“I had a dual musical life growing up. On the one hand, I began learning classical piano at the age of six, and on the other, I adored pop music. My musical passions early on ranged from Debussy and Ravel to Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac.
“In my teens, I discovered avant-garde and 60s experimental music, falling immediately in love with the musique concrète of Steve Reich, Pierre Schaeffer, and BBC Radiophonic Workshop icons like John Baker and Delia Derbyshire. The otherworldly yet nostalgic sonic nature of this music is what pulled me in.”
Writing music vs. performing with others
Whether working solo or with artists like Goldfrapp or Kylie Minogue, Hazel draws on similar skills – but with different creative freedoms.
“For both, I draw on many of the same skills and knowledge – identifying components of a sound, what effects or processing may have been used, interpreting harmony, notating and charting. I often gain new skills in my session work through exploring things I wouldn’t have otherwise – different styles, harmonic or rhythmic decisions, combining certain elements, or discovering specific pieces of gear like the Korg M1 or OB-Xa.
“One of the main differences is how much creative freedom I have in the process. Interpreting existing work is often about replication – solving puzzles, recreating specific sounds, or condensing layered keyboard parts into something playable live. Occasionally, there’s more freedom, where I can alter sounds for a live context or improvise within songs – often texturally rather than as a solo.
“There’s always going to be an attachment to your own music, which can be more exhausting and make it harder to gain enough objectivity to make decisions.”
Discovering synthesis
Hazel’s love for synths grew out of her fascination with film soundtracks.
“It was about 15 years ago, through my love of films that felt otherworldly or eerie – the soundtrack was often a huge part of that. I became mesmerised by synth-led soundtracks like John Carpenter’s Escape From New York, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Vangelis’ Blade Runner, and Apocalypse Now.
“It took me a few years to realise that many pop songs I’d adored also featured synths. When I started learning, after incorporating Carpenter-esque synths into my band’s music – with Cocteau Twins, psychedelia, and Krautrock influences – I learned the basics on an SH-101 and SH-09. They’re perfect for understanding synthesis because they’re so intuitive – and it’s hard to make a bad sound on them.
“In a live context, I used a Nord Lead 2, which helped me learn more complex modulation beyond a single envelope or LFO.”
How gear influences creativity
Exploration and songcraft go hand in hand in Hazel’s workflow.
“It’s probably 50/50 between traditional songwriting – sitting at the piano focusing on chords, melodies, and words – and gear-focused exploration.
“It’s inevitable that when I sit down to learn a new piece of gear or software, something comes out of it.”
“The title track of my EP Enclosure was the result of using MIDI probability on found-sound recordings. The upcoming track Precious Dust, written with Cate Brooks, began with experimenting on a Korg Mono/Poly arpeggiator. The pattern was in 6/8, and Cate reframed the timing – it became so much more exciting to me.”
Studio setup and workflow
Her studio is constantly evolving – part organised, part spontaneous.
“Currently, it’s pretty fluid and changeable – some might say chaotic. I have various setups, depending on the project. In my home studio, I have most of my synths handy, some drum machines and samplers, and a few effects pedals. They’re all hooked up to a patch bay that runs into an Apollo x8.
“My favourite hardware would be my Prophet 6, Juno-106, MPC, and OP-XY. I often borrow from friends, so I’ve been lucky to use a lot of Elektron boxes and a Minimoog. For piano parts, I use a full-sized controller – the Arturia KeyLab 88 – and a MIDI controller for playing synths.
“I record MIDI so that when I record audio, I can use both hands to manipulate the sound – the filter, envelope, modulation, or pedals – to punctuate or lead into sections. It makes for a much more dynamic part.
“In an ideal world, I’d have a home for everything – MIDI plumbed in and ready to go at any time.”
Favourite tools, effects and performance techniques
“My Prophet 6 is something I use on most studio projects – and quite a bit live too. I absolutely love it through the Vongon Polyphase and Hologram Chroma Console. Both give extra character, particularly that beautifully broken sound I’m drawn to.
“Ableton Link is such an amazing tool – it makes syncing everything to a DAW effortless. I often sync the MPC, OP-XY, and Elektron boxes, such as the Digitakt 2 and Analog Four, to Ableton or Pro Tools.
“If it’s quicker to work in the box, I use Ableton Drum Rack or NI Battery with my own samples – either synthesised or recorded. The keyboard is my native tongue, so this feels the most natural.”
Hazel finds beauty in both simplicity and tactility.
“Some underrated synth techniques still captivate me – self-oscillating filter resonance, the beating of two oscillators at almost the same pitch, and envelope modulation for percussive sounds.
“I love tactile performance – riding the filter cutoff by hand or foot, increasing modulation as a song builds. I used this technique with Kylie Minogue on I Believe In You. I also love using aftertouch and MPE to add movement to the sound.”
Sound design and evolving modulation
“Being a fan of American Minimalism since my teens, I love a simple idea evolving over time. The UDO Audio synths are great at creating evolving modulation that never quite does the same thing twice.
“Holding a single chord and modulating the filter cutoff unpredictably – combining irregular LFOs or looped envelopes – makes the sound move around the stereo field. Layering this with another sound that moves slightly differently creates interaction and motion.
“I also love using sequencers with probability – the OP-XY and Logic Step Sequencer are brilliant for this.”
Musical inspirations
Hazel’s musical world bridges classical, minimal, and modern experimental sounds.
“Aside from my love of the 80s – MJ, Kate Bush, Eurythmics, and Fleetwood Mac – I’ve carried fragments of my early piano background: Debussy, Ravel, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. I’m also inspired by Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and the found-sound work of Pierre Henry, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, and Pierre Bastien.
“More contemporary influences include The Knife, The Haxan Cloak, James Holden, and Serpentwithfeet. If I could successfully combine all of the above, I’d be happy!”
- Debussy – Clair de Lune
- Pierre Henry – Psyche Rock
- BBC Radiophonic Workshop
- The Haxan Cloak – Excavation
- Serpentwithfeet – Deacon
- James Holden – Contains Multitudes
Interaction with Classic vs. modern synthesizers
Hazel sees her instruments as collaborators rather than tools.
“I’m learning the art of listening and allowing a machine to do its thing. With modular synthesis or evolving patches, small, mindful adjustments are what it calls for. But sometimes it’s about getting hands-on and putting your stamp on it. I don’t always decide beforehand – I adjust intuitively to what I’m using.
“With classic analog synths, they do a thing – and they do it well. It’s often easier to identify them by ear because they have such a personality.
“I’ve played Minimoogs, Prophets, Junos, Jupiters, and even an ARP 2600 and a Korg 3100. Modern synths tend to favour versatility – doing many things rather than one. That’s great for touring and reliability, but I love simplicity and immediacy over menu-diving.
“The Prophet 6 has the essence of its vintage predecessors, and the Elektron Analog Four has a distinct and beautiful sound with sequencing I love. I only use software when it's practical – such as when traveling or working under tight deadlines. My go-to soft synths are Softube’s Roland SH-101 and Juno-106 emulations, Slate + Ash Choreographs, and parts of Arturia’s V Collection.”
Playing in the Moog Ensemble
Performing with the Moog Ensemble demands awareness and communication.
“Performances are totally reliant on us really listening to each other. When tempo is consistent, as in pop shows, there’s less risk. But with the Moog Ensemble, especially with classical pieces by Beethoven, Bach, or Will Gregory, overlapping phrases obscure the beat.
“We find it easier in smaller venues – monitoring is everything in large spaces. The ensemble is more like an orchestra or chamber group in that sense. Dynamics and tone – how open the filter is, what waveform we’re using, how much resonance – are constantly adjusted to fit the bigger picture.”
Editor's note: Check the interview with Will Gregory on stage with the Moog Ensemble here:
Kim Bjørn
What’s next
“I have a few of my own projects on the go – some more instrumental, some vocal-led – all containing synths of some sort. I’d love to share more tutorials and demos based on my own processes.
“A collaboration with Cate Brooks is also on the way – an album I’m hugely proud of, filled with beautiful-sounding machines. Many of the ones I’ve mentioned here. Watch this space.”
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