It feels good to finally get a day to rest, brush my hair (lol), and relax! For the last few weeks I've been going on 3-4 hours of sleep max. Believe me… I love nothing better than the grind but it's always a good thing to disconnect and recharge every once in a while. What have I been doing lately you ask? Simple, everything! Let's see… landed the opening track to Young Capone's next project (preciate the $$$ Nick Love!), finally got all the licensing paperwork done for the Muzak licensing thing for the Atiks, been running sessions @ Hot Beats pretty much everyday (which is always a good thing, every session my chops get faster and my ear gets that much more tuned), trying to find time to bang out new beats (it's hard yall, believe me. I wish there was 30 hours in a day, then I'd have enough time to focus more on production ideas), going back and forth with graphics designers to complete the official Trak Atiks Music, LLC logo so I can start getting it tattooed on all my lovely ladies lower backs, getting tracks to artists to get more material penned to,  trying to decide if I'm gonna invest in a condo downtown or a house this time next year to move into (either or, it's gonna be fly, trust me!), and trying to balance a healthy social life. O, and let me not forget doing so while holding a steady corporate job (benefits baby, yeahhhhhhh) and being a dedicated day currency trader (Hurricane Gustav I hate you, a weekend business trip to New Orleans is now down the drain). So yeah, the grind is 25/8 over here, just the way I like it!

 Recently the majority of the ATLien engineers from GearSlutz.com had a meet and greet at the Graveyard Tavern off Glenwood. It was a nice little shindig, got to get up and network with a lot of talented engineers from the A. It's always good to build relationships with your fellow industry brethren. My motto is… if you're gonna be in the same yard, you might as well be friends right? So me being the cool dude that I am (since '84, I came out the womb with some black locs on, true story) the first round of drinks was on me (Sam I Am, you missed out mane!). Hopefully everyone will keep this monthly meeting going and it'll turn into something big. While we're on the engineering note, it's come to my attention that a lot of people think that becoming an engineer (first it was being a rapper, then being a producer now is the trend moving towards engineers?) is an overnight thing… WRONG! It takes years; let me repeat that, YEARS to learn to become an engineer. It takes time to learn to learn what engineering is in the first place, then how to correctly assist, then how to correctly track, then how to correctly mix, etc… it doesn't have to necessarily go in that particular order, but that's the order that I see for my situation. People, please stop thinking that you can throw a Waves L1 on an output buss, overly wet reverb on vocals, and over hype the high end with an eq to make it sound "crisp" (harsh is the better term) and that makes you an engineer. NO!!! In my opinion, an engineer is a person who can take any (I mean any) sound source and make it sound better. Someone who can handle any performance task, whether it be a full orchestra, a diva R&B vocalist, or someone hitting a bucket with a spoon, properly record the sound and make it sound the best that it can possibly sound, no questions asked. That's what I'm aiming for. I want to be known as the engineer who can handle hip-hop/rap on Monday, R&B on Tuesday, engineer smooth jazz on Wednesday, make the low end drum n' bass hit right on Thursday, make your favorite country singer and band sound golden on Friday, capture spoken word and voiceovers on Saturday, and have my churches choir sound like they're ready to go on tour Sunday. That's what I want to be an engineer, all the greats inspire me. Tom Dowd, Bob Clearmountain, Jimmy Douglass, The Lord-Alge's, Tony Maserati, Roger Nichols, Tony Platt, Ken Lewis, Phil Tan, John Frye, David Pensado, Brain Gardner, Young Guru, Neal H. Pogue, and Mike Pela. Those figures inspire me to be the best that I can be so that one day I can look back upon years and years of work and be like damn… I was a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad boy! I know it'll happen simply b/c everything in my life that I've ever put my mind and action to, I've accomplished. I love that it's not easy though, I love the fact that I have to be on call every second of the day and that I have sooooo much ahead of me that I haven't learned or experienced but I'm up for the challenge. Enough of that, I can go on and on about engineering (don't get me started).

Right now there are three songs that I absolutely can't get out of my head!

The White Stripes- We're Going To Be Friends

Amy Winehouse- Fuck Me Pumps

Air- Mer du Japon

Don't ask why, lol, those songs have just been stuck in my head permanently lately. As most people who know me personally know… I don't listen to the norm. I can't remember the last time I actually listened to anything mainstream or on the radio. Besides good ole Gucci Mane, I hardly listen to any new rap actually. If you catch me listening to anything rap wise it's usually Devin the Dude, Scarface, or some old OutKast/Goodie Mob and that's about it. Lately, I don't know why, but I've been drawn more so to music with just that, music, no lyrics, or if any lyrics at all very minimal. There's something about zoning out to just notes that gets me (probably because a lot of the lyrics today aren't worth listening to, just my opinion). Well on that note, it's time for me to get ready for the 2am rush on the forex market. For everyone that's been hitting me up concerning emails that they've sent me, I'm sorry I haven't responded back, things have been hectic but I'll get to them as soon as time permits. Until next time!

Rel

7-26-08

Random thoughts of an Atik

(Clears throat) ahhh hmmm! Time for another blog. Hasn't had time to continue my blogging but since I have a little free time today… I might as well! First up… make sure you get Huey's sophomore project when it comes out! I didn't get his last album but I tracked quite a few songs off his current project over the last week and had a front row seat to hear the majority of his project and I must say that this is a more complete album than the last imo. Shout out to the big homie Deezle for puttin' me in the drivers' seat for the engineering tasks this week at Hot Beats. Mane, I learned so much while in those sessions. For everyone who doesn't know who Deezle is, he produced quite a few cuts off of Wayne's album (now at 2.5 Millie sold) and is his primary engineer besides Fabian. Dude is talented as fuck and being around the team exposed me to so much game that you know I sponged up! The definition of a producer is even more tatted in my brain now after seeing him get the best performances out of Huey, Bobby Valentino, Shanell, and Young Joc over the week's marathon sessions. Being a producer is more than just orchestrating the music, you also have to conduct and coach every little detail of the song if you truly want to make classic music. I can't wait for everyone to hear the material that was cut (I have two favorites that I know will make the album! Wait until you hear the surprises). After my next few checks are cashed I think it's time for me to go shopping and get some more toys! I finally got to hear first hand how amazing Apogee convertors can be on sound sources. The depth, clarity, and just overall quality they add to your sound is just amazing! I'm a believer now. I'm thinkin' of buyin' another MPC (leanin' towards the 4k) and might even splurge on an Open Labs Miko (I know, just a pc/midi controller in a box) and at least one good, solid rack mount (fantom or motif… decisions, decisions…) so that I can have some road gear (I hate packin' up my current setup). O yea, I have one and a possible on Young Capone's indie release and a few more placements on some other Indies projects (that's where the $$$ is ppl!). So look out for those as well, I show love to the Indies, best believe that, but you have to be about business, I don't have time for BS. New hard drive finally came back from the homie Ken Lewis in NY. Now I'm stocked w/ even more sounds! Close to a TB now… I think I'm addicted to sounds, I mean really. I'm thinkin' about sellin' sound kits once I find some time to go through and organize things even more. That will go into effect after the new website is up (should be next month). When I tell you this Trak Atiks brand is going to be an international movement I mean it!!! Wait and see, I can show you better than I can tell you. Aside from music my life consists of… music… so why not give my all into somethin' that I'm passionate about and truly love? I get paid to do what I love for a living… there is no better feeling than that people! NONE! Well besides good sex but that's hard to come by. On that note, everyone keeps asking me why I'm single. I'm handsome (yep, I know it, not conceited, just confident), intelligent, a go getter, etc… all the qualities of a perfect catch so why am I single? Simple, because I don't have time to commit to anything but myself right now that's why (had to answer that question in the blog b/c I get tired of answering it on facebook and MySpace, lol). I'd be lying to any woman if I said I could put the right amount of time in to actually be fair in a situation that's more than a fling. I'm going to be a millionaire by the age of 25, that's my vision, that's my task, and when I reach it I'll set my sights on the next big number, a billion. So until I get myself where I want to be I can't be serious with anyone, just being truthful. I know one thing that certainly has my eye and attention as of late though… that damn Nissan GT-R! WOW! I love that car. I'm in a toss up between the Lotus Elise and it as the next car for me to ride off the dealers' lot with (after the first house is closed on). Until then (soon) I'll keep drooling over it and chasing my dreams. For everyone who thought I was lying, ya boy has been on the 2 miles a day run for about a month now! I feel like I could run a marathon right about now (let me take that back, I'm not on that level yet!). I actually think that I'm addicted to running now. It gives me so much energy, energy that I need as an aspiring engineer/producer. While everyone else is sleep and tired, I want to be able to kick into another gear and keep goin' smooth. So remember that, while you sleep, I WORK, I get BETTER! That's what keeps me going, knowing that everyday I get better at something, small steps lead to giant successes. On that note, it's time for me to throw on the running shows and go run some more before I get ready to bang out some beats for tonight. Until next time! Stay down my fellow Atiks!

Rel

8:46 PM... I had to post a blog after watching the interview done on DJ Toomp (one of the biggest reasons for me even wanting to become a music producer PERIOD!). The man dropped SO much knowledge in 30 minutes that takes most people to even pick up over a decade or two (or three). He truly is one of the most influential music producers of the Atlanta sound that we hear today (some of the others are Rico Wade, Mr. DJ, Jermaine Dupree, Dallas Austin, Babyface, etc... I could go on for days). The thing that inspires me even more so than his music is the fact that he reaches back and gives game on how to become a better person in general. Anybody can hit you across the head about music all day but to actually school people on how to handle yourself as a man/woman, invest your money, be your own boss, and build up your family is very rare. That to me sets him on another level! To have accomplished so much in a career that still has a lot of accolades to come and be so humble and down to earth is something we should all look up to. As a student of music (all genres) I'm honored to have someone like this showing me and my peers the ropes. He truly is the OG! Now... back to the grind! Graduation is in 11 days! Atlanta, here I come!

1/3- http://youtube.com/watch?v=cvWbJPDkOUU
2/3- http://youtube.com/watch?v=9bO0esbpTOY
3/3- http://youtube.com/watch?v=GLZzU-H2xVc

2:33 AM... up listenin' to Raheem Devaughn and organizin' 100 GB's of drums still. LOL, this is gonna take all weekend but it feels so good to actually have all of my drums organized so that I don't have to search through a haystack for a certain sound. Plus... the more I listen to some of my drums... I have drums that I STILL have never heard/used before. After that my next step is to do the same with my vinyl collection... then the fun starts! I'll be able to make more custom drums and layer different sounds to make new sounds. New sounds = new ideas and more music. Well back to the crates and organizin'. Ciao!

Rel
myspace.com/trakatiksmusic
trakatiksmusic@gmail.com