esseone is a local dj and producer living close to home in our own davenport, iowa. some of his latest work includes making the beat for errol hem’s single ‘Pico de Gaia’ (who, if you missed the last post, will be performing with a few other artists at the RME hall on March 19th). [starpower]* wanted to sit down with the man behind the scenes, and slightly and casually pick his brain.
[SP]*: How long have you been making music?
Esseone: making music by myself? Like 7 years.
[SP]*: Did you take lessons? Did you learn from someone? Did you pick it up and teach yourself?
Esseone: Well I was in junior high and I was in band, I played the trumpet. And then the tuba.
[SP]*: The tuba!
Esseone: And then the bass…I just picked up different instruments and learned to play each one somehow. It’s been like, my life.
[SP]* How would you categorize the music you’re producing right now?
Esseone: I dunno…electric hip hop..kind of synth heavy… all kinds of things.
[SP]*: What do you listen to throughout the day?
Esseone: I’ve been listening to a lot of Band of Horses lately. I always listen to Atmosphere. The Storybook Vol 1, its a mix of different songs, that tell a story. And then with the last one, it has a Tribe Called Quest Song, about this girl named Millie hat kills her dad in the mall, and then Atmosphere does this song on one of their beats that’s pretty tight, its like a continuation of that song.
[SP]*: YES.
Esseone: *laughs*
[SP]*: Where is your workspace?
Esseone: In my living room. I hook up my computer to my tv and have my keyboard controller next to it. A couple speakers, and that’s it.
[SP]*: Do you try to convey anything specific with your music?
Esseone: However I feel when I’m making the music sort of influences what comes out. Like if I’m in a hyper mood, ill probably make a little faster paced music, higher tones. Different moods, you know? On a slower day or a day when i’m feeling down or frustrated, I might make something more downtempo, with lower tones.
[SP]: So your music in a sense could reflect your mood you were in while you were making it.
Esseone: yeah.
[SP]*: If you had a dream job what would it be?
Esseone: A dream job? An in house producer for a record company. Making a lot of beats for a lot of different people, and have a hand in editing as it goes out of the studio.
[SP]* Do you have a favorite instrument?
Yeah, I like to use a mini mote emulator on my Fruity Loops program. That’s where a lot of the synth parts come from, is the mini mote.
