Community Artist Of The Month June 2023 - Snowji
In the second edition of our Community Artist of the Month series we are delighted to showcase Snowji, a French beatmaker and drummer.
Snowji has been dropping impressive singles throughout the year. The one that really stood out for us was 'Tropicana' which has been on repeat on our playlist recently. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Snowji for a brief chat where we discussed his musical beginnings, his favourite beat makers and much more.
With as many as three EP’s dropping this year, Snowji is in for a very busy year indeed!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first got started making music?
I got my first drum kit when I was 5 years old, one of my cousins gave it to me because he was going to stop. I started with just hitting the kit and then learned basic patterns with old school books and CD’s.
I really started to play music at 13 years old when I took courses and created my first live band.
Talk a little bit about your setup, what software/hardware do you use?
I mainly use Studio One 6. I find it similar to Ableton. It has a real interface, arrangement view and dope stock plugins. Otherwise, to make a quick draft or fun sampling stuff I sometimes use Maschine too because I use my MK3 a lot.
Hardware wise, it’s mainly my controllers : Komplete Kontrol 169, Maschine MK3, Yamaha DTX12, and some instruments : a basic Squier guitar and percs. I would like to use my drums (a custom vintage Pearl export) and my other instruments but I don’t have the space for it in my current apartment. My drum kit sleeps in my drum studio in my parents garden :D
Do you have any favourite plugins that you use on pretty much everything?
The stock FET Compressor of Studio One, Novatron (Kush audio) with the stock saturation and the J37 from Waves to push and mix my drums. RC-20 is on the list as well for sure. For drums I could easily add Addictive Drums 2.
Instrument wise I will often use Lounge Lizard for Rhodes and many instruments in Komplete Kontrol. All the Play Series samplers are dope as well.
Finally, Serato Sample because I sample a lot.
And how do you normally start a track, is it drums, a melody, sampling or something else?
It depends. For my solo tracks I often start with a sample because as a drummer, my melodic skills are limited to be as creative as what's in my head. Starting with chords is rare but totally possible when I’m in the mood.
Sometimes I start with drums but it’s only when I have a specific pattern in my head.
Collab-wise, I always appear when people have a draft or a work in progress so I just have to add my touch to it.
Looking through your Spotify you have already released 17 singles in 2023, how do you manage to stay so consistent with your releases?
The first factor for that is the scheduling chance that often coincided with my own free dates and label availability. Some tracks were ready at the end of 2022.
The second factor is mainly because I collaborate a lot. I love sharing the process, emotion around the creation of a track. I take more pleasure in sharing this experience so following what I have to do on the track (only drums ? or drums + arrangement/mix/master), I can organise my time to be the most efficient depending on my workload.
You just released a collaboration with Erwin Do, SkaR and Just Steezy Things called ‘Tropicana’ which we absolutely love! How did that track come about?
Me and SkaR saw that a label opened submissions for a summer/bossa compilation and we were down to try something. To build the best possible track, SkaR suggested working with instrumentalists to get a more live vibe. Earlier in the year we discovered Erwin Do on Instagram, a really great pianist and also SkaR wanted to add real guitars ; and we thought about Just Steezy Things for this. It was tough to find a start that worked for everyone but it was super fun and rewarding.
What strategies or practices do you implement to overcome creative blocks and find inspiration when you're feeling stuck?
Do something else (gaming, time with people, web development), collaborate with other people with their own creativity to boost mine.
I just do something else mainly because I don’t want to force it and be disappointed afterwards. In that case I will play some video games, chill with my girlfriend/friends, go outside or work on some other creative things like photography or editing as well as web development.
I would like to just play drums, practicing new techniques, making covers but I can't, therefore sometimes I open a VST and play with them to find new settings or sounds.
And the last thing is: collaborate. When I’m stuck, I enjoy other people’s drafts and I will absorb the vibe of their track to gain some motivation and bring out some ideas.
Who are some of your favourite beatmakers in the scene right now?
Hard question because the list is long haha, but I can say all the Chillhop lineup; Afroham, Birocratic, Ian Ewing, Style Davis, Bequem, Monma and Kupla etc.
I also have to mention all the french guys; Odyssee, L’Indécis, CYGN, and more.
And for sure Cartoons, The Kount, Kaelin Ellis, FKJ, etc.
I’ve not got one favourite, but rather a list of styles I like.
If you could give one piece of advice to somebody getting into making music now, what would it be?
Simplicity!
Sometimes there will be a run of creativity but without emotion or efficiency. So don’t forget to keep your stuff simple but catchy. We often remember a track because the lead or the groove hits us, not just because the sound design is dope. It’s a balance, go forward step by step and never forget to have fun. Music comes before emotion and is a game to enjoy before being an industry or whatever (wow I may be too serious haha.)
And finally, what have you got lined up for the rest of the year?
This year is important for me because I invested more time in music, to really follow my own vibes (more dusty, oldschool, even if I’m not against working outside my range to gain experience) and to reach a specific goal!
I’ve got 3 EP’s dropping this summer, each one with an important context for me :
- The first one ‘Searching for the Chimeras’ is a collaboration with Naute, a french pianist and illustrator. We made a project about quest/travel. I’m so proud of this project because we’ve put a lot of energy into it to create a real vibe. The first single is out now, with the full EP out on the 27th June.
- The second one ‘In The Shade’ is a collaboration with SkaR, an Italian producer. We made this EP in the summer of 2022 in a short time for a label that passed on it in the end. However, we finally found a home for it this summer. It’s dropping on the 14th July.
- The last one is my first proper solo project, I can’t count my old EPs because they were to just to enter the scene and they sound really outdated (I was a beginner in production). It’s a sample based project that I hope people will really like because it’s the first step to pushing one of my vibes. The project name is KISS for ‘Keep It Supra Simple’. I tried to create simple but catchy tracks like I said above. The first single drops August 14th with a full EP on 13th September.
Big shout out to Snowji for letting us into his world and sharing his production process. You can check out all of his music on Spotify and be sure to give him a follow on Instagram.