Beats and Risers with TVSKER

"Get outside. Go enjoy the outdoors and your music will be better for it." ⁠— RIP Kenny

RIP Kenny (@RIP Kenny) is a producer, DJ, sensei and mentor at Producer Dojo. His first release, Awakening EP, was released in September 2018 on the Producer Dojo label, and showcases his distinct guitar-infused heavy bass sound. He has also curated Producer Dojo Cypher #6, Get Outside, and he contributed a remix to the "Guard" Remix EP by Daniel Simmons this past summer.

In our conversation, we talk about how enjoying the outdoors inspires his music, how to process punchy, hard-hitting drums, what an arrangement needs to make for a great mixdown, and much more.

Music Referenced

• Awakening EP by RIP Kenny
• Producer Dojo Cypher #6: Get Outside, curated by RIP Kenny
• RIP Kenny's remix of "Guard" by Daniel Simmons
• RIP Kenny's track on Cypher #2: All-Organic Mixtape

Selected Links

• Connect with RIP Kenny: Instagram / Twitter / Soundcloud
• Full show notes coming soon!

Subscribe

• Join the TVSKLIST for updates via email
• Subscribe to Beats and Risers

"If you're internally happy with your music, then the purpose is already complete and you're already a successful artist." ⁠— 6TH STREET

6TH STREET (@6THSTREETmusic) is a music producer, DJ, choreographer, dancer, and Producer Dojo mentor and sensei. His EP, Neon District, came out in April 2019 on the Producer Dojo label, and hit #1 on the Beatport Trap/Future Bass chart, #2 on the Dubstep Chart, and went top 10 in Electronica and Downtempo. Each of those genres are landmarks in the Neon District, and the EP takes you on a musical journey through emotions and melodies.

6TH STREET has also collaborated with fellow Dojo sensei Daniel Simmons on “Back in Love”, a single released in August 2019, which will have remixes released soon. He also streams music roasts and feedback on Twitch twice a week.

In our conversation, we talk about creating music that evokes an emotional response, finding the elements that spark the making of a full track, building an online community through Twitch livestreaming, and much more.

Selected Links

• Connect with 6TH STREET: fanlink.to/6THSTREET / Twitter / Instagram / Soundcloud
• 6TH STREET on Twitch

Full disclosure: This list includes some affiliate links. If you purchase something through those links, you won't pay anything extra, but I'll get a small commission or discount which helps me make music and keep this podcast going. Thank you for supporting me and Beats and Risers!

• Producer Dojo / Music and Cyphers
• Ableton
• Cymatics.fm
• Producer Dojo Facebook group
• The Class of 808
• The Weekly Download
• Serum
• ADSR Sample Manager
• H-Reverb and H-EQ - Waves
• Guitar Rig 5
• Akai MPK Mini mkII MIDI controller

Music Referenced

• Neon District EP by 6TH STREET
• "Welcome to 6TH STREET" by 6TH STREET, from Producer Dojo Cypher #8: Say My Name
• "This Type of Monday" by 6TH STREET feat. Mitch Brady and Leo Xia

Episode Notes

• 6TH STREET reflects on a decade of living in Los Angeles and the beginning of his path shifting toward music [2:05]
• How Neon District and the theme of place fits into the vibe of 6TH STREET [3:40]
• 6TH STREET explains how the Neon District EP came together [4:53]
• What sparked 6TH STREET's love of music? [5:49]
• 6TH STREET looks back at how he started producing music [7:03]
• On getting involved with Producer Dojo, from finding the Facebook group to joining the Class of 808 [7:58]
• On the experience of becoming a Producer Dojo sensei [10:16]
• The #1 piece of advice 6TH STREET has for producers working with vocals [11:12]
• The three artists that most inspire 6TH STREET [12:02]
• How 6TH STREET's background in dance helps influence the groove of his music productions [12:57]
• When 6TH STREET starts a new track, what's the first thing he does? [15:24]
• Once the main idea is down, what comes next? [17:04]
• The two strategies 6TH STREET uses to overcome writer's block [18:25]
• How a time constraint of 3 days resulted in 6TH STREET writing one of his favourite songs he's written [19:45]
• 6TH STREET's tip for newer producers to help them understand what makes a song a song [22:23]
• The best investment 6TH STREET has made in his music career [24:22]
• Why music is a community career built on relationships, and what to be mindful of [25:33]
• On DJing, and finding the bridge to performing your own productions in front of a live audience [26:24]
• How a nearly-lost years-old loop inspired 6TH STREET to write an emotional, nostalgic song [28:53]
• On the organized chaos of projects - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't [32:42]
• How music production provided 6TH STREET with an outlet to deal with, and heal from, a tough breakup [35:24]
• 6TH STREET explains how he got started with streaming on Twitch, and how the community has grown over time [37:59]
• How Twitch creates a deeper connection than other social media [41:57]
• A final piece of advice 6TH STREET has for producers [55:09]

The 808

1. What book has had the most impact on 6TH STREET's production or creativity? [43:11]
2. If 6TH STREET had to give a TED Talk on anything, but it couldn't be about music, what would it be about? [45:10]
3. What is 6TH STREET's favourite key and tempo to produce in? [47:11]
4. If 6TH STREET could collaborate with any artist, who would he collab with? [47:45]
5. The two VST instruments and three VST effects 6TH STREET would choose to make a track from. [48:20]
6. How does 6TH STREET know whether a song needs to be finished or whether it's time to throw in the towel? [49:22]
7. In the past six months, what has 6TH STREET purchased for $100 or less that has had the greatest impact on his music production? [51:40]
8. What would 6TH STREET tell himself if he could go back in time and speak to himself while he was in his first six months of producing music? [53:01]

People Mentioned

• ill.Gates
• Porter Robinson
• Illennium
• Seven Lions
• Mitch Brady
• Brazz

Find out more at http://beatsandrisers.com

"Show up because it's what you do, not because of what you might get out of it." ⁠— Trap Jesus

Trap Jesus (@whatwouldtrapjesusdo) is a producer, engineer, songwriter and DJ involved with iStandard and BounceGvng. He’s also a sensei and mentor at Producer Dojo, and along with being the Dojo’s resident Reason expert, he’s curated several cyphers and recently guest-presented one of The Weekly Downloads (#148) on industry etiquette.

As Trap Jesus, he’s preaching Psychedelic Psalms from the Backwoods Bible through the Grimy Gospel EP in collaboration with Sam Shoemaker. As Luke Rain, he’s swinging big katanas and dropping heavy bass across electronic genres. You can hear his track “Katanas” on ill.Gates Presents: The Class of 808, Volume 3.

In our conversation, we talk about speeding up your production workflow with timers, the necessity of reframing your focus as a producer, how industry events have been a game-changer for his life and career, and much more.

Selected Links

• Connect with Trap Jesus: trapjes.us / Instagram / Soundcloud
• Connect with Luke Rain: lukerainmusic.com / Twitter / Instagram / Soundcloud

Full disclosure: This list includes some affiliate links. If you purchase something through those links, you won't pay anything extra, but I'll get a small commission or discount which helps me make music and keep this podcast going. Thank you for supporting me and Beats and Risers!

• iStandard
• Producer Dojo / Music and Cyphers
• LEVIT∆TE Immerses His Audience in an Audio/Visual Universe - Producer Dojo Blog
• ASCAP and the ASCAP Experience (formerly ASCAP Expo)
• Splice
• Summer Meltdown
• BounceGvng
• Beats Grind & Life Podcast with Syren (#117 with Trap Jesus)
• The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield
• Carlos Santana's Facebook post on the elixir for total happiness
• Reason
• Serum
• Omnisphere
• Brauer Motion - Waves
• Fabfilter Pro-Q - email [email protected] for a 10% off coupon toward FabFilter plugins/bundles
• Akai MPK Mini mkII MIDI controller

Music Referenced

• Producer Dojo Cyphers curated by Trap Jesus: #11: Off the Grid and #13: Timer Beats Only
• "The Time is Nigh" by Trap Jesus
• "Spell My Name" by Trap Jesus
• "I'm Eel" by ill.Gates, which inspired Producer Dojo Cypher #8: Say My Name

Subscribe

• Join the TVSKLIST for updates via email
• Subscribe to Beats and Risers

Show Notes

• On music being a part of his life at an early age [2:03]
• How Trap Jesus started producing music by chance [3:26]
• Trap Jesus explains how Luke Rain became his artist name [4:41]
• In looking for a change of pace, Trap Jesus discovers iStandard events, and explains how they helped him renew his focus on production [6:15]
• The interaction that sparked the Trap Jesus name, and what happened before he adopted the moniker [7:39]
• What happened when Trap Jesus played beats that were well received, but weren't trap? [9:54]
• How both names became part of Trap Jesus's artist identity [11:11]
• After feeling stuck one night, Trap Jesus finds out about Producer Dojo and elaborates on how the Dojo changed his life [13:28]
• What are the Producer Dojo Cyphers and how do they operate? [16:45]
• On curating the Off the Grid [20:28] and Timer Beats Only [21:42] Cyphers
• How to work faster through timer beats [20:52]
• Does the perfect snare exist? [23:34]
• Why is it important to set reasonable expectations as a producer? [25:54]
• Trap Jesus explains how he starts his composition process with timer beats [27:25]
• How does Trap Jesus make a beat in 30 minutes? [30:39]
• Feeling stuck when you make a beat? Here's why Trap Jesus suggests taking a break and focusing on the business side of your music [35:34]
• Trap Jesus breaks down how he made "Spell My Name" for the Producer Dojo Cypher #8: Say My Name [37:06]
• Imagine a pottery class. Would the class graded on quality or the class graded on quantity have the better pots by the end of the class? [42:29]
• On the importance of showing up, setting perfectionism aside, and making music no matter what [44:49]
• Why leaving your hometown for music industry events and networking can be a career game-changer [45:47]
• How should you think about networking in music? (Hint: it's not about business cards.) [49:17]
• Trap Jesus explains how and why he started producing in Reason [64:12]
• Trap Jesus's message for listeners: Believe in yourself and follow your joy [74:04]

The 808

1. What book has had the most impact on Trap Jesus' production or creativity? [51:08]
2. If Trap Jesus had to give a TED Talk on anything, but it couldn't be about music, what would it be about? (TVSKER's note: Luke's answer here is super important not just for producers, but in anyone's life.) [54:22]
3. What is Trap Jesus's favourite key and tempo to produce in? [59:54]
4. If Trap Jesus could collaborate with any artist, who would he collab with? [60:46]
5. The two VST instruments and three VST effects Trap Jesus would choose to make a track from. [61:31]
6. How does Trap Jesus know whether a song needs to be finished or whether it's time to throw in the towel? [67:51]
7. In the past six months, what has Trap Jesus purchased for $100 or less that has had the greatest impact on his music production? [70:36]
8. What would Trap Jesus tell himself if he could go back in time and speak to himself while he was in his first six months of producing music? [72:01]

People Mentioned

• ill.Gates
• J Hatch
• Don Di Napoli
• Cizz
• Cardiak Flatline
• LEViT∆TE

Beats and Risers is a podcast that focuses on creativity, workflow and production techniques, with the goal of inspiring and motivating you to make more and better music. In this trailer, I introduce myself, why I wanted to start Beats and Risers, and what you can expect to start off the first season of episodes.

Watch for new episodes every Thursday!

Please subscribe to Beats and Risers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts from, or join the TVSKLIST to get updates on Beats and Risers via email.

Find out more at http://beatsandrisers.com