How It Was Made: Ben A & Chic Hooligan – “La Mezcalina”
When I listen to La Mezcalina, what stands out isn’t just the groove, it’s the clarity of intention behind it. So when Ben A sent over his breakdown of the session, it didn’t read like a technical flex, it read like a philosophy. This record wasn’t built around what’s trending, and it wasn’t assembled in a rush. It came from revisiting the Riviera Maya influence that shaped him early on, thinking about Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and the energy of BPM Festival in its prime, then translating that feeling into something current without losing the roots.
Diva became the backbone of the session, and that choice says a lot. Ben has been using it for years, and instead of skimming presets and moving on, he went deep. He pulled MIDI from the piano progression, layered strings and cellos underneath to add warmth and dimension, and focused on complementing the melody rather than overpowering it. That restraint is what gives the track its cohesion, and it’s also a reminder that dialing in tone takes time. He’s clear about that in the breakdown. Don’t rush it. Sit with the sound. Shape it until it carries the character you’re actually looking for.
From there, the mix became about discipline. No shortcuts, no chasing AI-driven trends, no forcing a moment. Just patience, consistency, and the belief that if you put in the hours and build your own identity, the records will speak for themselves.
Diva
During the process of exploring different genres and sounds we wanted to use for this project we had to tap into our go-to plug in Diva.
The sounds and versatility of this synth are basically endless with the features from the factory and options to tweak every layer upon layer in your project. We took the midi notes from the piano tracks used in the session and ran a few different layers with strings, and cellos to warm up the under layer of warmth to compliment the piano but not overtake the melody simply to add and complement each other.
This is a freedom of choice and direction you can take with the Diva, it’s a well-engineered plug in and powerful in all genres when explored and tested in your projects. We have been using the Diva for decades now and it’s a lot to take in at first but the options are endless. One recommendation is to never rush your session with this portion of your project making sure you have dialed in the sound you have searched for with that flavor only the Diva can bring.
Pro Q 4
We used the factory EQ in Logic Pro X and other Fab-Filter EQ ‘s such as the Pro Q 4 EQ.
With our mixdown the main focus is to spend hours and days making sure the frequencies within your session are not fighting or working against each other and this all comes back to the rules of engineering and mixdown principles,
The most important part of the mixdown process by far is the EQ’ portion, again working the drums within the session with each other complimenting each other’s sound and frequency. The steps are basic when working your mix into sections making sure the drums or hi hats or top sections with each other then glueing them together within the session. When using a EQ trust your ears and not your eyes in the session this will always help with the finalized sound and mix.
LFO Tool
LFO Tool from Xfer Records -Plugin for Sidechain has to be and oldie but a goodie in our book.
This plugin we use mostly for our base line and to duck the kick with other drums fighting some of the low end frequencies. We have used this plug in on different tracks as well in previous release with sidechaining the hi-hats to come in and out of breakdowns with delays to give it a different feel then just making room for the sound.
When exploring in the sound design stage of your project you should most definitely try this on a few different mid tear sounds to give it swing or a pumping feel within the session. Do not sleep on the factory setting s well with this tool , as they all have different end results and its way to again make your textures rise with swing.
Quick Fire Hot Takes On Making Music
#1
When we started La Mezcalina we had the inspiration of the Riviera Maya in our minds with the sounds of Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. When we sat down and cross referenced sounds and ideas to capture we talked about when BPM Festival was in swing in the early 90’s and both agreed it was the vibe we were chasing.
#2
With the Artificial Intelligence movement recently into music production we agreed we wanted to go back to our roots of production and not chasing the “what’s In” sound . This takes us back to the organic tribal roots we grew up on with tribalism releases back in the early 90’s.
#3
Creating your sound has always been on the forefront with all of our projects and staying focused on your inspiration and capturing the elements you want to be known for in your releases is key. This takes years of sessions and releases to acquire that sound that you can stand on with your name and releases.
#4
No shortcuts in the process. We have taken the stand of taking our time and if the project takes months so be it, but again there is no application that we feel can duplicate or regenerate our feel and warmth of our production.
#5
Stand On Business. Music is a passion and love that can’t be purchased or faked on any level in the studio. Turning dreams into reality with getting signed to major labels should be a goal for most striving producers in the electronic music industry , and it all starts with vision and drive. If you work everyday on just one element of production to master your craft you will strive in this industry and the amazing thing about all of it is –“that’s a choice” you just have to make.
