First of, just want to thank you for participating in this edition of Infidel Interviews. Could you start off by giving a little information about both of you to the audience? Whatever you feel comfortable with, but name, age, and where you live would be pretty standard?
My name is A-Khordz age 28 I'm from Dallas, TX but live currently in Seattle, WA
What inspired you to start making hip-hop beats? Is hip-hop been a lifelong passion for you? What are some of your favorites artists and producers that help inspire you in the beginning, and are there any new producers and artists that continue to re inspire you today?
I started experimenting with beats at 13 but I was doing a little rap before I decided to take beats seriously. I was influenced by 2pac, BIG, Snoop, Scarface, Outkast, TI for Artist but producer wise Just Blaze, Organized Noize, Kanye, Dr. Dre, Timbo, Pharrell, Mannie Fresh but who made me want to get serious was DJ Toomp and S1. Nowadays I get more influence from different SoundCloud artist and producers.
Each subsequent decade of hip-hop has brought more layers of both technology and inspiration to the game. Yet at the same time, with so much having been done, and with so many programs to make things easier, it can be difficult to find an original and authentic sound. How do you keep inspired to come up with new songs and ideas, and how do you balance inspiration and originality, talent and technology?
Well like every art you create original art through inspiration of the ones before you and the ones ahead of you. Also I can't call what I do talented it's more skillful because of the 10 years I put into my craft. Now with technology it has made it easier for workflow and delivery it's a great way for everyone to express themselves more. With ideas they either flow through and get used or get passed up.
What sort of processes do you go through when making music? Do you have a formula(s) that you follow, or do you feel it out as you go along? Or is it more of a mixture of the two?
I just start with the key I want the instrumental to be in find the sounds that fit the best and build from there.
Do you ever find it difficult to balance the creative and technical aspects of musical creation? How do you strike the balance for the need to craft and tweak your effects and sounds, in contrast to actually just getting the song itself created with structure and melody? What sort of element of creation do you prefer, the sonic shaping or the song creation?
For me it starts with peace. If my mind is calm and not stressed I can create just fine. But as for craft, tweaking and structure it all needs to harmoniously work together or it's no song. And I prefer the actual creative process of the song it's more stimulating but with song creation you have to have it sonically balanced anyways lol.
Would you say that your choice to pursue music has changed your life since you started? Would you say that creativity has evolved you spiritually, emotionally, or logically? What are some of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome in your musical career?
Biggest challenge is finding time to do the music it's not easy being married with 2 children lol
What would you say would be you short term, and long term, goals for your business?
Short term goal is to do this full time, long term goal is have others doing it full time and providing the opportunity so they can sustain their career.
Do you consider yourself to be part of a particular sound or scene? What is your thoughts on the nature of genres and styles, and do you have any particular ones which you find to your enjoyment more, listening and/or production-wise?
Well I like EDM (house,future bass, dubstep, chill) I love the fact that hiphop, jazz, reggae, disco has influenced these particular genres because you get to see how far sounds can stretch.
Selling beats, and the audience and demands that it requires, is completely different then selling songs to people for simple listening pleasure. Do you ever find a pressure to cater to a particular sound or audience because of the popularity of certain trends? Or do you find artists are continually looking for new and original sounds?
I create it and they demand it no pressure if they don't want it. It's an audience for pretty much every niche. And I'm always down to create from scratch something off set.
Are you purely a beatcraft oriented man, or do you do some rhyming as well?
I can rap and write hooks but I spend pretty much 95% on beats and business
Are there any particular instruments, programs, or effects that you would say are vital to you making music? If so, is there a reason in particular that draws you to said creative outlet?
I use FL combined with the sounds of Komplete Ultimate as well as drum kits I buy. The sounds from Komplete are pretty much as real sounding as you can get for an affordable price
What's your take on sample packs and loops? Do you see them as a creative inspirational tool and useful sonic addition to your tracks? Or are you a purist when it comes to composing your own melodies and sounds?
Sample packs and loops are a good draw of inspiration just like crate digging. You can manipulate them just like samples. But I love doing things completely at a pure state from scratch. But there is no problem with using loops or samples.
Do you collaborate with or sponsor artists that you have a particular interest in? Or do you keep things pure business? Also do you / would you be willing to offer revisions, or additions, to your beats if people are willing to pay?
I do sometimes but they have to invest in themselves. I don't carry nobody lol. And I have done many additional things to make a beat better and satisfy the needs of my clients.
When it comes to non-musical media, what do you find yourself most inspired by, and what about it draws you to it as a source of inspiration? Do you participate in the gaming world? Avid reader perhaps? Maybe cinema fan? Combination of some lol?
I'm inspired by nature mostly and art. I like Picasso, Van Goah. My moms teach art so I took that from her. Also I like games and cinema last game I played was Assassins Creed ( can't wait to watch the movie) and one of my favorite movies is Inception Hans Zimmer scores are phenomenal on that movie.
Thank you so much for participating in this episode of Infidel Interview. Any parting words for your fans, or my audience?
Thanks for reading and I appreciate you listening to my instrumentals. Find me on Instagram, FB, Snap, Twitter @akhordz
Homesite: http://www.akhordzproductions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akhordz/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/akhordz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/akhordz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akhordz/