Joseph Holiday, who releases music as Snakes of Russia, returns to the podcast to talk about his latest album, Swallowed Whole Through the Mouth of Eternity. Joseph's music blends modular textures to create dark, moody, cinematic soundscapes. In this episode, we talk about how Joseph's approach has evolved since our last conversation, why limitations fuel his creativity, and how visual storytelling influences his sound design. We get into his production workflow, how he finishes music quickly without overthinking, and why his favorite creative moments often come from accidents. We also touch on how the music industry's changing landscape impacts independent artists and why Joseph is focusing more on physical formats and direct fan connection. Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Links: Snakes of Russia Official Site - https://snakesofrussia.com/ Swallowed Whole Through the Mouth of Eternity by Snakes of Russia - https://snakesofrussia.bandcamp.com/album/swallowed-whole-through-the-mouth-of-eternity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/snakesofrussia/ Snakes of Russia Soundpacks on Gumroad - https://snakesofrussia.gumroad.com/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@SnakesofRussia See Machine art by Morgan Sorensen- https://www.instagram.com/see_machine/?hl=en Evan Frankfort on the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/evan-frankfort Joseph on episode 341 of the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/snakes-of-russia-2 Joseph on episode 175 of the Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/snakes-of-russia Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ Thank you for listening. Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider!
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1:41:54
Tommy Zee - Stop Drinking from the Infinite Well
Tommy Zee runs Tommy Zee and Co., a music production company that creates music for some of the world's largest brands like Nike, Adidas, Google, Sony, and more. He also runs Making Music for Brands, a platform where he teaches producers how to build careers creating music for commercial projects. This is the fourth time I've had Tommy on the podcast, and every time we talk, I walk away feeling inspired and energized. In this episode, we talk about the evolving role of artists in a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation. We explore how commercial work shaped Tommy's discipline, why he's now leaning more into slower, more intentional creativity, and how important it is to stay connected to what truly matters to you as an artist. Toward the end, things get philosophical—and I think that's where some of the richest moments come through. This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio, who are running a huge Black Friday sale until December 8, 2025. Save an additional 15% with the code: MPP15 - https://babyaud.io Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Links: Making Music For Brands- https://www.makingmusicforbrands.com Tommy's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@studiozeeandco KMRU on Ableton's Blog - https://www.ableton.com/en/blog/kmru-on-the-art-of-sharing-music/ Tommy on the 307th Episode of this podcast - https://brianfunk.com/blog/tommy-zee-3 Tommy on the 188th Episode - https://brianfunk.com/blog/tommy-zee-2-music-production-podcast-188 Tommy on the 122nd Episode - https://brianfunk.com/blog/2019/8/15/tommy-zee-making-music-for-brands-music-production-podcast-122 Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ Thank you for listening. Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider! And don't forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk
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Tom Cosm - Telepathic Instruments Co-Founder and Ableton Certified Trainer
Tom Cosm is an electronic musician, Ableton Certified Trainer, and the technical co-founder of Telepathic Instruments. Widely known for his early Ableton Live tutorials and inventive use of hacked gear, Tom has built a reputation as a true audio mad scientist—transforming data, brainwaves, and even bugs into expressive sound. In this conversation, Tom shares his journey from early YouTube educator to the co-creator of Orchid, a new instrument, dreamt up by Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, built to spark musical ideas with immediacy and joy. We explore the evolution of his creative philosophy, how tools can invite spontaneity, and what he's learned about music (and life) by building instruments from scratch. Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Takeaways: From YouTube to Orchid - Tom's journey started with early Ableton tutorials on YouTube and led to co-creating Orchid—a creative "ideas machine" that helps musicians quickly generate complex chord progressions. Music in Everything - Whether converting brainwaves, weather data, or the movement of a spider into sound, Tom finds musicality in everyday patterns and natural systems. Designing for Play - Tom emphasizes having fun while making music. Orchid was intentionally built without a screen to encourage tactile exploration and playful interactions. Community-Driven Development - Community has been a constant factor in Tom's work and continues through community-feedback on Orchid. Making Time for Music Again - After years focused on building hardware, Tom is excited to return to making music—starting with 80 unfinished tracks and a fresh wave of curiosity. Links: Telepathic Instruments - https://telepathicinstruments.com Telepathic Instruments on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/telepathic.instruments/ Telepathic Instruments on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@telepathic.instruments Tom Cosm Website - https://www.cosm.co.nz Tom's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/cosmcosm Tom's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tomcosm/ Tame Impala - https://www.tameimpala.com Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ Thank you for listening. Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider! And don't forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk
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1:11:56
Plug-in Development and Live Performance with Soap Audio's Tom Carpenter
Tom Carpenter is a musician, producer, and plug-in developer. He is currently on tour with his 3-piece indie electronic band, Moon Tower. Tom is a co-founder of Soap Audio, who recently released Soap Voice Cleaner, a plug-in designed to easily clean up spoke word audio. I spoke with Tom about his tour, Moon Tower, and Soap Voice Cleaner. Tom shared his thoughts on creativity and collaboration in both a band setting and as a programmer. We also explored how Tom has found multiple avenues to build a career in the music industry. This episode is sponsored by Baby Audio and their new plug-in Tekno! Save 15% with the code: MPP15 - https://babyaud.io/tekno Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Links: Soap Voice Cleaner - https://www.musehub.com/plugin/soap-voice-cleaner Moon Tower - https://thisismoontower.com Muse Hub - https://www.musehub.com Audacity - https://www.musehub.com/app/audacity Abberant DSP - https://aberrantdsp.com Beat Link Trigger - https://github.com/Deep-Symmetry/beat-link-trigger Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/ *Edit - in the show I mistakenly mentioned Sony's involvement in Audacity. I was confusing Audacity with Acid, which was at one time owned by Sony. Thank you for listening. Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider! And don't forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk
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#410: Your Best Music is Dying: 10 Habits of Prolific Music Producers
https://brianfunk.comIs your best music not getting made? Do you struggle through the process? This video contains 10 habits of prolific music producers. Adopt them into your music making and let your best music come to life! Every time we make music is a unique and special experience. We will never be in exactly the same place again. We have to take advantage of each moment we get otherwise, that music will never get made. Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Takeaways: Every music creation moment is unique and special. Prolific music production requires consistent practice. Don't wait for the perfect moment to start creating. It's okay to borrow ideas from other artists. Create what you want to hear, not just for others. Establish a routine to make music regularly. Embrace constraints to enhance creativity. Explore side projects to find new inspiration. Immerse yourself in a creative environment. Share your work to build a community and grow as an artist. Links: Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store Thank you for listening. Please review the Music Production Podcast on your favorite podcast provider! And don't forget to visit my site https://BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk
An exploration of music production through informal discussions about technique, philosophy, gear, and creativity. Hosted by Brian Funk, a musician, songwriter, teacher, and Ableton Certified Trainer.
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