sickboi
“how sickboi found his place as a producer”
A familiar name in the underground, sickboi has carved out his own place in the scene by connecting with artists and developing his sound along the way. we talked about his approach to production, the people who inspire him, and where he wants to take his sound next.
When and why did you start making beats?
I started dabbling with music production at around the age of 9. at first it was just out of curiosity; my cousins from Venezuela showed EDM music from DJ's like Skrillex, Martin Garrix, Avicii, and others. Listening to the music/intros from FIFA gaming channels/Soccer edits also made me more intrigued to learn how these songs were being brought to life.
What’s your earliest memory involving music?
I remember my dad owning a Casio keyboard when i was 2 years old. he used to play me some songs here and there. he probably tried to teach me a couple melodies but i was so little lol. Later on in my life, i did end up learning a bit of the instrument when i had piano classes in high school.
“all my experience from all these past years have brought me to the right path”
Where does the name “sickboi” come from?
When i created my Youtube channel in 2019, i was rushing to find a name to go with it, since i had some beats pending to upload. I just started thinking of various AKAs and "sickboi" was the one that made it through.
Did you ever want to be an artist yourself, or was it always production?
From the start, I've always focused on production, rather than singing. I believe that i can manage being a producer more easily, but I do have a side project where i sing in Spanish (andres t). it's not my primary focus, but I'm beginning to feel more confident with it as i record more songs.
What DAW and gear do you use, and is there one plugin you couldn’t live without?
I use FL Studio for all my music, but i eventually want to learn Logic Pro. Recently, I've been using Cymatics Memory for some of my melodies. It has a random pitch wobble that stands out from the rest of plugins attempting to emulate cassette/tape recorder controls.
What’s the one piece of gear or software you couldn’t live without?
If i were to pass away today, my white Epiphone Les Paul Custom is going to the grave with me too. There are so many styles and possibilities that come along with owning one of these, but what made me get the guitar, was listening to Jamie Rhoden's riffs on every Title Fight song.
What do you do when you’re completely out of ideas?
I've found that hanging out with friends, exercising, or playing videogames usually does the trick when it comes to ending my writer's block. I also think that the genre of music that one creates will dictate how often you suffer from low creativity. Lately, I haven't been through it as much. It typically lasts about a day or two.
You’ve uploaded nearly 700 beats. How do you stay consistent without burning out?
I feel that the songs which inspire me to create beats never end up being "boring" after listening to them repeatedly. I keep coming back to songs that every 5 or so listens, some new mixing techniques come up in my head, or a way that guitar tone can be replicated for example. Discovering new music from my favorite artists also goes a long way. It could be said that my inspirations never make me "burn out". Now, as far as uploading beats daily, I try to make multiple beats in a day so that I can schedule them with ease later on.
What did you learn on the way to 20K subscribers that you wish you’d known at the start?
If I knew that I had to stick with an audience that I resonated with to the fullest extent, and if I had practiced guitar more often earlier on, I don't know that everything would've gone better with my channel, but I do believe that all my experience from all these past years have brought me to the right path, therefore I don't think about it that much
How do you feel about the music scene around you right now?
Even though a part of the scene is making meaningless music just for a quick trend, I'm grateful that I've connected with like-minded artists and musicians who put all of their effort into their craft. Knots, Bruxely, and Jayzen, have all made me a better producer/guitarist and have also been my favorites to keep collaborating with.
If you could produce a whole project for one artist, who would it be?
I could see myself producing a project for artists like Nino Paid, Don Toliver, and Clairo, just to name a few. Though, I would prefer opportunities like these to come incorporated mainly with my guitar-playing skills; it would be more comfortable for me
If your beats were a place, what would it look like?
I could picture my beats feeling like "Apotos" from Sonic Unleashed, Bristol, or a Venezuelan town called "Colonia Tovar", which I got to vist a couple times when I was tounger.
What song do you know every word to that would surprise people?
"Felt Like This" by Summrs.
Why should an artist who’s never heard of you check out your beats today?
I'm pretty confident that any artist who listens to my beat catalogue can find something that truly inspires them to make their best song.
// find sickboi
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