Todays guest for the PPS Q&A is the notorious J.Robb,
aka Swagsurfgawd and honorary member of the Zephyr & Fête collective. Welcome to the interview sir! How are you feeling today?
I’m good man. Its gloomy outside, but I got my caramel frappucino. I’ve been listening to Acoordian by Madvillain on loop for like an hour.
Splendid. What are you drinking?
I don’t drink man, tastes like I’m drinking hand sanitizer but I guess thats the point. I’m 17, so its a tad bit difficult to get some anyway.
What are your favourite ingredients for such swag drippin pieces of music? Maybe a certain drink, a certain sort of weed or something to get you in the mood? How do you get started?
I usually make my most drippy tunes after a nice nap or watching some anime on expensive hulu plus account. I dont like commercials so i pay extra.
Mandatory question:
Your favourite DAW? For what reason (no pun intended)?
Ha! That pun was definitely intended, Reason is booty though. My favorite is FL Studio because it’s what I started with, back when it was FL 9. I went through a period when I was using Logic but I just didnt get the same feeling. I’ve been trying out ableton lately, it looks cool but its so confusing.
At what age did you decide to pursue this path of musical notoriety?
I was 13 when i decided to really go for it. I’ve always been interested in music though for as long as i can remember.
What was your key incident?
Drake’s “Take Care” album had just came out and I got it for free off this blog cuz I was broke at the time. I listened to that album daily and i loved the beats and like the gloomy, somewhat trap aspect of them. I wanted to make songs like that so I looked up T-Minus and Boi1nda and found that they used FL Studio. Its been history ever since.
What did you do before?
I played Call of Duty a lot. Like I used to want to be on MLG and stuff like that. But my priorities shifted to where I’d much rather make music then play games. I’ll stop hop on CoD from time to time and go MLG on dudes.
The harmonies in your pieces impose the question:
Are you an instrumentalist?
Not really. I know basic music theory and I can read music and play piano (poorly). I use my knowledge of music theory and my ears to find what sounds good. Usually if i have a simple melody i can work around it in no time.
Do you think music theory is necessary for success in this sphere or work?
Nah it’s not. In my case it helps a ton. If I didnt know theory I’d be way worse than I am now. But if you can make it work than do what u gotta do to get that flames.
Whats your opinion on Gravez teaming up with JMSN and Elhae?
Its a dope song but I would have put more effort into the instruments. Not saying Gravez isn’t good because he’s proven himself to be great with his success so far. I like the song though. JMSN has a nice Jesus voice.
Are you planning on collaborative efforts together with a vocal artist as well? Would be really a beautiful project.
Yeah I have a bunch of things unreleased with some really great vocalists and other artists, Beya Likhari, Riian Raquel and Naji are my favorite at the moment. Me and Beya are working on a crazy song thats so good. I impressed myself with the drums and percussions on it. Hopefully it will be out soon.
Did you know about KRNEsessions? The dude collaborates together with lesser known amateurs to elaborate their WIP projects and help them gain momentum and exposure. What do you think about that?
I’ll be honest, I live in like a super small bubble and I’m very new to the Soundcloud world so I dont know many artists or things happening within the community. Im glad he’s doing that though because they are some very talented people who dont get enough recognition and credit.
Alfonso X and WNTR are perfect examples of crazy talent that are just waiting to be found. I envy those guys a little becuase they’re production game is so great. I’m honored to have collaborated with them so many times. Shoutout to KRNE for doing what he does though, I defintely respect him for taking the initiative to help out the small guys. That was a really long answer…
Apart from the music you make, what music do you listen to personally?
I got into Madlib and J Dilla this past summer. I know thats terrible that I’m a producer who just found out about two of the best producers ever. But yeah,
been listening to Madvillain daily ever since. and I’m listening to J Dilla albums like Donuts and The Shining. Drake and Travis Scott are also my favorite artists so I bump them daily. Playboicarti too.
What genres do you prefer?
I dont really have a preference, I listen to mostly hip-hop and r&b. But sometimes I’ll get in the mood for jazz or punk. “I Disappear” by The Faint is a good song. The drums in that song are too groovy.
Thank you for taking the time and having a talk with us.
Happy new year to you! All the best in the upcoming year!
Thank you so much. This is like my first interview, it’s been a blast. 2k16 is the year dude. Peace!
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