The Sweet Lyfe: Sonic Skillz Interview

Tae had a chance to sit with Sonic Skillz and get his outlook on hip hop and being a producer. Check it out:

Tae:

Who is Sonic Skillz and how do you stand out from being another run of the mill producer?

Sonic Skillz:
Sonic Skillz is the alter ego of DCT, who's just a mild-mannered guy from New York who lives in Florida and loves to create. I think I stand out from being another run of the mill producer, by simply trying to be me. A lot of guys try to hard to replicate whatever sound is hot at the time, but as for me, I really try to find my own style.

Tae:

How would you describe your music?

Sonic Skillz:
My music is a mix of different things - it's based in hip hop and R&B, with jazz, new age, and orchestral influences. And lots of Rhodes piano!

Tae:

Who would you say influenced you the most musically?

Sonic Skillz:
Wow, there's no way I could limit it to just one person, but I'll just name a few if I may: Quincy Jones was a huge influence, the stuff he did with Michael Jackson really helped to provide the soundtrack to my childhood. Besides him, I'd probably say composers of video game music were a big influence on me. Like most kids growing up in the 80s and 90s, I probably played more games than I should have, but a lot of the songs from those games stuck in my mind.

Tae:

Who are your top 5 artists?

Sonic Skillz:
If I had to narrow it down to 5, I'd say (in no particular order): Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Mark Hill, Joshua Morse, and Eminem.

Tae:

What kind of equipment do you use?

Sonic Skillz:
I mostly work with FL Studio, with some stuff done using Reason and Cool Edit.

Tae:

Is there any advice you’d like to give upcoming artists or producers?

Sonic Skillz:
Like I said before, just be you. Not every rapper is going to be Jay-Z or Lil Wayne, and not every producer is gonna be Timbaland or Kanye West. Don't try to be the next "big name," be the first you.

Tae:

What upcoming projects are you working on?

Sonic Skillz:
Right now, I'm mostly producing tracks for artists on my independent label, Urbanizm Music. I'm also working on an album entitled Sonic Underground, which will feature me producing or co-producing tracks for emcees of different styles and from different parts of the world.

Tae:

How can people get in touch with you?

Sonic Skillz:
The best way to get in touch with me is thru my website, http://www.sonicskillz.com or my label's website, http://www.urbanizmmusic.com. For those that have Twitter, I'm there at http://www.twitter.com/SonicSkillz.

Tae:

Thank you for the interview is there anything else you would like to add?

Sonic Skillz:
I'd like to thank you very much for the interview, and to thank people for supporting me and my music. If there are any performers looking for beats, or anyone who just wants to vibe, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.