Beatroot 2012 Producer Profile: Osna

This is the second of six producer profiles for the Beatroot 2012 Grand Championships. Beatroot is Hawaiiʻs long standing beat battle. Osna is a producer who hails from Aliamanu (A-Town), Honolulu Hawaii.

Beatroot 2012 Producer Profile: Maineframe

With the blessing of Kavet the Catalyst and Lightsleepers, Iʻve taken the task of filming, editing, and designing all of this yearʻs Beatroot Producer Profiles for the 2012 Grand Championships. A huge, but fulfilling undertaking as there are 6 finalists. The first of six is Maineframe, producer originally from Richmond Virginia, now residing in Honolulu Hawaii.

For those not in the know, Beatroot is Hawaiiʻs long standing beat battle, founded in the mid 2000s. I consider it an honor to be able to participate by creating the visuals leading up to the Grand Championships. Hawaii continues to me amaze me with the amount of talented, creative heads who not only work hard, but put out some of the dopest music from this side of the Pacific. Makes me proud to call this place home. Donʻt sleep.

Beat block.

My two part definition of beat block is: the mental brick wall preventing one from completing a beat; a point in time when leaving a beat to die is necessary. These are circumstances I’m far too familiar with and something I continue to struggle with even with “x” amount of years producing beats.

In the case of the mental brick wall, this situation relies on the following negative characteristics: self doubt, distraction, laziness, lack of ambition, and procrastination. The good, these can be overcome with their positive counterparts: confidence, focus, motivation, drive, and doing something now. If this is what you have to deal with, you’re more than equipped to overcome beat block. Don’t sweat the imperfections so much, stay tuned to one task at a time, and take as long as you need to – you can always revisit your work. Most especially, follow your gut and trust your ears. » Continue reading…

When is a beat done?

To this day, I ask myself that question. With this post I’d like to dig in a little deeper, provide some background, and reveal my own decision making process and how it results in an end piece.

First let me explain what I do know about my musical preferences, especially that of my own music. I like simplicity. There’s a quote by Claude Debussy (classical composer) that resonates with me, “Music is the space between the notes.” I’ve found throughout the years that the type of music that moves me isn’t heavily orchestrated, it’s mostly works that are less busy, more airy & open.

I place importance on the groove/feeling of a beat rather than the amount of audible layers it has. If I can physically “feel” a beat, then it has moved beyond ear candy to something more personal. I equate “feeling” to the bodily chills that some beats give me or the “fuuuck! this beat is the shiiiiit!” moments I have when hearing certain tracks. If a beat can do that, it has penetrated my being. I’m not impressed by overly complex compositions or the amount of layers/samples that folks cram into their works. If it doesn’t have a consistent groove that keeps me nodding my head nor an ounce of soul, then it has failed to capture me. Some of the greatest beats I’ve heard in my life have been simple 2 bar melodic loops with drums on top (see some of RZA’s early works). That’s the type of dude I am, and those songs are ones I probably still listen to today. » Continue reading…

The process of “The Process”

A few days ago I released a short film I created titled “The Process” which is a small glimpse into the way I create beats and the various tools I use. Through sound and imagery I hoped to express the “essence” of beatmaking rather than detail every step involved. I figured there were enough well-done tutorials out there that accomplished that task so I thought it’d be interesting to create something less explanatory and more open to interpretation. I wanted to capture some of the less glamorized details that tend to go unnoticed when a hip hop instrumental is born. » Continue reading…