INTERVIEW: D-Compost

Fresh off the release of their new collaboration "Lost in the Desert" on TULI Music, we had the chance to sit down with the duo behind the track—two artists brought together by fate, friendship, and a shared love for deep, evocative soundscapes. What started as a casual connection in Doha quickly evolved into a creative partnership rooted in mutual respect and musical chemistry. Their workflow is refreshingly intuitive, their approach minimal yet impactful, and their story one of organic evolution both in sound and spirit. In this interview, they share the journey behind the release, insights into their production process, and what’s ahead in a year full of exciting collaborations and sonic exploration.

Congratulations on your latest release on TULI Music! How did the two of you meet, and how did the project's concept emerge? 

Well, I met him through a friend who is also a musician in Doha, and he told us that we should connect. He introduced us on a WhatsApp chat, and we started talking often about music. One day, Wassim came to one of my gigs, and we stayed talking when the night finished, and we got along so easily that we said, "Hey, let's meet to work on music, hahah." It was an easy connection; we are both simple people with an easy approach to life.

Wassim came one day to my place, and he had a draft of “Lost in the Desert.” When I heard it, I totally fell in love with the vocals, so I asked him if he would let me give it a twist, so I got the stems and started working on some ideas around the vocals, maintaining the main melody, and since then I used to send him every 2 days a new draft till the day he replied, YEAHHH THAT’S IT!!! Ahahahaha, we got it!!!

The "Lost in the Desert" track process was so easy and fun that we said, Hey, let's work on more ideas, and for a month or so we used to gather and work on music at my place.

Can you guys walk us through your production process for this release? Were there any particular tools, techniques, or inspirations that played a key role?

Fors, it's never about the tools and more about the result; we both agree on that, but we do have to say that the vocals were recorded with a Neumann TLM103, ahahah. Anyway, the truth is that the laptop was the key tool for working on this specific track as we were moving. 

My studio is in Lisbon, where I have all my synths, drum machines, and compressors, but since we were both in Doha for work, we just used what we had, and nowadays it's all about using what you have, and we both believe that “less is more.”

The main thing here I believe, at least for me, was Wassim vocals; it was love at first sight ahahah (D-Compost)

D-Compost, your music often blends groove and atmosphere in a unique way. How do you strike that balance in the studio?

Great question. Balancing groove and atmosphere, in perspective, is often about understanding where energy and space meet. For me as an artist, I like to blend deep, rhythmic elements with immersive textures; that balance likely comes down to a few core studio techniques:

Layering: Groove is usually driven by tight, rhythmic layers—kick, bass, percussion—while atmosphere is built through pads, reverb tails, or background textures. I often craft the groove first, then add layers in ambient elements that complement rather than overpower it.

Sound Design: Using synths or samples with modulated effects (like filtered delays or granular textures) helps maintain a sense of movement, so the atmosphere feels alive and rhythmically tied to the groove.

EQ & Space: A clear frequency separation ensures that groove elements (like the low end) stay punchy while the atmospheric layers float in their own space—possibly achieved through side chaining, stereo imaging, or frequency carving.

Arrangement Dynamics: A thoughtful arrangement lets the groove take focus in certain sections and the atmosphere in others—rising and falling to create emotional impact. Transitions might feature delays, reverbs, or filtered sweeps that highlight this interplay.

Were there any challenges or unexpected turns during the making of this release that influenced the final outcome?

Yes, we believe that there are always challenges when working with someone else, even if it's just finding time that both of us can sit down and work at the same time on the track, especially for the last details, and we both wanted to make sure our vision was there in the final result.

We also remember that we almost lost the whole project, which was in my computer, and we thought it was saved in the hard drive at the same time, and it wasn’t, so it was a very scary moment for us, ahahah.

How do you see your sound evolving in future projects? Is there a particular direction of experimentation you’re currently exploring?

Actually, “Lost in the Desert” is just the first release of the other 6 collaborations we did together, and there is also another single coming out with an amazing producer we met in Doha called Tico Morales, so we are super excited for 2025, as we are seeing that all these releases are scheduled for this year.

Before we started this collaboration, we shared music with each other and had a couple of thoughts about influences, sounds, and inspiration, and when we sat down at the studio, things just started flowing without putting ourselves inside of a box.

As you will notice later this year, some tracks are more Afro Tech, and some will be more melodic, I would say, but all of them reflect how we see and feel the music and what we want to pass to the people that will listen to the releases.

What else is on the horizon for both of you in 2025—any upcoming releases or collaborations?

Yes, 2025 looks promising, as we have a couple of releases scheduled on very well-known labels. The collaboration with Tico is also something that we are super proud of, and we cannot wait to share it with the people.

As D-Compost, I'm focusing on the label Tuli. We have some pretty interesting releases and remixes with names like Raul K, DSF, Vasilis, Argento Dust, Conde, and a few others.

Is there any artist we should look for in the upcoming months or year? 

Ohhhh, so many people out there making great music, but definitely artists like Vasilis, Conde, Tico Morales, Leandro Silva.

INFO