After over a decade in the studio, my taste in music has evolved from big room EDM to something deeper—I’m all about texture, soul, and heart in a record. That’s why artists like Four Tet and Jon Hopkins are on constant rotation for me. So when I meet a producer who shares those influences, I know I’m in for something special.

Enter Frank Hopkins. This Brighton-born producer recently dropped “Echoes of Tomorrow,” and it’s everything I look for in a track. It’s textured, it’s got heart, and it’s already making waves. You can hear the influences of Aphex Twin, Four Tet, and Jon Hopkins all over it, mixed with the gritty vibes of London and Brighton.

We couldn’t pass up the chance to dig into how he made it. In this session, Frank’s breaking down the plugins, the gear, and the tricks he used to build such a rich, layered sound. But before we get into that, give “Echoes of Tomorrow” a few spins. Let it soak in—because what Frank’s about to share is the secret sauce behind one of the freshest tracks out there right now.

The rest of the words are from Frank Hopkins, who was kind enough to drop some knowledge on his creative process.

When I sat down to work on Echoes of Tomorrow, the title track from my latest EP on Blank Dust, I knew I wanted to create something that felt immersive—something that pulls the listener in with its textures and subtle shifts in tension. It’s always such a fine balancing act with “dance” music because often there is an inverse relationship between adding copious layers and textures and still have what is principally music for people to move to. A lot of this balance down to the tools I use, and for this track, I leaned heavily on a few key VSTs and plugins that have become staples in my workflow. Here’s a closer look at how it all came together.

So, let’s dive into the studio and break down how this track was made, piece by piece.

DRC Synth by Imaginando

I’ve always been drawn to the warmth and versatility of analog-modeled synths, and the DRC Synth by Imaginando is a staple in my toolkit. This is important for me as I still consider myself a “laptop” artist and have yet to fully delve into hardware synths (something I am looking to change). For Echoes, the DRC was the backbone of the main melodic elements. It’s one of those synths that I keep coming back to, no matter how many new plugins I try. There’s something about its sound that just feels right—like it was made to fit seamlessly into the kind of emotional, melodic music I’m drawn to create.

For this track, I used the DRC to craft the central melodic lines. The way it handles modulation and its rich, analog-style warmth were perfect for the vibe I wanted. The sounds you hear in Echoes might seem simple on the surface, but they’re full of subtle nuances—tiny modulations and shifts that keep things interesting. That’s what the DRC is so good at. It’s like an old friend that knows exactly what I need without me having to ask.

Portal by Output

Once I had the basic synth lines down, I knew I wanted to push them further—make them feel more ethereal, more otherworldly, and less like a repeating MIDI-line. That’s where Portal by Output came in. Portal is a granular synthesis plugin that’s basically a magic box for taking something familiar and making it feel completely new.

I resampled the synth lines I created with DRC, ran them through Portal, and suddenly, these lines had a whole new life. The pitch-shifting in Portal added this sparkling, twinkly quality that really brought out the high-end in the track. It’s like adding a layer of stardust on top of everything, doing these modulations and FX in real time and recording the taxes, makes it seem like Echoes is being performed live – which adds to the tension. Every time I use Portal, it feels like I’m finding new ways to surprise myself—and that’s the kind of inspiration I live for.

Arturia Efx Fragments

After Portal worked its magic, I wanted to introduce some rhythmic complexity to the track. Enter Arturia Efx Fragments. This plugin is all about granular effects—chopping up audio and rearranging it in ways that feel both chaotic and controlled.

For Echoes, I used Efx Fragments to slice up the resampled synth lines. The result was these syncopated, almost trance-like elements that sit just beneath the main melody. It’s like the sound is being pulled apart and then stitched back together, but in a way that feels natural, not forced. This kind of effect gives the track a sense of movement, of progression, without taking away from the core melody. It’s subtle, but it makes all the difference in keeping the listener engaged. When you start to add all of these Fx together in a chain, it feels like a guitar Fx rig, which as a devoted “band” lover is something I love. It reminds me of Vessels or 65 Days of Static.

Spitfire Abbey Road Strings

Strings are always a big part of my compositions, and for Echoes, I turned to Spitfire’s Abbey Road Strings. There’s a certain gravitas these strings bring—especially when you focus on the low end, like I did for this track. I wanted to create a sense of tension, of something building just below the surface, and these strings were perfect for that.

I started with deep, resonant string parts and then resampled them into audio. From there, I ran the audio through a pitch shifter, gradually raising it by a full octave over several bars. It’s a technique that flips the usual script—where Christopher Nolan might shift things down to create dread, I shifted up to build suspense, to hint at a resolution that’s just out of reach. It’s like you can feel the track reaching for something, and that rising pitch makes you lean in, waiting for the moment it all comes together.

Thermal by Output

To add an extra layer of texture, I turned to Thermal by Output—a plugin that’s become my go-to for distortion. Thermal isn’t just about making things louder or more aggressive; it’s about adding character, about pushing sounds into new territories.

For Echoes, I used Thermal to introduce a screechy, distorted layer that slowly builds in the background. This distortion is subtle at first, but as the track progresses, it grows, adding to that “wall of noise” effect I aim for in my climaxes. It’s all about creating tension, making the listener feel like they’re on the edge of something massive—and then delivering on that promise; which feeds back into my early analogy about guitar Fx, they feel manual and deliberate, rather than digital artefacts.

TrackSpacer by Wavesfactory

Finally, to ensure everything sat right in the mix, I used TrackSpacer by Wavesfactory. This plugin is like a secret weapon for keeping things clean and punchy, especially when you’re dealing with complex layers of sound and balancing these with the drums, which ultimately make Echoes a dance number. 

I used TrackSpacer to sidechain the low end of the melodic components, making sure they didn’t clash with the drums, which are often pretty punchy in my tracks. It’s a simple trick, but it makes a world of difference in how the track feels—everything has its place, and nothing gets lost in the mix.

And there you have it, Echoes of Tomorrow in a nutshell. This track is a journey, one that takes you through layers of sound and emotion, all built on the foundation of these incredible tools. Every plugin, every effect played a part in shaping the final sound, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I hope this breakdown gives you a bit of insight into my process and maybe even sparks some inspiration for your own music.

The post How It Was Made: Frank Hopkins – Echoes of Tomorrow (Blank Dust) appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.