Following his collaborative EP with Sasha in 2023 and the recent launch of his ART CLUB label, Because of Art returns to Last Night On Earth with his first solo release for the imprint. Out now, “Queens Park / Work It” marks a new phase for the London-based artist, merging club-friendly melodies and peak time builds with low-end control that’s made for big systems.
That control comes down to more than just good production, and it’s his mastering workflow that makes the difference. For Because of Art, Ozone has become a go-to tool not for polishing in isolation, but for reacting quickly, identifying mix imbalances, and locking in a club-ready feel.
Whether it’s revealing overpushed elements or sweetening a finished idea with subtle saturation, Ozone acts like a second set of ears when fatigue starts to creep in.
In this interview, he breaks down his approach to mastering with Ozone, why he doesn’t chase perfection, and how he uses tools like Vintage Tape and the Imager module to sculpt for both headphones and sound systems.
Jump to these sections:
- Why Ozone is his first stop when checking a mix
- The role of low-end EQ and midrange control
- Mastering for clubs vs. casual listening
- How he uses Ozone creatively, not just for cleanup
- The balance between technical tweaks and emotional feel
Let’s get into it.
What do you think Ozone does better than other mastering plugins or chains you’ve used?
I think the speed in which Ozone can analyze your track with the Master Assistant and give you a great starting point for a master is something that sets itself apart. I find this very useful for getting a great starting point on my masters and gives me a quick idea of how the track will sound mastered.
Pro tip from Because of Art: The vintage compressor has a nice forward midrange preset that I like to use on my Reese bass. This helps the bass cut through the mix a bit more.
What parts of a track like “Queens Park” are the most sensitive to mastering tweaks –what do you need to be careful with?
The low end is something I am more careful with when mastering my records. I like my tracks to have a certain feel in the clubs, particularly on the low end, and small tweaks in the mastering chain can significantly alter how they sound and feel.
A lot of my tracks have quite a bit of stuff going on in the low mid range so trying to clean that without losing that low end power can be down to using more EQ points but with less gain cuts.
Pro tip from Because of Art: This vintage tape setting I saved adds some nice saturation to the drums. Not too much, but just enough.
How do you balance the needs of club systems and headphone listeners during mastering?
To be honest I master my tracks for the clubs first and foremost. I do reference all plays masters in the headphones and on a couple of speaker systems but the clubs are where I get the important feelings from. It has to sound great in the clubs first.
If the track sounded great in headphones but not as good in the clubs, I’d make some changes, whereas if it sounds great in the club but not as good in the headphones, I’m less inclined to change anything.
Pro tip from Because of Art: Sometimes I use the image from Ozone to add a little width to my drum bus. You have to be careful regarding the phase but it can add some nice space to the drums.
Has Ozone ever surprised you by revealing something you missed in the original mix?
Yeah I think Ozone is really good at pointing out areas that might need a touch of work in the mix.
I mix as I go when creating a record, so I can push sounds or areas a bit too much over the production time. When I run the master process, it can show me where I’ve tried something too much or not enough because I’ve listened to the track so many times. It’s like having a quick second pair of ears just to give you a little nudge on something.
Do you ever push Ozone creatively and use it for coloration or saturation, not just clean polish?
Yeah, sometimes I add the Vintage Tape after all the master work Ozone has done, just to give it a little bit of color and vibe back.
It doesn’t always need it, but it’s really useful to have in the master suite for when it does. I really like the way it can make the low end sound a bit fatter and add a touch more weight.
Has working with a tool like Ozone made you think differently about how you mix in the first place?
Working with Ozone, it hasn’t really changed the way I think about mixing. I change my mixing techniques per track so that’s always different anyway.
I mainly use it for a quick second pair of ears and for a good club master before I run out my tracks in the clubs. It’s really useful for pointing out areas that could need work in the mix but sometimes I leave it as it can’t feel the emotion in a record that you get from not having it sonically perfect.
Start using Ozone to help you create professional tracks
Thanks to Because of Art for giving us a clear look into his Ozone workflow. His approach is fast, focused, and tuned for emotional impact in the club. It’s not about chasing pristine mixes. Instead, it’s about building tracks that hit right on a dancefloor, while still holding their own in headphones.
Tools like Ozone give him the ability to zoom out quickly and course-correct when needed. But it’s the balance of technical instinct and creative restraint that brings it all together. That’s what makes these new tracks on Last Night On Earth feel so dialed in.
The post Why Ozone is Because of Art’s second pair of ears first appeared on Native Instruments Blog.
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