Harry Oliver is a London-based DJ and producer whose house-focused sound is shaped by groove, rhythm, and atmosphere.
Photo credit: Harry Oliver – Official
Over the past seven years, Harry Oliver has developed his approach behind the decks and in the studio, drawing inspiration from artists including Josh Baker, Max Dean, and Franky Rizardo. His productions have received support from Omar+ and Mad.Again, while his production-focused content and tutorials have also become part of his work around music.
His latest track, ‘Like The Bass’, was released via We Are Active on October 2, 2026, following his ‘This Feeling’ EP.
To mark the release, Harry Oliver shares five studio tips covering starting ideas, groove, arrangement, sound selection, and knowing when to step away from a project.
1. Start with a feeling, not a finished idea.
I think one of the most important things is not putting too much pressure on yourself to make a finished track straight away. Sometimes I’ll start with a drum groove, a bassline, or even just a sound I really like, and see where it takes me. If something makes me want to keep listening to it, that’s usually a good sign. I try to follow that feeling rather than forcing the track in a particular direction too early. Some of my favourite ideas have come from just experimenting without really knowing what I’m trying to make.
2. Get the groove right first.
For me, the groove is everything in house music. You can have great sounds and a really strong melody, but if the drums don’t feel right, the track isn’t going to work how I want it to. I tend to spend quite a lot of time finding the main drum sounds such as kick, claps, and open hats, then I will add loops on top of that to fill it out.
3. Don’t get too attached to your loops.
It’s really easy to spend hours making an eight-bar loop sound amazing, but turning that into a full track is a different process. I try to think about the arrangement fairly early on, even if it’s just putting down a rough structure to work towards. It helps me understand what the track needs and stops me endlessly adding little details to the same section. Sometimes removing elements is just as important as adding them. If the core idea is strong, you don’t need to fill every space.
4. Find your sound, then make it your own.
I use FL Studio for my productions, and one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t always need the most complicated sounds or plugins to get a good result. I like experimenting with different sounds and seeing how they work together, particularly when building the groove or finding a melody that gives the track its own identity. Sometimes a small adjustment or an unexpected combination can completely change an idea. I think it’s easy to get caught up in searching for the perfect sound, but often it’s more about how you use what you already have.
5. Take a step back and listen with fresh ears.
One thing I’ve learned is that you can spend too long listening to the same track and lose perspective on it. I try to take breaks and come back to a project later, sometimes the next day, so I can hear it more objectively. Things that seemed important when I was making it might not feel necessary anymore, and sometimes the answer is simply to take something out. I also think it’s important to know when to stop. There’s always something you could tweak, but at some point you have to trust the idea and let the track be what it is.
Harry Oliver’s ‘Like The Bass’ is out now via We Are Active. Stream and download here.
Follow Harry Oliver: Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram