How I Program

Rick Wade has been making deep house music in Detroit since the early 90s. Known for pioneering his own style of melancholic, jazzy, ultra deep house, his music has influenced several generations and now he's taken a major step to help other Producers tap into his signature sound. He's built his own track generator instrument - Harmonie Keys - and he's bringing it to @howiprogram on 19 May. We roll from 8pm UK time. We're going deep on chords, harmony and how he uses it in his own productions. To be part of the live Masterclass, join any tier on the How I Program Patreon. COMPETITION: we have 2 copies of Harmonie Keys up for grabs - to enter you need to attend the live session and we will announce the winners at the end of the evening. Comment MASTERCLASS to join us.

Hello to all the new followers - felt like a good time to introduce myself properly. I'm Danny, aka Red Rack'em. I grew up in a small fishing village in Scotland, got obsessed with hip hop at 12, bought my first Technics at 18 (student loan) and never looked back. I spent decades deeply immersed in dance music culture in Edinburgh, Bristol, Liverpool and Nottingham before eight life changing years in Berlin, then came back to the UK just before the pandemic hit. I have no idea why either haha! I've been making records for over 20 years - releasing on Wolf Music, Innervisions, Phonica and my own label Bergerac, which I've been running independently since 2010. In 2016 I self-released 'Wonky Bassline Disco Banger' - the biggest selling 12" on Juno that year across all genres, Record of the Year at Phonica, played by everyone from Moodymann and DJ Harvey to The Blessed Madonna and Elton John. It's just turned 10 (anniversary edition drops end of May) and sparked an ongoing Banger series - most recently 'Italo Disco Banger' and 'Secret Banger', both on Bergerac too. I've been touring internationally since 2005, with highlights including Sydney Opera House, Berghain, Smart Bar and Tag in Chengdu. I began broadcasting in 2007 with my much loved Smuggler's Inn Radio show, which led to presenting work for Rinse, NTS, WWFM and guest mixes for BBC Radio 1. When Covid stopped everything, panic became pivot. I was a college teacher before I went full time with music, so I started @howiprogram a community for producers who love electronic music and want to make records. Six years later, we've hosted over 70 masterclasses and I've watched members found labels, get Radio 1 play and hear their tracks played to 35,000 people at Glastonbury. When the landscape of electronic music started to change, I found it hard to see myself in it without becoming a parody of what an artist is supposed to be. Working with other artists, behind the scenes, became my way of staying connected - and changing gear to something that fits me a lot better. Would love to hear about you too - where are you based and how did you find your way to electronic music?

If you've got 100 unfinished tracks and can't get any of them over the line, this one's for you. Comment NOW if you want to join us at our next session.

Berlin Stories is a new series I shot on location about my years living in Berlin. The places, the people, the nights, the mornings after. Things I've never talked about publicly before. Episode 1 starts here - the first apartment I ever lived in on Sonnenallee in March 2011. The night before I moved in, something happened in the building behind my bedroom that I'll never forget. Full episode on my Patreon from Saturday 11/04/26.

Does this sound like you? Comment ‘Now’ and I will DM you more info.

Our next Active Producer session is on April 7. We're digging into socials and promotion - how to approach it when you've got a small following, what to post when the music isn't finished yet, and how to think about labels and radio. 8-9:30pm on Zoom. These sessions run every two weeks for Active Producer members on our Patreon. All levels of Producer welcome. More info up top...

Here's the info for the next 3 Masterclasses. We are HUGELY grateful to ALL our guests for their generosity in supporting other Music Producers by sharing their knowledge and experience. All sessions starting at 8pm UK time. Feb 17th - @kassiansound (Sound Design & Arrangement) March 19th - @atjazzofficial (Pulling A Track Apart & Remixing It) April 21st - @recloose (Roland TR1000 Deep Dive) To be part of these exclusive, live Masterclasses you should be on the 'Live Masterclass' tier or any higher tier on our friendly, motivating Patreon. Hit our bio to get involved.

Free Track Feedback Session — Thursday Feb 12 Bringing your unfinished tracks for detailed live feedback. House, techno, whatever you're working on. 8-9pm UK Time on Zoom. Using Wheel of Names to choose who gets feedback so everyone gets a fair shot. Upload your track (WAV/AIFF) by 4pm Feb 12. All levels of Producer welcome. Comment 'Feedback' to receive an invite or hit up top to register.

ONBOARDING is here! Available on all streaming plattforms and shops.. LINKS in my bio / linktr.ee 🔗 Many thanks to @nicolasfantastic and his @fantastic_friends_recordings for including the track on the Winter Mini Sampler. A mix of familiar energy and fresh perspectives, all connected by the same deep-rooted groove. Big shout out to @therealredrackem @howiprogram he motivated me to work hard, gave me confidence and encouraged me to show the music. Thanks mate! And much love for your support @martinaanja ❤️ #variousartists #breakbeat #winterminisampler #housemusic #detroitelectro

Last Tuesday's feedback session: Void Complet, Unos and Fick Nord submitted tracks. 48 hours later, Steffi (Unos) opened her Bruzzice radio show with Chog Void Complet's track and Nick posted his improved version on insta. This is what happens in our Active Producer sessions - track feedback, community support, genuine connections. Next session is January 27th. All welcome.

Titonton Duvanté joins us tomorrow (Tuesday) for a production masterclass - 8-10pm UK time. One of the true legends of US dance music. His broken-beat influenced house and techno sound is completely unique - he's collaborated with Dan Curtin, John Tejada, Fabrice Lig and Morgan Geist, runs Residual Recordings, and has released on 2000 Black, Mosaic, Amalgama, Neroli and Metamorphic. We're focusing on the building blocks - drums, basslines and chord progressions. How he creates those wild jazzy chord progressions, the off-kilter funk in his drums, and how each element affects the others. Available to all Patreon tiers. Register up top or comment 'drums' for an invite.

Had the first Active Producer session last night and the energy was great! Producers from Belgium, Estonia, Switzerland, UK and USA in the new group- track feedback, artist development, industry chat and production advice. Next session is January 27th, 8-9:30pm GMT. We're doing it bi-weekly from now on. You also get access to all 65 previous masterclasses plus a new live one each month - Titonton Duvante next week, then Kassian in February. £70/month if you want to join us. More info up top. Music Producer DJ Artist Development Mentoring Electronic Music DAW Music Production Online Course Record Label Red Rack’em House Music Techno