Knoxtronica Presents (JT Smith)- So we got this awesome show coming up at The Ciderhouse here in Knoxville on Friday, May 18th, that is stacked with interesting artists like yourself, Cry Wolf, Don Winsley, Fisk, and local Bree Flavoured. How about you introduce yourself to the Knoxville family and beyond that are reading and tell us where you are from.
HeRobust- Im from Atlanta, Georgia. My name is Hayden. I produce everything from wonky beat music to trap-inspired bass music. Definitely psyched for the show.
Knoxtronica- I hear all kinds of variety in your music. I know you are with OctalSound now, who is doing very big things, and couldn't help but notice the "Facebook Lift" track off of the OctalSound's "Make Ends Beat vol.1" album has this Jazz/Hip-Hop feel to it. What are some of your musical backgrounds and influences that help create this style you have refined?
HeRobust- Yeah some of my stuff gets pretty jazzy. Im not sure why, I just like soulful music sometimes. Influences are all over, from Flying Lotus to Koan Sound. Definitely undertones of hip hop throughout. I used to make a lot of downtempo stuff like Facebook Lift, but Ive been getting a bit dancier lately.
Knoxtronica- So how is the scene down in ATL? I been down there some and have a lot of friends that moved down there. You got any local artists you would like to tell us about? I am big on finding out what the local have to say about there cities and the other artists that share it with them.
HeRobust- Atlanta is great. Obviously the mainstream dubstep scene is healthy, but we also have some great developing pockets of underground electronica. That's usually where I am at. Like beats/garage/juke/future trap/boogie n things. All that cutting-edge stuff that doesnt quite reach the masses here. So there's really something for everybody, it's great. Check out Rekchampa, Divine Interface, P Villa, Deku, and Unda.
Knoxtronica- With so many artists comming out of no where and trying to be something, what sets you apart and how do you strive to be original?
HeRobust- Its not hard to strive for originality because its a necessity for success. The music that's popular right now was created a year ago probably. So if your aiming for what's popular you'll always be a step late. Originality is your only chance to introduce something new and really be a part of the next trend. If anything sets me apart its sound design, and a soft spot for 90's rap n r&b.
Knoxtronica- I have a lot of musicians that read my interviews that would love to know how you go about producing your sounds and even how you play a live show. Could you let us in on some of your strategies so to speak?
HeRobust- Well sound design is a big part of my production. I spend more time on making my synths then i do actually making songs with them. I use propellerhead Reason. So for each sound I do it in layers. I start with the high register and work my way down. In the end, im super aware of where every synth is in the mix. So when i choose patches for a song, I can choose a group of sounds that compliment each other. So i do less subtractive eq'ing that way, and I feel like that makes for a fuller sound. borrrrring lol. Here's a video me performing some chill downtempo stuff (Video Below). I run Reason through Ableton, so all my clips and fx are from Ableton, but all the patches are out of reason.
HeRobust- Music has always been inevitable for me. Its always been my favorite thing to do. I got into electronica really early, like Squarepusher and Aphex Twin. When I heard prefuse73, it was game over. Thats when I really started trying to improve.
Knoxtronica- I got to say your original productions have a jingle to them and have a lot of smooth Hip Hop fueled beats to them and thats something I have always been a sucker for. When you sit down to create a new track or tracks for a project how do you go about it? Some artists tell me that it is as simple as a cup of coffee and a few hours of non stop music making. Others tell me they will spend all day working on setting up sounds and getting prepared, then work on actually making the music the next day.
HeRobust- I usually hope to get inspired by some other music. I'll dig through soul samples and pick something interesting, and it usually just flies from there. Like i said before, a lot of time is spent on making the patches for each track, but that inspiration is key.
Knoxtronica- I have to ask some of the artists you are big on listening to currently and artists you think our readers should watch out for. Could you please fill us in on some of yours?
HeRobust- TNGHT!!!! Have you heard of Hudson Mohawke? Have you heard of Lunice? Well they are releasing a collab on Warp records soon and its called TNGHT. The genre is called future trap and im LOVING it right now. so fun...
Knoxtronica- What is the some of your favorite artists you have played with and why? I know there is a lot of original and amazing preformers out there I have witnessed myself.
HeRobust- Shigeto puts on a great show. A lot of producers DJ at their shows, which is cool, but I loved Shigeto's show because it was more of a performance then a dj set. He kills it on the drums and mpd at the same time. Lunice is also one of my favorites. He just puts off such a great energy. That and trap music is like the most fun shit to party to in my opinion.
Knoxtronica- I am really excited for the show on friday and can't wait to see what you are bringing to K-town. Any last words you wanna to say to our readers?
HeRobust- Yeah I cant wait either. My show is definitely different from most so i'm always curious to see how new crowds respond. I hope ya'll get down with hip hop!
HeRobust Website:
http://herobust.com/
HeRobust Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/heRobust
HeRobust Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/herobust
OctalSound Website:
http://octalsound.com/
OctalSound Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/octalsound
Cry Wolf, HeRobust, Don Winsley, Fisk, and Bree Flavoured Show (05/18/12) Event Page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/286689678081466/
Ciderhouse
Knoxville, TN
$5 21+/ $8 under 21
No comments:
Post a Comment