Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
With beats sounding fresh out the frying pan, we get an inside look at what's on the menu from the Head Chef himself, Orpheus a.k.a. Cook Classics.... BAM!
Thanks for taking the time out to sit down with us man. For those out there that don't know, please tell us, who is Cook Classics?
I'm a creative person. More specifically I'm a producer, but I like art in all forms. Some people call me Cook, some call me Will, and some call me Cook Classics, which is weird because that's the name of my production company. It's like calling Bill Gates, Microsoft. I work mostly with Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, and Pop, but I've been getting into some electronic music and some "progressive" work as well.
What type of production equipment are you using at the moment?
I use a Roland MV-8000 at the base of almost everything. I do my skeleton tracks on there. I use Pro Tools primarily for mixing, sequencing, and some production. I just got Reason 4.0 so I use that when I travel, and I also have a Roland Juno-60 (analogue synth) that I love. Just to geek out for a second, I have four API preamps, an API lunchbox with Purple Audio compressors, a dbx compressor, a digital effects rack, and about 5 mics that I use to record all kinds of sounds.
Can you give us a quick rundown of your process for creating a beat? Is there a certain formula you use when going into the lab?
I don't really have a specific formula, but I generally start all of my beats on my MV. That's where I do most of my drums and chop samples. But what comes out of that is just a skeleton. After I get my idea down and the swing right, I bring it all into Pro Tools to sequence and mix. A lot of times I go back and forth between the MV and Pro Tools. So once I add some instruments and percussion or whatever in Pro Tools (recorded live), I might go back and change the samples or even replay them live through the entire track to keep it loose. I also work with a few musicians, so I like to record guitar, live bass, keys, and strings if the song calls for it. I do a lot of sound manipulation too, so I might take a guitar lick and reverse it and throw some effects on it until it's a completely new sound. Just anything to keep it sounding fresh and innovative. I look at making beats like sculpting - I constantly go back and chip away or polish certain elements until they all fit together as a finished song.
The Los Angeles music scene can be rough for up and coming artists, how do you separate yourself from all the talent that is flooding the streets of L.A.?
I actually think that the LA music scene is amazing right now and is a great place for new artists. There are so many talented people to work with and be inspired by here. You may be a small fish in a big pond in LA, but it's good to have people around you that inspire you to get better. The way I separate myself from other producers though, is by being very versatile and able to accommodate almost any artist and fit into the sound they want to achieve. I also consider myself to be a producer, and not just a beat maker. I think that's very important in terms of one's longevity in the industry. There are thousands of beat makers in LA alone, but it takes a different kind of skill to work with an artist and make a song the best that it can be.
So you recently got production credits on the dope new single, Sydney by TiRon featuring Ayomari, tell us a little bit about the song and how it came about.
I've known Tiron for a year or two now, and we've been wanting to work together for a while, but I guess the timing wasn't right. So I basically just sent him this beat and he hit me up a week or so later with most of the song written. Then him and Ayomari came through the studio and we finished up the writing and recording. The vibe that day was great and the track came together naturally. I did a couple mixes on it and then we leaked it a couple days later. I heard that somebody actually ripped it off MySpace and leaked it before we had wanted to. They didn't even download it, but actually recorded it off the internet. That was nuts.
What was it like working with TiRon as an artist? I know this can be rough sometimes when you get two creative souls on the same project. How was the connection musically?
The connection is great because I think he's a dope artist and he likes the music I make and what I do with my tracks. We've been hitting the studio pretty hard lately and he'll just vibe out to tracks that I have and come up with ideas and write on the spot. Recently there have been at least two emcees in the studio together too, which is how "Sydney" came about, as well as some new tracks we're working on. We've also been making some tracks from scratch, so he'll be here while I work on the beat, and I can tailor it to his vision for the song. I try to stay out of the way during the writing process and I usually keep my comments positive and say when I'm feeling something. I'm always down to record an idea and see how it sounds, and of course if I don't like it I'll say so and try to figure out a way to make it sound right. Tiron also is crazy in the booth with the way he layer's his vocals, so it's easy to just let him be creative and do his thing. I don't have to do any coaching, which always makes for a smooth studio session.
Obviously the chemistry is there between you two, so what does the future hold for Cook Classics and TiRon?
Well that remains to be seen, but he's working on his debut album right now, and you can be sure that "Sydney" will be on it and hopefully a couple more tracks from me. He'll also be on my project whenever that gets finished (or officially started).
Are there any other projects you're currently working on at the moment?
I'm working heavily with a singer and songwriter named Avriel Epps. The music we're making is CRAZY. You will definitely hear about this in the near future. I'm also working on a compilation album to release in Japan, an EP with the band MUDluscious that should be done soon, and I have a track on the new Diamond D album. Go get that on October 14th!!! I'm also working with Noah King on a solo album, Noelle Scaggs on her official debut, UNI, PacDiv, and of course pushing beats out the door as often as possible. I don't have my hands on those tracks quite as much because I'm just sending the beats out, which is nice because I've already got a lot on my plate at the moment.
We want to thank you again for giving us the opportunity to sit down with you, are there any last comments or shout outs you'd like to give?
Go check out my interview on KUBE 93 in Seattle with DJ Hyphen. You can get the show on the Sound Session page at http://www.KUBE93.com - episode 173. Shout out to Joel Van Dijk, Joe Gonzales, Shiben, Tunji, Greg the Dude and Nieve. My apologies to all the people I left off!
Thanks for taking the time out to sit down with us man. For those out there that don't know, please tell us, who is Cook Classics?
I'm a creative person. More specifically I'm a producer, but I like art in all forms. Some people call me Cook, some call me Will, and some call me Cook Classics, which is weird because that's the name of my production company. It's like calling Bill Gates, Microsoft. I work mostly with Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, and Pop, but I've been getting into some electronic music and some "progressive" work as well.
What type of production equipment are you using at the moment?
I use a Roland MV-8000 at the base of almost everything. I do my skeleton tracks on there. I use Pro Tools primarily for mixing, sequencing, and some production. I just got Reason 4.0 so I use that when I travel, and I also have a Roland Juno-60 (analogue synth) that I love. Just to geek out for a second, I have four API preamps, an API lunchbox with Purple Audio compressors, a dbx compressor, a digital effects rack, and about 5 mics that I use to record all kinds of sounds.
Can you give us a quick rundown of your process for creating a beat? Is there a certain formula you use when going into the lab?
I don't really have a specific formula, but I generally start all of my beats on my MV. That's where I do most of my drums and chop samples. But what comes out of that is just a skeleton. After I get my idea down and the swing right, I bring it all into Pro Tools to sequence and mix. A lot of times I go back and forth between the MV and Pro Tools. So once I add some instruments and percussion or whatever in Pro Tools (recorded live), I might go back and change the samples or even replay them live through the entire track to keep it loose. I also work with a few musicians, so I like to record guitar, live bass, keys, and strings if the song calls for it. I do a lot of sound manipulation too, so I might take a guitar lick and reverse it and throw some effects on it until it's a completely new sound. Just anything to keep it sounding fresh and innovative. I look at making beats like sculpting - I constantly go back and chip away or polish certain elements until they all fit together as a finished song.
The Los Angeles music scene can be rough for up and coming artists, how do you separate yourself from all the talent that is flooding the streets of L.A.?
I actually think that the LA music scene is amazing right now and is a great place for new artists. There are so many talented people to work with and be inspired by here. You may be a small fish in a big pond in LA, but it's good to have people around you that inspire you to get better. The way I separate myself from other producers though, is by being very versatile and able to accommodate almost any artist and fit into the sound they want to achieve. I also consider myself to be a producer, and not just a beat maker. I think that's very important in terms of one's longevity in the industry. There are thousands of beat makers in LA alone, but it takes a different kind of skill to work with an artist and make a song the best that it can be.
So you recently got production credits on the dope new single, Sydney by TiRon featuring Ayomari, tell us a little bit about the song and how it came about.
I've known Tiron for a year or two now, and we've been wanting to work together for a while, but I guess the timing wasn't right. So I basically just sent him this beat and he hit me up a week or so later with most of the song written. Then him and Ayomari came through the studio and we finished up the writing and recording. The vibe that day was great and the track came together naturally. I did a couple mixes on it and then we leaked it a couple days later. I heard that somebody actually ripped it off MySpace and leaked it before we had wanted to. They didn't even download it, but actually recorded it off the internet. That was nuts.
What was it like working with TiRon as an artist? I know this can be rough sometimes when you get two creative souls on the same project. How was the connection musically?
The connection is great because I think he's a dope artist and he likes the music I make and what I do with my tracks. We've been hitting the studio pretty hard lately and he'll just vibe out to tracks that I have and come up with ideas and write on the spot. Recently there have been at least two emcees in the studio together too, which is how "Sydney" came about, as well as some new tracks we're working on. We've also been making some tracks from scratch, so he'll be here while I work on the beat, and I can tailor it to his vision for the song. I try to stay out of the way during the writing process and I usually keep my comments positive and say when I'm feeling something. I'm always down to record an idea and see how it sounds, and of course if I don't like it I'll say so and try to figure out a way to make it sound right. Tiron also is crazy in the booth with the way he layer's his vocals, so it's easy to just let him be creative and do his thing. I don't have to do any coaching, which always makes for a smooth studio session.
Obviously the chemistry is there between you two, so what does the future hold for Cook Classics and TiRon?
Well that remains to be seen, but he's working on his debut album right now, and you can be sure that "Sydney" will be on it and hopefully a couple more tracks from me. He'll also be on my project whenever that gets finished (or officially started).
Are there any other projects you're currently working on at the moment?
I'm working heavily with a singer and songwriter named Avriel Epps. The music we're making is CRAZY. You will definitely hear about this in the near future. I'm also working on a compilation album to release in Japan, an EP with the band MUDluscious that should be done soon, and I have a track on the new Diamond D album. Go get that on October 14th!!! I'm also working with Noah King on a solo album, Noelle Scaggs on her official debut, UNI, PacDiv, and of course pushing beats out the door as often as possible. I don't have my hands on those tracks quite as much because I'm just sending the beats out, which is nice because I've already got a lot on my plate at the moment.
We want to thank you again for giving us the opportunity to sit down with you, are there any last comments or shout outs you'd like to give?
Go check out my interview on KUBE 93 in Seattle with DJ Hyphen. You can get the show on the Sound Session page at http://www.KUBE93.com - episode 173. Shout out to Joel Van Dijk, Joe Gonzales, Shiben, Tunji, Greg the Dude and Nieve. My apologies to all the people I left off!