Who are you and what do you do? How long have you been a working musician?

Hello! I'm Luis, I share my time between Lisbon and Munich and I make music as Moullinex. I also run a record label called Discotexas and we play our artists' catalog with a live band called The Discotexas Band. I've been making music "professionally" for 5-6 years now.

What is your educational background? Are there any schools, courses, or books you recommend?

I actually studied software engineering, and I can say the pragmatism from engineering helps in producing music. And trying to tear things apart, like tracks. Musically I was pretty much self-taught, after a year of frustration from "bad" piano lessons. I can't recommend much except finding your passion — when you do that things come naturally. And what doesn't come naturally you'll find on YouTube, forum tutorials, and multi-tracks of famous tracks.

What hardware are you using?

Mostly synths or sound sources: I have a few favorites like Octave The Cat, which is a mean bass and bleeps machine. It has its own personality. Korg Mono/Poly, which is surprisingly flexible in terms of what you can get from it. Ensoniq ESQ-1 for its array of sounds that bring you back into the 80s in seconds. DSI Tetra for its portability and reliability. Fender Rhodes Mark I and upright pianos, which I love to start ideas on.

What software are you using?

99% Ableton. And a lot of plugins: FabFilter, SoundToys, Softube, Brainworx. I love these because they allow you to go to the sound of the classics, but also mess with it creatively.

What would be your dream setup?

When we get multi-touch devices that give you physical feedback too. That would be the next step.

Can you describe your creative process? Is there a particular routine or schedule you stick to?

Calling it a process would be insulting to people who actually have one! I almost always start things on the piano. From then on it's really chaotic. Drums, bassline, arrangement, mixing, they're all happening at the same time.

Where do you shop for and discover music?

Most of the music I discover is online. I buy a lot on Beatport, get a lot of good promos, listen to new stuff from people I follow on SoundCloud. But yes, I'd have to say friends are the biggest source, either for new albums or DJ'able tracks.

Any highlights from your latest musical discoveries?

Regarding friends' discoveries, I'm a big Chico Buarque fan. And also love Ennio Morricone. A friend of mine just discovered a record they've done together when Chico was exiled in Italy. It's a little gem.

What's brewing in your studio?

I've been trying out crazy things with a friend: me on bass and synths, and him on drums. We've been experimenting with polyrhythms and uncommon structures. I don't have anything recorded though, but we've been using this Euclidean MIDI pattern generator, that takes euclidean geometry theory to generate rhythm patterns. I think there's a lot of theory about music harmony and melody, but not so much about rhythm. Maybe because western music has been harmony-obsessed for ages.

Any production tips & tricks you'd like to share?

Well, to be honest the best tip is to listen to what you're doing. If you have $100 to spend on a studio, spend $90 on speakers + acoustic treatment. If you have $100,000, spend $90,000 on speakers and acoustic treatment.

Where can we find you on the web?

Moullinex / SoundCloud / Facebook /