If you're on twitter and you make music, whether you're a producer or emcee, and you aren't using it to network then you aren't using it right. But who am I to tell you how to use social networking. However, I've watched some amazing collabs come together via twitter and TMB has also connected with some very talented folks via the network to present some projects.
That leads us to our latest collaboration with Wisconsin producer Mark V. The beat maker out of Racine has been making beats for about seven years on and off again. He's coming off a two year hiatus and a Miltown Beat Down feature and linked up with us for a project we're calling Season Change. You know, it's August and we're quickly approaching the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Mark V. flips some soulful samples and creates the perfect backdrop for the transition from the warm weather of Summer and cool breeze of Fall.
It was an idea that we both built on and I'm happy to finally present it to our readers. Mark V. is a talented dude. Give this joint a listen and enjoy. Peep the project and a quick Q&A after the jump. Chea!
Who is your favorite producer?
Mark V: I'll have to do multiples here. There's no way I could pick JUST one. I'd have to go DJ Premier, J Dilla, Kanye West, Just Blaze, DJ Khalil and Black Milk. Oh, just one guy? No way! So, top 6? (laughs)
In an ideal world, who would you like to produce music for?
Mark V: Ideally??? Like... if I had every chip fall in place, like I had just won the lottery, I'd love to hear people like Royce 5'9 destroy something on a solo track. I'd practically kill to work with others like Jay, Nas, Talib, Mos Def, Kanye, Common, Bun B, and maybe Drake... MAYBE Drake (laughs). Who am I kidding? If I could I probably would. But honestly, my ideal world right now isn't existant so I'm grateful to be able to work with anyone who's willing to give me a chance. I've got a couple tracks I think at the moment I'm going with a Minneapolis MC that goes by the name of Knonam. That guy is flat out downright disgusting. I can't wait to hear what the hell he's done with my beats.
What's your approach to creating a beat?
Mark V: My first thought process is... Ok... Don't fuck this up. I'll listen to the song I'm about to sample probably five to six times through so I can hear everything thoroughly and not focus on just one part I want to sample. So if I hear a sick melody, then my thought's going to be stuck on that melody and then I'll miss a really nice breakdown. I'll mark the spots that I'm intrigued to chop up after the fifth listen or so, and I'll kind of go from there. It also really depends on which producer I'm drowning myself with in that time frame. For example, if I've been listening to a lot of Just Blaze produced tracks, I'm more tempted to utilize cymbals and crashes with hard slapping drums and not really do as much chopping to a sample as I normally would. I've also been experimenting with adding my own piano and synthesizer to a beat when I feel it might add a little bit more depth. One thing I'm trying to hone in my sound is creating a more full, thick, overall bigger sound. I just recently seen Kanye West at a venue here about a month ago and his sound in his production is just heavy and fierce. That's the level I want to get at sonically.
What equipment do you use?
Mark V: I'll tell you what, as far as equipment goes, I haven't had the best luck. I had an MPC but that unfortunately got toasted in a flood. Since then I've just mastered Adobe Audition (formerly Cool Edit), Logic, and I'm getting pretty good with the ProTools if some recording were to ever come about. I also recently just got a line in on my iPhone and I've been using the Bebot App on that as well as a bunch of piano/organ/keyboard based apps that really sound fresh once I clean them up to add that extra layer to distinguish and bridge the beat to the hook and so on and so on. I'm still trying to perfect ideally what I'd like to do to utilize them but, it will definitely come in due time. Outside of that, I'm still saving money here and there when I can at all to get a synth/keyboard/new turntable. All in due time.
What's next?
Mark V: Well, we'll see. I've been doing this for a while most would say but I also had a two year gap in between that. So I'm still sort of revamping my style quite a bit. A lot of people don't know that on my bandcamp page, I've got a monthly beat tape series. It starts with February and goes up to this point. I was on a 2 1/2 year hiatus until that February beat tape was made. So I've "technically" been at this fresh again for 6 months roughly. Since the restart though, I've discovered some new tactics to my beats, I've got enough of a catalog now built up to where I'm shopping beats around to artists who are looking for work. Some local, some national (crossing my fingers on that), and we'll see what happens with it. All I know is, all I need is a chance to be able to be heard and have an opportunity to create with someone, just like any other person who makes music. But more than anything I'm humble and I use that as my baseline and my foundation. I'm grateful for the opportunity to do this Q&A, I'm grateful for the upload, I'm grateful for anyone who even opens their ears to listen to any of my stuff, shit, I'm even grateful for the person who listens to one of my beats for 10 seconds, and then turns it to something different because they didn't like it. Maybe it'll strike the right chord with someone and we can build. At some point, somethings got to give. Right?
twitter.com/therealmarkv
therealmarkv.bandcamp.com
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