Tim Walche: A Bigger Sacrifice

Coming in hot via ICONYC, Tim Walche’s Sacrifice EP promises to be one of the most resounding works from the Kyiv-based producer and mix engineer, who already holds a distinct place in the catalogs of renowned brands, including ATLANT and This Never Happened.

Making the impossible to thrive in Ukraine’s current hostile landscape, the studio savant returns with an unadulterated fix of the finest electronic music, providing a colorful insight into the inner workings of a bold producer on the rise. Uncompromising, Tim Walche’s vision and design go past the traditional confines of the dancefloor in search of lasting thrills, and his sacrifice surely won’t go unnoticed.

Type < / 01 Magazine sat down with Tim Walch to dig deeper into the release of his new EP, his inspirations, workflow, collaborative process, lessons learned, and more.

Hey Tim! How are you doing? How have you been? Thank you for joining us today.

Hello guys! I appreciate being here. Thank you for having me. All good, especially with the drop of my new Sacrifice EP just around the corner.

Speaking about that, congratulations on the release of your ICONYC EP, Sacrifice. We can imagine the excitement must be high! So, how are you feeling about this one?

I have been waiting for this release for about two years, to be honest. I made about two or three versions of this song before it turned into what it is now. So yeah, I'm really excited and happy.

Speaking about the record, Sacrifice features two wildly different cuts. Was that your idea from the go, to showcase a broad palette to your sound?

I love blending different moods and tones, mixing emotions as if I have a palette in my hands, like a painter. This is the general signature of the Tim Walche project, where each of my songs and releases are not similar in style to one another or to other artists.

“Sacrifice”, as the name implies, seems to stem from a highly personal place. Is there an emotional trigger here? What was the creative collaborative process with Safe Travel like?

In a way, this is more of a question for the vocalist, because I gave him the freedom to write about his emotions, what he feels at the moment, and how he perceives this track. We have a very friendly relationship. We've never met in person, but we communicate remotely. I hope one day we'll work together in a studio on a release, but that’s something we’ll plan for later.

And on the flip side, we’ve got “Hidden Palace”, which is a very unique piece. It really feels out there. What’s the angle to “Hidden Palace”? Have you ever done something like this before?

As I mentioned earlier, each of my works must be unique. This is the philosophy of my project. I experimented with techno grooves and house synths, and I accidentally came across a really cool sample on Splice, which completed the whole composition and entered the track almost unchanged.

Since we’re in the studio…You were a mixing and mastering engineer for a really long time before you had your “official” debut, right? Had you made music during that period as well? Was there something preventing you from taking that jump?

Actually, I’ve always made music, but I was heavily involved in ghost production, gaining experience to launch my own project. I wanted to start at a high level, at the level of those tracks I worked on as a mixing engineer for my clients.

And, are you making the music that you thought you’d be making when you first started? If not, what do you think of the voice you have found as an artist?

I started making music more than 10 years ago. It was melodic techno and progressive trance, so I haven't strayed far from the genres I began with. At the same time, I produced tracks in any genre for my clients, from pop music to all kinds of electronic genres.

So, what are some of the most important lessons that you learned from that particular period, having collaborated with notable industry names?

Work every day. Never stop learning.

Finally, having gone over the recent past and the present, what’s next for Tim Walche? What new milestones are you looking forward to?

Probably the biggest achievement I’d like to reach right now is the opportunity to collaborate with one or several artists who have inspired me throughout my life.

Thank you for your time, Tim! Best of luck with Sacrifice. Catch you soon!

See you around, guys. This was a great time. Thank you.

Tim Walche’s new Sacrifice EP is out now via ICONYC. Find your copy here.