Read the Low-Ki Beats | Dakota Wood Interview below and share it on social media.
Please tell our readers who you are and what you do?
For the past 20 years I had wanted to work in the film industry. I grew up quite poor so a lot of my entertainment as a child and young adult came through movies and music. I would watch hundreds of movies, marveling at the stories that people could come up with, appreciating the amazing visuals that they were able to achieve, and most importantly feeling the music and film scores tie everything together; it was a work of art to me and I knew I had to be a part of it. I worked very hard to become a part of it. Eventually I applied for 3D Animation in Film at Centennial College in Toronto, ON. At the time I was living in Kingston, ON, I had no money, and no idea how I would be able to afford to move to Toronto and go to college but I went for it anyway. College did not work out for me and I eventually found myself without a diploma, in massive debt, once again with no money, and no career. I ended up living out of youth homeless shelters for quite a few months. While I was living here I received an email from a film studio I had applied to a few months prior stating that I had been selected for an interview. To make a long story short, I nailed the interview, got the job, and became very good at my job very quickly. I finally did it. I made my dream come true of working on official big budget films such as Spiderman Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok. What I did not realize was once you achieve your biggest goal in life you realize that it is either just how you dreamed it would be or it is very far from it. I knew shortly after that film was not for me. The only two things I really had any passion for growing up were film and music and now knowing that film was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life I knew music was. So I quit my job at the film studio, spent countless hours, days, and weeks studying music production and learning everything I had to know about music to make it in this industry. I began making tracks and understandably bad ones at that but the learning curve was quick. Now I make music full time. I may still have no money from it but I love what I do and have really found a passion in creating music while hopefully influencing and inspiring others to follow they passions the way I did with mine.
How would you describe your influences and how have they changed over the years?
My influences in music change all the time. I grew up with classic rock and rap. Pink Floyd, Metallica, AC/DC, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, etc. Which I still absolutely love. However with music being so different now than it was in the 90’s I have kept an open mind to all genres of music and have tried to learn something from the different artistic styles that I listen to. Part of the reason I got into making music was because of a good friend of mine and amazing rapper here in Toronto, EyeAmI, let me listen to a few of his tracks and some artists that he likes which in turn lead me to artists that I admire like Metro Boomin who is making very distinct tracks which heavily inspired my initial style when I started making music as well. I really enjoy all genres of music but I love to make mellow beats and dark mellow beats because I am able to relate more to that style and really tell a story with my music. I feel that it encapsulates my story and I am able to share that it a creative way with others.
What´s new right now?
So, right now I actually just finished a two option contract with my label Spaced Out Records and will hopefully be taking part in the Toronto Remix Project soon which is like a music mentorship program I suppose would be a good way to put it. That way I can take some time to really hone my craft as a musical artist and create some really amazing tracks for everyone. I just recently released an EP that took me back to my roots in way. The EP is called “Nostalgia” and it is mainly an 80’s retro synthwave EP.
I really wanted to branch out from the style I was doing and try something new while also staying true to myself and my stories. I am also hoping by the end of 2018 I have a couple new albums that will blow the socks of anyone listening so stay with me on this journey and expect some great things to come out of this year!
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Are you a superfan of anyone? How did you become a superfan? Do you remember how you become a fan and what turned you into super fan? Have you ever thought about why you´re such a fan?
I am a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino and Hans Zimmer. I relate to Quentin Tarantino in a lot of ways but what really won me over was his ability to keep a positive outlook on his situations and continue his pursuit of passion. I love his unique, in your face film style which is totally his own at this point alongside his soundtracks for his films creates such a creative masterpiece. Hans Zimmer I am also a huge fan of because of his incredible view on music itself and his very genuine personality. His scores are a work of art and simply beautiful to listen to through any medium.
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What was the biggest mistake you made when you started making music and what would be the number one tip you could give to a newcomer musician?
Being a newcomer myself I find that one of the biggest mistakes I made was not looking for a mentor sooner. Having a mentor to guide and mold you as you are starting out will be a huge advantage to you in so many ways. Also, as a side note, do not release any music you are not 100% happy with. When you are starting out, show your friends and family your music and get honest feedback so you can get better faster, but don’t release a demo or EP just for the sake of having something to show. Wait until you can feel proud to show people your music to release it.
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How do you get gigs? Can you share any tips?
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Do you have good promotion tips for other musicians?
I mainly promote myself through word of mouth and making connections. I am honestly not the best when it comes to promoting myself which is why I recommend if you are not either to hire a social media promoter to promote your image and sound for you. Also, take every opportunity you can to make connections in the industry. If there is a music event near you, if you hang out on a music blog or forum, or just happen to make some new friends who are interested in music, make sure to make it known some way or another that you do make music and to give them an easy access link to some of your best work.
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Do you have insights on how to grow your audience on soundcloud that you want to share with our audience?
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What has been your biggest challenge right now? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
My biggest challenge right now as well as in the past would definitely come down to the money. It is very difficult to want to upgrade your equipment, buy necessary software or plugins, or have the time to put the most into your music when you need to worry about costs so often. I have not yet overcome this challenge but I hope to soon enough. I just keep trying new things and taking all the opportunities I can get to further my music career.
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How do you personally discover new music?
I personally find new music through the styles of music I intend on making. If I am making a song that is very rap heavy than I will go on Youtube or Spotify and listen to the curated playlists within that genre or style and really study each track. I usually find a lot of new artists and songs I enjoy this way. I also will put on a playlist of a genre or style completely different from what I have been listening to recently to mix things up a bit and have a new perspective on the music.
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Once you discovered new music, do you tell others about the new music/artist you discovered? If yes, how exactly?
“Usually if I discover an artist or song I really enjoy than it will naturally come up in conversation with my musical friends or if they are really good I will play the song or artist for them and make sure they know how great they are.
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What is your number one tip to improve your music production or songwriting skills?
Honestly, my number one tip for improving your production skills is to do your research. I spend probably 80% of my creation time doing research on the type of music I want to create and learn everything I need to about it to begin making a track that works for that style or genre. Create a YouTube playlist specifically for your own use and add videos you coming across to it that you feel will be invaluable to improving your skills. Once you have a decent sized playlist and you have studied and really listened to the genre or style you are working with (having Spotify playlists with that specific genre and listening to each sound in those songs will really help) than you should be ready to make a track. This comes with some trial and error first. Your first few tracks may not be great but it is only to learn how to make that style sound good and make it sound the way you want. After a few test tracks you should be able to make songs in that style in your sleep and you will notice that your production skills are come very far in a short amount of time.
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What is your best tip for those who struggle with finishing their tracks?
I do two things when I am having a hard time finishing a track. #1. I will put it aside for a few days or a few weeks and come back to it with a fresh outlook which usually works. Or #2. If I am on a deadline and I do not have time to wait a few weeks to finish the track I will finish the length of the track that I want (usually around 3-4 minutes) even if it sounds terrible and has repeated sections. Finishing something is better than not finishing at all. Once I have the time frame down I can begin to structure the song how I want it. (again, even if it sounds bad right now getting the structure down will help in the long run) Once I have done that I can begin going through the track part by part and change and fix things on the fly until I have a decent song. Then finally I do this again, going through and making sure I fix everything I wanted to fix part by part until the song is complete. ALSO, do not dwell on it. Leave it for a few hours or a day but not too long. Listen to it a few times to make sure it sounds the way you want then put it somewhere and leave it be until you are ready to release. You don’t want to change too much and eventually end up ruining the track because you spent too much time fixing things that didn’t need fixing.
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We meet again in one year. What has changed?
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http://www.soundcloud.com/gkprod
https://www.facebook.com/LowKiBeats
https://www.instagram.com/beatslowki/
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Enter your questions to the artist in the facebook comment section below.
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