INSIDE THE PRODUCTION

Sandra Collins and Scott Dixon — a shared musical language

Based on Scott Dixon’s firsthand account.

Across Tranceport.3, Cream and Perfecto Presents: Sandra Collins, Scott Dixon and Sandra Collins worked to carry the character of her DJ sets into a recorded listening experience. Sandra’s musical identity guided the albums, and Scott was the producer she trusted to help realize it. They brought distinct responsibilities to an equal creative collaboration, grounded in a musical understanding that often needed little explanation.

Decisions emerged as they worked: finding music, trying ideas, editing and listening together. When something connected, they developed it. Sandra gave Scott room to make creative decisions on her behalf, trusting his understanding of what she wanted to convey. They approached the length of a CD as time they could shape together, showcasing each artist’s music while creating a continuous experience listeners could inhabit.

Scott wrote Cosmic Fugue and Spectacle specifically for the Perfecto project. Both served particular purposes in Sandra’s sets. Cosmic Fugue bridged the opening build and the main body of a set, helping connect the different genres she brought together. Spectacle expressed the melodic euphoria she developed toward the end: expansive chord progressions, a gated vocal and a big kick drum that brought those elements together.

The production work extended throughout the mixes. Scott recalls editing every track across both Perfecto CDs, adding loops, reshaping sections and adapting each recording to its place in the whole. Each track called for its own treatment. The same approach ran through Tranceport.3 and Cream, pursued as far as their tools allowed while preserving the character of the original music.