Production
Midnight Sun
Zara Larsson
MNEK , Helena Gao , Margo XS
Song : Midnight Sun
Duration:1h07 Subtitles: English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, French
Description
Join MNEK, Helena Gao, and Margo XS at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles as they break down the making of “Midnight Sun” by Zara Larsson. Inspired by Jungle, Jersey club, trance, and classic pop, the track emerged as a sonic portrait of summertime, blending intricate vocal production, layered synths, and adventurous sound design into a vibrant electropop single.
Written collaboratively and developed entirely in the moment, “Midnight Sun” pulls influence from decades of electronic music history. The team breaks down their dense vocal arrangements and evolving drum and synth texture, all while keeping Zara’s voice firmly at the center of the record.
Along the way, they reveal the sound design techniques behind the track’s distinctive sound, including manipulated vocal textures, custom percussion, spectral processing, and unconventional sampling. The result is a production that feels expansive, euphoric, and unmistakably like summer.
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05 minInspiration, influences, songwriting
u-He Hive 2, Ableton OTT, ValhallaRoom, Ableton Live 12 -
06 minDrums, samples, influences, sound design
UAD Hitsville Reverb, UAD API 2500, ADSR Sounds RX950, Abletom Drum Bus, Ableton Bandpass Filter, Vital, Ableton Utility -
13 minSongwriting, sidechain compression, sound design, synthesizers, EQing, vocal production
Goodhertz Lossy, ADSR Sounds RX950 -
10 minWorking relationships, writing
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05 minVocal production, harmonies, synthesizers
Devious Machines Pitch Monster -
08 minVocal tracking, EQing, compression, automation, time-based effects
Neumann ?, Telefunken ELA M 251, Tube-Tech CL-1B, Neve 1073
Metric Halo ChannelStrip V4, FabFilter Pro-Q3, Lindell 902 De-Esser, Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B, UAD Teletronix LA-2A, Waves CLA Vocals, OTT, brainwork HG-2 Black Box, FabFilter Pro-C2, oeksound soothe2, Valhalla VintageVerb -
09 minProduction choices, mixing, dynamics, deadlines
Dada Life Endless Smile -
07 minSaturation, dynamics, percussion, sound design, layering, spectral processing, sampling
Devious Machines Infiltrator2, Xfer Serum, Goodhertz Lossy, Ableton Live 12, Unfiltered Audio SpecOps -
00 min
About MNEK
British-Nigerian singer, songwriter, and producer Uzoechi Osisioma Emenike, better known as MNEK, was born on November 9, 1994, in South London, England. His debut single, “If Truth Be Told,” was released in 2010 via the independent label Moshi Moshi. But MNEK first rose to prominence through his work behind the scenes, collaborating with some of the biggest names in pop, dance, and R&B. He contributed to hit records for artists including The Saturdays and Duke Dumont, before stepping into the spotlight...
About Helena Gao
Helena Gao is a Danish-Chinese singer, songwriter, and producer known mostly for her work with Swedish pop star Zara Larsson, as well as in the indie pop and alternative scenes, blending atmospheric acoustics with synthetic, experimental pop sounds. Based in Denmark, she often likes to explore Gen-Z themes with a mix of vulnerability and humor. Gao began playing piano at a young age, developing a love for jazz before discovering electronic production through Logic 9. Described as a mix of “unbothered...
About Margo XS
Margo XS has become one of the most intriguing forces in pop music. On both the dance floor and radio waves, Margo’s sweetly synthetic sound design and songwriting have turned the heads of fashion tastemakers, top 40 artists, and underground heads alike. From making history as the first trans producer to executive produce a major label release, to being handpicked by Demna to close out the afterparty for his final Balenciaga show, Margo imagines a boundary pushing sonic and social future for popular...
No resources available
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05 min
Inspiration, influences, songwriting
u-He Hive 2, Ableton OTT, ValhallaRoom, Ableton Live 12 -
06 min
Drums, samples, influences, sound design
UAD Hitsville Reverb, UAD API 2500, ADSR Sounds RX950, Abletom Drum Bus, Ableton Bandpass Filter, Vital, Ableton Utility -
13 min
Songwriting, sidechain compression, sound design, synthesizers, EQing, vocal production
Goodhertz Lossy, ADSR Sounds RX950 -
10 min
Working relationships, writing
-
05 min
Vocal production, harmonies, synthesizers
Devious Machines Pitch Monster -
08 min
Vocal tracking, EQing, compression, automation, time-based effects
Neumann ?, Telefunken ELA M 251, Tube-Tech CL-1B, Neve 1073
Metric Halo ChannelStrip V4, FabFilter Pro-Q3, Lindell 902 De-Esser, Softube Tube-Tech CL-1B, UAD Teletronix LA-2A, Waves CLA Vocals, OTT, brainwork HG-2 Black Box, FabFilter Pro-C2, oeksound soothe2, Valhalla VintageVerb -
09 min
Production choices, mixing, dynamics, deadlines
Dada Life Endless Smile -
07 min
Saturation, dynamics, percussion, sound design, layering, spectral processing, sampling
Devious Machines Infiltrator2, Xfer Serum, Goodhertz Lossy, Ableton Live 12, Unfiltered Audio SpecOps -
00 min