Estiva Explains How Plugins and Instinct Shaped His New Album Embrace
We sat down with Estiva to break down the making of his new album Embrace and the studio decisions that gave it its character. In the interview, he opened up about the synth patches that sparked entire tracks, the processing chains that helped his layers lock together, and the subtle modulation that kept ideas moving without tipping into chaos.
Embrace, out now on Colorize, is his most personal release to date. Built from years of road-testing ideas and long nights in the studio, the record balances high-energy club tracks with moments designed for reflection. From the driving impact of Lonely Keys and KFIL to the atmospheric pull of Satellite and No Echoes, the album shows how he has refined his sound into something focused and purposeful.
One of the clearest examples is “Sudden Moves”, where an organ-driven idea evolves into a track defined by extreme contrast. A breakdown stripped to silence snaps back into a heavy drop, creating a tension that felt risky in the studio but proved powerful on stage.
Alongside these production details, Estiva shared his three rules of thumb that have shaped his path. Not many things can be relied upon consistently in a craft as dynamic as studio work, but these insights, placed throughout our chat are what Estiva leans on every single time he shows up to make music.
When you think back on Sudden Moves, what was the first synth you added that really “anchored” the entire project for you?
I was flipping through Spire presets when I stumbled upon this beautifully designed organ sound. The moment I struck a chord, it felt like I was playing in a huge reverberant hall. That instantly sparked the idea of building an organ-driven track. From there, I added a dark, driving bassline and some techy percussion.
What really shaped Sudden Moves was the decision to create a shocking contrast. I built a breakdown that was stripped back to almost nothing, holding back the organ theme until the drop. The contrast was so extreme that it actually made me uncomfortable in the studio. I’d never heard anything like it before. Still, I pushed it to a demo and road-tested it at a gig. The crowd’s reaction blew me away.
That experience even inspired Lonely Keys, which I wrote using the same “intense contrast” approach.
Estiva’s First Rule of Thumb for Production: Music is art. My job is to make art, not to sell a product. That means my mindset should always start with creating, not chasing what audiences, labels, or trends expect. The moment I shift my focus to pleasing others or maximizing money, I lose the joy. By following my own instinct, something completely unique, I not only stay happier, but I also stand out more.
How did you decide which plugins would be central to the session and which would play a supporting role in Sudden Moves? Did these change throughout the process of making the track?
KFIL is one of the standout tracks on Embrace, but I never expected it to be while I was writing it. The process was full of big changes, and unlike my more natural-flowing tracks, this one was a real grind.
The first version had a Spire lead as the main element. But once I started processing the vocal, it completely shifted the balance. The vocal took over, the lead got buried, and I lost my grip on the track. I shelved it for months. When I revisited it later, I realized its potential. I muted the leads, focused on the vocal, and started rearranging from there.
That’s when intuition kicked in and Diva “saved the track.” Running through presets, I stumbled upon this unstable, characterful lead that became the star of the record.
From start to finish it took nearly three years. Looking back, I think I just wasn’t ready to finish it earlier, it took that extra experience to finally bring it to life.
When you layer multiple synths, what are your favorite processing chains you use most often so that your synth stacks feel like one voice instead of competing parts?
For me, layering works best when it’s subtle. In the past, I would stack sounds blindly and convince myself the end result was bigger. But usually, all the unique character of the individual sounds just got lost.
These days, I keep it simple: one safe move is adding a supporting layer during the drop for extra energy, usually in the mid-to-high range. Another trick is to make layers complement each other through modulation: if synth A opens its filter, synth B closes slightly. This weaving effect keeps them from clashing.
On the technical side, I treat each layer on its own mixer channel but run them all through a shared bus with compression. That glueing step is what makes them feel like one unified voice instead of competing sounds.
Estiva’s Second Rule of Thumb for Production: Don’t force it. If I’m not feeling it in the studio, the best move is usually to step away. Sometimes I’ll switch to less creative tasks: admin, tidying up, organizing. But if I can, I get out of the house completely. Meeting people, trying new activities, or spending time in nature activates the brain in fresh ways. That’s how new connections form. It’s quickest to creativity.
Do you have any tricks or workflows for balancing modulation and movement in a track so it feels alive without becoming chaotic? Any go-to plugins or tools?
A big part of keeping music alive is humanization, making things feel slightly imperfect and organic. For drums, I love panning an off-beat ride sample slightly left and right using ShaperBox 3, adding a touch of phaser or flanger and pitch the sample up and down just a little. XLN Life is also great, it generates randomized percussion loops from my own unique field recordings and literally injects “life” into the track.
On the synth side, U-he Repro 1/5 is a favorite. In Future Memories, the main lead is just one simple Repro 1 preset, no layers. What makes it work is subtle modulation: a little LFO on the cutoff in the plugin itself, plus a second layer of automation throughout the track. The result is a continuous small wave of movement riding on top of a bigger ebb and flow. One sound, constantly evolving. It proves that less really is more.
Would you say intuition is more important to you than technical knowledge in the studio?
For me, intuition has become more important over time. At the start, you need technical skills just to reach a professional standard. But once you have that foundation, intuition is where the magic happens.
I’m usually more impressed by a track with a bold, unique theme than one that’s technically flawless but uninspired. Technical knowledge gets you to “good,” but intuition is what makes something unforgettable.
What advice would you give producers who want to move from focusing on individual sounds to thinking about songs as complete experiences?
It’s so easy to tunnel vision on a cool loop or sound and then get stuck. My best advice: start arranging as soon as you’ve got a vibe. Don’t wait until everything’s “perfect.”
Arrangement creates context. You’ll quickly find out whether that lead or groove actually works in a bigger picture. It also forces new ideas to surface, because you’re actively moving the track forward instead of polishing a loop endlessly.
Finishing music is about momentum, and arrangement is what keeps that momentum alive.
Estiva’s Final Rule of Thumb for Production: No shortcuts in the long run. The music industry can feel like a pay-to-win system, but real fulfillment comes from building things yourself while staying true to who you are. There may be quick fixes along the way, but if you’re in it for the long run, the only real “cheat code” is persistence and authenticity.
Our Big Takeaways
Big thanks to Estiva for taking the time to walk us through Embrace and the thinking behind it. What stood out most was how every element of the album came from a mix of instinct and precision. The synth patches were never about showing off gear but about finding the sound that carried the track forward. The processing chains were there to make layers speak as one voice rather than compete for space. The modulation choices kept things evolving without clutter, proving that small moves can have the biggest impact.
Threaded through it all were the lessons that shape his approach today.
Music comes first as art, not product. Creativity can’t be forced, and sometimes stepping away is the fastest way to move ahead (as long as you come back to the work with the right tools in hand to get the job done). And while the industry often promises quick fixes, the only lasting path is patience, persistence, and knowing your plugins like the back of your hand.
Taken together, these points give Embrace its weight and offer a blueprint for producers looking to push their own work further.
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