Hydrosonics: Phoenix of The Soundkillers

While some may not be familiar with Phoenix you def know about his work if you’re a Curtis Jackson fan. He obtained his first big placement last year producing 50′s “Flight 187” and has jumped off this year with the posse cut “Home Team“. Now Phoenix prepares us for what else he’s got in store this year.

NF: Your first release of the new yr was a big one (Home Team features Wes Fif, Big K.R.I.T. Cyhi Da Prynce and The Dreamer) and it’s the lead track from your upcoming project “Tomorrow Today”. Can you provide more details on the project such as the meaning behind the title, other featured artists, and over all what we should expect with your first released compilation?

Phoenix: Something I always hear is “your music doesn’t sound like anything out.” So many people, both artists and producers seem to be content with just fitting in. My goal is always to stand out. While everyone is trying to copy what worked yesterday I’m trying to bring the music of Tomorrow to Today. So far I have a dope line up of up and coming artists who share that same mentality like Muffy , Ghostwidah, Pbze, Lil Friday plus signed acts like Bad Boy’s Jeremy Greene.

NF: I understand you have an instrumental project set to release this week titled “Heart” but its not the a-typical instrumental ep, how would you describe it?

Phoenix: Heart is a 100% expression. It’s me doing what I want with no filter.

NF: So what made you choose to create an ep that’s more musical expression than anything else?

Phoenix: Before I got started with Tomorrow Today and linked with those artist trying to stand out, I kept running into the same problem. I got tired of hearing “hey can you you make me a beat that sounds like *fill in the blank*”. Even worse was when I was told “man this is amazing but it doesn’t sound like anything out”, I’m like yea that’s the point. I decided to cut the middle man out and let my fans hear my art.

NF: Why not just release an ep of beats artists can rap to, wouldn’t that in theory have more reach or more impact?

Phoenix: Heart is more than just rap beats, if you’re a dope artist who doesn’t want to get on BMF part 12 then this is for you. The music stands on its own though and you can vibe out without that aid. I can’t tell you about theory though . I can only put out dope music I love and hope my fans agree.

NF: You were a solo producer before joining The Soundkillers, talk about the creative differences between being on your own and part of a team.

Phoenix: Our writer Dion Primo was just going in and wrote about 20 amazing songs in a week, no fillers. That got another dope writer/producer Shamtrax on his grind & he made some crazy records for his e.p (love + time= lessons) . Now I was working on a track when I heard those records but had to stop. I deleted everything I was working on and went back in. A good team will always remind you where the bar is and where it should be. Its easy to get comfortable where you are musically as a solo producer. Everybody on the team is pushing the envelope and putting out quality music consistently. When you see its a Soundkillers production you know what it is.

NF: What about business wise, how have things changed for you?

Phoenix: The networking is also a lot easier now, we all bring our relationships & contacts to the table and pool them together. Even if your the creative part of a team you always have to keep your business hat on. With that being said it’s great to have people around you with your best interest at heart , working as hard for the team as they do themselves . If one person on that team wins then our stock rises and we all win.

NF: I understand that “Flight 187″ was released prior to being the i-tunes bonus track, whats the story behind that?

Phoenix: I Almost had a heart attack. A few months prior to the leak I get a call from my manager saying 50 wanted that beat. That was something I worked on specifically for 50 back when he was working on “Curtis” so to get a chance to see my vision come together was amazing. About 4 months after that call I get an email from my manager saying check out ThisIs50. I don’t where the miscommunication happened but I log on and see a Tony YaYo video with the same beat. Not only was it just a mixtape track but the mix wasn’t right which is my number 1 pet peeve as a producer. I was angry the track leaked at first but I’ve dealt with this before and it’s something I’ve learned that you have to accept as part of of the game . I stayed positive because at the end of the day its still a look with a major artist . Luckily 50 still had a dope song he wanted the world to hear. I’m blessed he didn’t just scrap the record.

NF: What was your first reaction when you heard Royce had laid something down to your beat?

Phoenix: Mama I made it! I’ve been a huge Royce fan since Stretch Armstrong and Future Flavas was running Hot97. The gratification you feel from just getting a check for a beat can never compare to having someone that you’re truly a fan of show appreciation for your art.

NF: So we have “Heart” and “Tomorrow Today” scheduled for release, anything else that your a part of slated to come out this yr?

Phoenix: Definitely. Next up is Wes Fif’s “Golden Nights” e.p dropping in March. I’m going show the world its deeper than trap with Fif. We have Dion Primo’s project “H.O.M.E” coming soon. You can look out for the entire Soundkillers behind Jovi Rockwells e.p also this summer. In the meantime just Stay tuned to www.thesoundkillers.com/blog and we’ll keep blessing y’all with dope music.

NF: Any placements that have yet to be released?

Phoenix: I have a lot great things in motion with some big artists but I’ll leave it at that for now. I’ve learned It’s not placement until that checks clears. I’m not waiting for those placements to put out great music anymore though.

For more music from Phoenix and the rest of The Soundkillers you can visit the blog portion of their site here.

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Hydrosonics: Brainiac Beats

The producer game is so over saturated, they’re the new rapper in that sense. A lot has to do with the growth in techonology it’s because of these advances that anyone with a fast moden and some hard drive space can download the latest software and front like they’re Dre, or Just, or Ye. When you speak with producers, established and up & coming they all share one thing in common, the lack of opportunity and difficulty they find in obtaining placements. Now imagine being 5,014 miles apart from where the music industry lives, breathes, creates. That’s the challenge Brainiac Beats aka El Cerebo is faced with and he’s not backing down!

NodFactor: Give people a little background info on yourself and what you’ve accomplished to date.

Brainiac Beats: My name is Brainiac Beats, better known as El Cerebro in the Spanish scene. I’ve been DJing since ’97 & producing since ’98. I got signed with my group Rhajha (2003-2007) by a big label in Barcelona releasing a single & an album. I then created my own indie record label called Gris Materia, with which I officially released 2 CDs + 6 vinyls. The most important album that I released was “Simbiosis”, which was the first & is still the only one in the worldwide Spanish hip hop scene that combines an international artist and a Spanish one in each track. There were more than 30 artists supporting this big album: Emilio Rojas, Cesar Comanche, Freestyle (ex-Arsonists), El Gant, Verbal Kent, Euphrates or Qwel to name a few. I’ve been DJing all around Spain sharing the stage with the likes of Wu Tang, Redman, Nas, Xzibit, DITC, Guru, the list goes on. I also represented Spain DJing at international events such as “WELCOME: MADRID!” in Sweden (2006). I’ve also produced tracks for artists like AG (DITC), Noah Jones, Nikal Fieldz, St.Laz, Rickie Jacobs or D.Julien to name a few.

NF: How did you first get involved in producing?

BB: I always loved to loop samples on tape since I was a kid…plus I took piano lessons for a couple of years. It was after buying my first computer in 1998 when I started learning how to produce on Fast Tracker, then moved to Acid, then MPC+Cubase and so on…



NF: There’s not a lot of producers coming from Spain, Cookin Soul are the one’s that make the most noise. Have you ever worked with them or do you view them as your direct competition?

BB: There are a lot of Spanish talented producers but Cookin Soul are def the ones doing the most noise out there. We’ve never worked together but who knows in the future? We respect each other’s work and I think we are working in the same direction representing Spain worldwide. Any talented producer grinding hard is a form of healthy competition that motivates me!



NF: What obstacles do you face when trying to build your brand in the US?

BB: Well obviously the distance is a handicap to create and develop relationships but nowadays with internet it’s a lot easier to communicate. For example some major label execs found my work online and we started developing a business relationship from there. But anyways it’s always better to be present there so maybe in the future I’ll move to the US. 



NF: What about working with US artists, have you found that they are open to your style and sound?


BB: Yeah, most of them are pretty open to work as long as the music is hot. Sometimes I think that some of my music is too risky or innovative for certain artists but submitting it here and there I usually find the right artist to rock on it.


NF: How does your sound differ from US based producers?

BB: I’m not the one that should define that, plus there are a lot of different kind of sounds on US based producers. Maybe I’m less influenced by radio and media. My motto is “More style (that endures), less trendiness (that is here today, and gone tomorrow)”.



NF: You attended the Dynamic Producer conference this summer and competed in the “My Beats Are The Illest” Beat Battle, winning the competition. What was that experience like?

BB: It was great because it was totally unexpected! Jaay Peso from Dynamic Producer can tell you how surprised I was. When he told me I was selected to battle the next day I was like…Oh! Really?! lol. I met a bunch of good people from the industry and it was really nice that my sound was so welcomed from so many experienced ears in this business. You got people like Roccett (CTE/Young Jeezy), Keith “Clizark” Clark (12x Multiplatinum producer for Snoop Dogg, Outlawz, …), Rob Knox (Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, …) or J Doe (songwriter for Danity Kane, Busta Rhymes, …) enjoying my music so that’s a big blessing.


NF: What did you take away from the Dynamic conference?


BB: Experiences that taught me a lot. Good relationships with fellow producers, songwriters, A&Rs, managers, attorneys, music supervisors and consultants. It’s a huge constant knowledge exchange, that helps to learn fast and save time.


NF: Would you reccommend the event to other upcoming producers?

BB: Definitely! If you are serious about your business you should invest in yourself.



NF: How did it differ from other workshops and conferences that you have attended?

BB: It was my first conference so I can’t compare. In Spain these kind of events don’t exist yet.
I’ve been to a workshop in Berlin (Germany) some years ago but it was more like a cultural hip hop exchange, much more relaxed and less intense.



NF: What were your thoughts on the other participants who took part in the showcase you won?

BB: There was a lot of talent there man! I was overwhelmed competing with them and I never expected to win. Actually the final was pretty tight with Dawty Music Group, a group of 3 producers that won the last DP Beat Battle in NYC.

NF: 

Are there any other producers from your region that we should check for?


BB: Sure! You should check for Griffi, Jefe de la M, Big Hozone, Lex Luthorz, Torrico, Sendy, Slash Major and the list goes on and on man! Spain has some serious talent!

NF: What are some of the tracks and/or projects you have lined up?


BB: As for upcoming production I got a track from West Turf featuring Snoop Dogg where I invited Inspectah Deck to do a verse, so that’s the first time they’ll be on a track together. For the end of the year I’ll bring THE LUNCHBOX DVD, a remix dvd fully produced by me with DJ Woogie (from SOD Money Gang, Soulja Boy’s label) backing the project.



NF: Any last words for our readers?

BB: Thanks a lot for reading this interview!
You can check me out at www.brainiacbeats.com and follow me @BrainiacBeats.

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Hydrosonics: Aliby

Canada, specifically Toronto has been on a tear in the music industry over the last couple of years. With the emergence of mega stars Drake and Justin Bieber our northern neighbors have staked a claim on the music industry but it doesn’t stop there. The less publicized part of their success stems from the crafters of the songs the nation plays. There’s August Rigo credited with writing Justin Bieber’s “U Smile”, there’s Boi 1da producer behind Drake and Eminem’s lead singles, and there’s 40 the in house producer for Drake, the one who has had as big of a role as anyone else in cultivating his patented sound. Well allow Nodfactor to bring you the next producer from T-Dot that will be taking the industry by storm, everyone meet Aliby.

Nodfactor: First off lets introduce you to the people and let them know what you’ve worked on to date

Aliby: Well I go by Aliby, right now I’m working with Sean Garrett, Jahvon who’s signed to Beluga Heights, Belly, I did a beat and hook for Nipsey’s new album besides that I’m just shopping records and trying to make good music

Nodfactor: How did the Sean Garrett link come about?

Aliby: My manager T. Slack he lined me up with Garrett, said to send him some music and that he was lookin for bangers. He got back to me told me the tracks were cool and I made it a personal goal to build up that contact and just constantly hit him up letting him know if he needed something, whatever he needed I’d send it to him. So about after 3-4 months of building he hit me asking for tracks and I sent him a batch of beats and from there he flew me down to New York and we got in the studio and just started working.

Nodfactor: What’s the studio experience been like?

Aliby: Positive. The energy him and his team have is crazy! Like the second you play a beat Sean just goes nuts, it’s like some Jay-Z shit cause one minute he’s sitting there quietly and the next minute a beat comes on and he’s standing up singing the song, like he’s freestyling it. It really has been an insane learning experience.

Nodfactor: What’s your relationship with Jahvon?

Aliby: I started with Jahvon by doing a single for him called “Hypebeast”. It’s funny cause it broke on to radio in Toronto and we got a lot of mixshow and mixtape love, it was playing in Belgium and across Europe. I’d even walk into a clothing store in Toronto and I’d be hearing the beat for “Hypebeast” mashed up with Jackson 5.

Nodfactor: So it was really organic how it took off

Aliby: Yeah and it’s crazy cause we just put it out as kind of an internet buzz single, I mean there’s no hook, its under 3 minutes, it’s completely anti radio format, I can’t even believe it did what it did. From there he started working with Boi 1da and then he got signed to Beluga and it’s just been hands on trying to put the right records together so we can put out his mixtape “The Look Book”.

Nodfactor: Are you doing most of the production?

Aliby: Na. Jr Rotem, myself, and Arthur McArthur are the main producers on it. It’s an insane situation, I just wanna be in the studio ya know, having Jr Rotem around and Zack Katz they’ve been giving me a lot of feedback a lot of guidance on my sound and where I should take the direction of a record. It’s just been a crazy learning experience with them as well.

Nodfactor: It’s really been a whirl wind of success for you. Your introduction to the industry has been kind of brief, things have happened really fast.

Aliby: Yea since March, that’s when I signed with my manager T. Slack of Bigger Picture Entertainment. I don’t even know where the time went, I look back now and think of when I signed with T. Slack my folder was at like 40-50 tops 60 beats now I’ve got a folder with 400 beats in it, it’s crazy.

Nodactor: So how did you meet T. Slack?

Aliby: I just met him on twitter. I saw him tweet something I worked on so I just hit him up like yo I produced that I’d love to get some music to you. So I sent him a package of like 40 beats and he hit me back like saying that the music was crazy and he wanted to sign me. He really believes in my craft and what I have to offer.

Nodfactor: Let’s talk about your sound. Beyond the usual names like Dre or Kanye who are some of the muscial acts that influence your style?

Aliby: I listen to everything. I always loved Motown, old soul music, Willie Hutch is like my favorite singer from that era. Nirvana was a big influence for me, that whole Seattle grunge scene is a big influence for the rock records that I do. I know you don’t wanna hear the top ones but Just Blaze, you listen to the records he did on the Blueprint, when that came out it was just a turning point for me and music. Even to this day when I sample there’s a bit of that kind of vibe, that energy in a fresh kind of new medium.

Nodfactor: Speaking of sampling there’s been a lot of controversy this year over the Haddaway sample Just used on Em’s “No Love” record. A lot of people criticized him for it, they argue that sampling should be done in the more traditional sense, say like RZA where you take an obscure sample and tune it to the point where no one can regonize it. I personally feel different I like when producers take a recognizeable sample and just freak it, so what are your thoughts or you have a preferred method?

Aliby: To me if you segregate and divide how your going to be creative, your not really being creative. There should be no boundaries. Sample how you want.

Nodfactor: You have your own company that you’re currently building, Aliby Music Entertainment, are you currently looking for any writers/artists/producers?

Aliby: Yea I’m always interested in new talent, networking with new producers. You can never have enough song writers, unless every song on the radio is yours you’re never going to have enough song writers.

Nodfactor: What would be the easiest way for people to get in touch with you?

Aliby: Just hit me up at [email protected]. Send beats, send songs, whatever, I’m always down to work. Also if you want to reach out you can hit me on twitter @alibeezay.

Nodfactor: What advice would you give to up coming producers?

Aliby: Work hard and never send out music that’s a maybe. Make sure before you press the send button that the quality isn’t 99%. For me in the past 6 months I had to change my mind frame, now everything has to be perfect before it goes. You gotta give it everything, go in. I barely sleep, I’m in the studio all day I’m in the studio all night if I’m not at mine I’m at another studio and if I’m not there I’m traveling to work with artists.

Nodfactor: Anything else you would like to add?

Aliby: The way the industry is if you really really want it you have to devote your entire life. I’m just lucky I have family and friends that understand that.

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Little Brother F/ Chaundon “So Cold”

Next track from “Left Back” produced by Hydrosonics alumnus King Karnov!

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Hydrosonics-Rough Draft

NAME: Rough D.R.A.F.T

From: Cleveland, OH (now in Arizona)

Contact: Myspace

Nodfactor.com:So why the name Rough Draft?

Rough Draft: I used to be a graf artist in high school. My tag was KAOS back then. One day I was sitting in English class and had the most boring teacher ever, man. So we had to do a book report and she kept talking about the importance of the Rough Draft. I started tagging it and it looked good on paper so I changed my name. Today, I spell it Rough D.r.a.f.t.: Draft=Distorted.Reverberated.Amplified.Filtered.Thumpin’ .A lot of people have my name so I had to make it slightly different.

Nodfactor.com I like the “Watching Her Strut” beat on your Myspace page. How much of that is sampled and how much is played? if any?

Rough Draft

All of it is played.

Nodfactor.com

Nice. with?

Rough Draft

REASON and my laptop. No Midi controller, just the mouse pad. I input everything note for note.

Nodfactor.com

When did you first start producing and did you have any mentors?

Rough Draft

I first started making beats in ’93. I had a few mentors in the city. Jazmarc, Robbie Mann and Moe Tex. All those guys used the SP1200 and taught me. I bought my own SP in 1994. I consider those guys Cleveland legends to this day.

Nodfactor.com

I’ve read a lot of different stories about learning the SP. Some people actually read the manual, others were coached and some just jumped in blind. What did you do?

Rough Draft

I literally stayed up for 24 hours straight. When I bought my SP all I had was a ton of disks from my guys and a pair of headphones. That’s it. Jazmarc jokes about that even now. I was a fiend, man.

Nodfactor.com

Before you became a teen…93 seems like a million years ago now. What were your next moves after learning the SP?

Rough Draft

After I learned the SP, I bought the Ensoniq ASR-10 and MIDI’d them together. I used to do my filtered samples and basslines in the ASR, and had the drums thumpin’ out the SP. I put out an underground demo named “Uptight City” in ’94. People still talk about that demo today. I was doing a lot of performing and battling back then and earned my rep that way.

Nodfactor.com

Battling as an MC and as producer or just production?

Rough Draft

Was also doing a lot of production for local artists out of the small studio I had in East Cleveland. I do both, so I was getting at dudes on the mic and on the beats.

Nodfactor.com

When did you move to NYC?

Rough Draft

July of 2001.

Nodfactor.com

Was that a productive move for you? Music wise?

Rough Draft

It was more of a valuable life experience for me. I was up there with a wife and four kids at the time, so my urgency to make money was on a whole different level. More than often my music took the back burner for things that got me faster cash. I met Lord Finesse in the Bronx though. I think he’s one of the most down to Earth brothas in the industry.We kept in contact for a few months before I moved to VA.

Nodfactor.com

Say word? Ok. Did you guys share any production experiences?

Rough Draft

I left a few beats CD’s with him. He told me he felt me but that my sound was behind the times. Most of the time when I talked to Finesse, I was talkin’ to Rob…feel me? The few times we spoke was about life in general and not so much about the music. He’s a great dude.

Nodfactor.com

That’s what’s up. What did you think of his advice though? About being behind the times?

Rough Draft

I agreed with him and he was right. I moved to New York about 10 years too late. When I got there, I was still crankin’ out the old Pete Rock, old Large Pro, old Dilla sound. The whole emphasis of Hip Hop had changed to being ‘Gangsta’, and the sound had changed along with it. So I had to get up to speed on the current sound. It helped me grow as a producer. Now I can give an artist any sound he wants.

Nodfactor.com

What adjustments did you make sonically? Sampling less? Sampling different things?

Rough Draft

Tempo was a main adjustment. The sound texture was another. Less grit and more of a clean sound is what I switched to. NO JAZZ! LOL! Cats in the streets was not tryin’ to hear no jazzy beats. I started sampling from different sources than Jazz records. Started messing with rock, etc.

Nodfactor.com

Tell me about the beat battles you attended. Were those helpful in advancing your career at all?

Rough Draft

Honestly no. The first beat battle I was in was at CBGB’s Lounge and it had an all-star panel of judges. Finesse, Primo, Diamond were there, and I think Hank Shocklee was too among others. The judges wanted to see you actually push MPC pads and improvise on stage. I was one of the dudes who just had a beat CD though…no MP. So I blew out this dude in the first round but got taken in the 2nd because that brotha was doing things live on the MP for the judges.At Nuyorican and 5 Spot it was a different story.

Nodfactor.com

How so?

Rough Draft

At those battles I was outnumbered terribly. It was guys that had what I felt were garbage beats but had they whole damn neighborhood in the spot. So in those battles based on crowd response, I came up short every time.I didn’t come to the battle with no more than 3-4 people.

Nodfactor.com

yeah, I’ve been to the Nuyorican battles before. That crowd judging is a little suspect LOL

Rough Draft

So you know how it can be!

Nodfactor.com

Definitely

Rough Draft

Still was a learning experience though. Taught me showmanship. A lot of times the crowd want to see more than you just push and button and let your beat play. They want to feel your presence and personality.

Nodfactor.com

Yeah, the Fight Club cats were doing Beat club like that for a minute cats were PERFORMING on their MPCS. Was around 2005.

Rough Draft: I had just moved to VA by then.

Nodfactor.com Tell me about your crew the Synconauts

Rough Draft

My Brothas Jazmarc came up with the name about a year and a half ago. Were were part of a much, much larger collective called The Soulful Senate. Over the years things happened to members. Death, Jail, some just stopped rhymin’ and gave up on the dream. We stayed close like brothers though. It’s me, Jaz and Dominator. Jazmarc taught both of us how to make beats back in the day. Since then we have evolved into out own distinct sounds. Into our own. All three of us pull double duty on the mic and on the beats. Jaz uses the 3000 for most of his stuff, Dominator uses the 4000, and I use REASON now. I have CD’s of beats I did on the SP, the 60, and the 2000 though.

Nodfactor.com

You’ve done some music related things to pay the bills over the years. How did you get into the sound editing and voice over work?

Rough Draft

My kids used to dance at Uptown Dance Academy in East Harlem. They do a production every Christmas called The Black Nutcracker. They found out that I do music and we worked out a deal for me to do all the music editing for their productions. I used to be on the Connex List, an industry contact list provided by DJ Sonic and Lord Vader of the Wonder Twinz. I got the voice over work from being listed in there.

Nodfactor.com

wow

Rough Draft

I used to sell CD’s on Times Square from time to time, too. That, and at a couple of Bronx barber shops.

Nodfactor.com

I probably gave you the Heisman a few times not even realizing LOL

Rough Draft

Nothing has changed..I’m still looking for ways to get my music placed and earn income.

Ad agencies, Rocbattle.com, dance theatres..whatever. However I can get it out there and get paper.

Nodfactor.com It’s good that you are thinking outside of the record business. Because I think there is more money in advertising than records these days.

You hear the beats on some of these GMC ads?

Rough Draft: Man, I would LOVE to get music on one of these commercials. The car could be ugly, I don’t care.

Nodfactor.com There is a producer, Wendell Hanes that put out a book called The 30 30 Career. You should check it out

Nodfactor.com

Bet. So what’s on deck for 2010?

Rough Draft

I have the OK the release a few instrumental albums on the Cleveland based indie label ClevelandTapes. My guy Rafiq runs the label and seems to have a pretty talented, diverse roster. My music will be available for download online. I’m also in the process of posting beats to Rocbattle.com to see what that’s about. It would be cool if I could make a couple of dollars on there. I’ve been writing new songs to perform live. That way I can sell CD’s at the shows. I’m excited about the whole process of writing and performing again. The advertising thing is what I’m really pushing for this year though. I want my music in commercials and film, man. That’s looooong money right there.

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The Official Nodfactor Hydrosonics Mixtape

For all of you hungry, independent, up coming producers out there that have been wondering about the the details of the Hydrosonics mixtape here you go!

-It will be 15-20 tracks in total
-Illmind will be the host he and will also play a big part in helping us select the producers/tracks that will be featured on the project
-we will be asking producers that are selected to send in video footage of them making tracks which will be a part of our viral campaign
-the project will be released online to all forms of media, we will also be sending the project to different industry professionals such various A&R’s/Managers/Artists/Etc.

Our goal is to gain exposure for the producers who we essentially deem as the “Best of the Next”. All mixtape participants will be featured in Hydrosonics if they have not already been selected. The expected release is to be next month and we will be taking submissions until the project is complete to our standards so there is no concrete deadline as of yet, we will provide a date once we get closer to our goal.

Send submissions to [email protected] or [email protected]

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Hydrosonics-The Letter C

In our next installment of Nodfactor.com’s “unsigned hype” for producers we interview Beast Of The Beats II Champion and Grind Music apprentice, The Letter C.

Hydrosonics-The Letter C from Jerry Barrow on Vimeo.

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Hydrosonics: Parlay, “We Speak Beats”

Meet Parlay of Dreamcatchers, LLC. The Paris born producer recently tore down an iStandard beat battle and made everyone say Missy needs to get this kid on the phone pronto. He met with Nodfactor.com to share how he tweaks Fruity Loops to make some out of this world instrumentals.

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HYDROSONICS: $port Is True To The Game

Name: $port

From: Toledo, Ohio

Contact:

www.whatupsport.com

Myspace (click)

iStandardproducers(click)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

1) Your track “Check In” has been heating up the ‘net. Tell me about the making of the beat and recording of the song.

Well, with that beat, it just kinda took on a life of its own. The beat was originally titled ‘General Made’, because of where I got the sample. I won’t say exactly what it is, but if you knew, you’d understand why. It was this one little part I heard and it just caught me. It sounded so monstrous. So I started messing around with it, et voila. The way the strings where screeching, I knew it deserved some really harsh drums.

I eventually sent that, along with a bunch of other beats, to Theo. He hit me up later like ‘Yo, I think I have something for that ‘General Made’ joint.’ I was excited right out the gate because I wanted to see where he would take it. About a week or so later, he hit me up again; ‘I’m going to record the joint on Monday.’ Now this was the day before I left for the One Stop Shop, so I’m already amped about that.

Come Monday morning, I get another message; ‘I’ll have it the track to you later on.’ Mind you, I’m in Phoenix, so it’s mad early in the morning. Later that evening, I finally land back home. I turn my phone on as the plane pulls to the gate. And, you know, you get that wave of messages you missed because you can’t have your phone on in flight. Sure enough, I get an email with the subject ‘Checkin’ In’. Now I’m scrambling trying to claim my bag, then find an outlet to plug my laptop into, all before my ride comes to pick me up. I found an outlet in a corner, opened the email and boom. I know people were looking at me like I was crazy because I was sitting indian-style in a corner, headphones on, shaking my head.

The song was everything I imagined it could be and more. If you know Theo, then you know he’s really cool and laid back. He doesn’t drink or smoke. But for him to black out the way he did was just insane. The response has been great from all types of people. Because of that, Theo and I are working on a full-length project right now. This is the resurrection of the ‘one emcee, one producer’ era. You have Blu & Exile. You have Torae and Marco Polo. Now you’ll have Theo & $port. We’re working on the strategy as we speak. It’ll be dropping in August.

2) You were one of the few and proud at the One Stop Shop Conference this year. What did you learn from that experience?

Honestly, the one main lesson I learned was that I don’t need a beat battle or showcase to validate what I’m doing. When the main battle came around, I actually had to leave the room because I was so upset. To see people who I consider legends and my heroes all nodding and going crazy to all this music that wasn’t mines just lit a fire under me. As a producer, you’re always thinking that you have it and you want to press play for everybody in the world.

So I was angry about not being able to show and prove. But I was a winner anyway. Turns out, I spent the entire weekend building with none other than Just Blaze, Matt Fingaz and Paul Cantor. We all ate dinner together both nights, and while doing that I was able to fortify some seriously great bonds with both Gooch (Paul Cantor) and Just. I learned so much just from listening. A lot of the conversation wasn’t even about music at all. Hell, we were talking about sneakers and turns out Gooch was filming the whole thing one night as Just gave me props on the kicks I was wearing that night. The footage ended being all over the blogs! I had people hitting me up like, ‘Did I just see YOU and JUST BLAZE talking about Nikes??!’

There was one moment that stuck with me. We were all chillin’ out and I just happened to be ranting about not being in the battle. Gooch told me straight up, ‘Yo, you don’t need to be in a f*cking battle!’ He was absolutely right. I walked away with memories and connections that some of my peers would give a kidney for. Plus, when I stepped off the plane, Theo had a bomb planted in my inbox.

3) What did you start making beats on and what are you using now?

When I was about 15, I started using a game for the Playstation, MTV Music Generator. It was a pretty dope game. You could sample and it had some decent sounds for what it was. I guess I was indirectly preparing myself. Eventually, my older brother Kev had bought a Yamaha Motif and a MPC 2000XL. That was the setup for a while. Once he left the house, I was stuck. A friend of mines was always telling me how Reason was so great and how I needed to get with that. I finally took his advice. Now everything I do is done in Reason. Everything is right in front you and I’ve found a great workflow. I am going to get another MP soon. That’s my first love.

4) What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in the studio and how did you fix it?

I’m still making mistakes. That’s the beauty of the craft, there’s always room for improvement. I will say that the biggest mistake I’ve made is trying to do what somebody else was doing in one way or another. It took me a second to find my own lane. Once I did, I just ran with it.

From a technical standpoint, the biggest mistake I’ve made was on the mixing side. I had to learn the hard way that the way the track sounds is so crucial. I had to learn what it means to listen with fresh ears. I had to learn what translation is. Like I said, I’m still learning. It’s a process, but it’s coming along.

5) If you could ask your favorite producer one question what would it be?

If I had to pick ONE question at this very moment?? That’s not fair, J. I would probably ask Dilla just how he did it with ‘Time: The Donut of the Heart’. I’ve listened to that beat hundreds of times and each time feels like the very first. For him to do that like he did, he made me realize that I have so far to go.

6)” Sax Blue and Yellow” is dope. What’s the story behind that beat?

I’m a huge fan of A Bathing Ape. All of my friends will tell you that. It’s to the point where I don’t feel that my outfit is complete unless there is at least of piece of Bape involved. That particular beat was a part of a small EP dedicated to A Bathing Ape I had put out some months ago. Sax Blue and Yellow is actually a color combination that Bape uses often in clothes and shoes. When I heard that sample, I just saw those colors, hence the title. It’s kinda weird, but that’s the honest truth!

7) Why the name Sport?

It’s funny because the name is really a remnant of my old rapping days. Years and years ago, I wanted to rap. I know, what was I thinking, right?? But I wanted to rap, and would call myself ‘Shine’. Then Shyne came out, so I had a problem. I added ‘Sport’. Shine Sport. I got smarter and quit rapping and calling myself Shine. All that was left was Sport and some beats. The dollar sign was just me being silly about it, but it worked. Everybody knows me by $port. It’s not hard to forget. It’s succinct. I’m not changing, either! It’s too late for all that.

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HYDROSONICS:Nick Cicero “We Got The Jazz”

Name: Nick Cicero

Contact: Myspace

Do you play any instruments? Any formal music training?
Yeah I’ve been playing jazz trumpet since I was seven, and been in music allmy life. Right now I’m a Music major at Nazareth College in Rochester NY. There are so many great teachers here that have taught me so much, and I’ve tried to take that knowledge and parlay it into my music production.

I see you have some TV deals in the works. How is producing for TV
different than for songs?
Well TV calls upon knowledge in a variety of music genres. I’ve written simple
doo-wop jingles, and I’ve also done large cinematic numbers for independent films. The important thing in composing for video is that you need to realize that people aren’t going to be watching and listening for the music first. If you can put your pride on the backburner you can really have fun decorating the action.

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