for example, we introduced a “Warp” macro which drastically alters a preset.

Creating both an EZX and an EKX under the same project banner, did you think about the synergies between the two? Did you design sounds for one based on how the ones in the other turned out?
Ramon: Definitely. Both projects were born from the same idea, both in terms of how to use them as well as how they should sound. We love gritty, dark and imperfect sounds. Both expansions live in that world. We did take into account, though, that each one has a different role (one percussive and one harmonic), so there are also noticeable differences. For the EZX, we focused on sounds that are pronounced and present but do not linger too much. However, the EKX shares the same kind of grime but exhibits a more undulating quality.
Richard: We envision these two products as a one-stop shop for composers seeking a dark aesthetic in their productions. In the EKX, you will not only find synth- and keys-like presets but also a lot of processed basses and leads as well as textures. It is possible to make a full-blown production with just these two expansions as we did ourselves plenty of times during the creation process. They’re just so much fun to work with!

You recorded acoustic drums and analog synths, electronic and modular synths, all kinds of organic foley and more. Did you have a preconceived plan going in or did you go with the flow? What was the “instrument” selection like?
Ramon: I would say both. Recording live instruments and foley and combining that with (modular) synth sounds is always a big part of our creation process and ultimately our sound as artists. So, to that extent, it was deliberate. We had a list of things we felt we needed to record in order to create the sound we had in our heads, but once we got the basic elements out of the way we kind of just went with it and tried to find interesting and usable sounds and textures with the tools we had at our disposal. This process ranged from experimenting with a drum kit using various items to capturing the sound of pushing metal objects across a cement floor, messing with a prepared piano and hours and hours of modular noodling.
Richard: For both products we wanted to show the perfect balance of acoustic and electronic sound sources. Almost all sounds from the EZX are multi-layered. They include both acoustic sound sources like kicks, snares and cymbals, but we also recorded renowned percussionist Jeroen de Rijk and mangled his sounds to oblivion. The EKX does not only include tonal sound sources, but we also recorded a lot of noises and ambience sounds as well as impacts, all of which you can dial in with the macros.

How does a drum kit or synth preset go from idea to finished sound? Do you hear it in your heads or does it come to you organically as you tweak? What normally goes into the whole production chain?
Ramon: Once all the sounds are edited and prepared and we get to the preset programming stage, we typically have a good idea of the range of possibilities within the collection we recorded. There will be sounds that you can’t wait building a preset around and sounds of which you have no idea how they’re going to turn out, but typically I would say we have a pretty good idea of what we want to make for most of the presets. Our goal is to draw inspiration from the source material and bring it to life through effects and modulation. If your source material is on point – as it should be – the rest will flow naturally.
Richard: Both EZdrummer and EZkeys are incredibly powerful and inspiring tools, so creating the presets was arguably the most straightforward aspect of the process. Ultimately you want a sort of cohesive variety where each preset delivers a different experience but within the same creative definition. As for the production chain, we used lots and lots of outboard gear at Farkosten Studios in Altea, Spain, to sculpt and process the sounds. There are vintage classics like the Eventide Harmonizer, EQs like the GML 8200, Fairchild compression and Distressors on most of the sounds.