Interview with Cobe Jones
What genre is this track?
This track is a mix between Pop-Trap and Contemporary R&B. My 1st musical love is Hip-Hop, but I am intrigued and have a major crush on Pop music, too, and so I naturally tend to lean toward a concoction of those two energies.
You have really interesting melodies in this track. What’s your process for writing all the vocal hooks? (Do you freestyle on top of a beat, or use another technique?)
My technique for coming up with melodies usually starts with me freestyling into my phone or in the booth, mostly focusing on melody and syllable placement, after which I start narrowing the right melodies down.
What’s your biggest inspiration in music, and how do you use that?
My biggest inspiration in music is the feeling it can give to a person and the unity it can bring different people. Among other things, that is what drives me most to make the best music I can.
Tell us about your creative process for this song: how did you get it started?
My creative process for this song began when I went through some different video game soundtracks, just random, none in particular. I chanced upon this one this one beautiful, angelic, and foreign sounding vocal melody that I took and distorted, switched it up to the melody and pace I wanted it to be, and it gave me a really emotional and other-worldly feeling.
From there, I added a few pads, synths, and some interesting sounds to drive the musical melodies home, and that’s what we hear now: a combination of a few “emotionally galactic” sounds. From there the rest of the production really glided easier since the main attraction of the song seemed to be “there” already. The drums and bass came out the way they did because I wanted something a bit gritty to compliment the nice, spacey sounds. Added a little bit of flavor on top of that and that’s about it.
Did you record the vocal right away, or start with an instrumental? (What was your workflow?)
I sat on the vocal for a few months, as I sometimes do with specific songs, and when it felt right I finished writing the melodies and lyrics and laid them down over a couple days.
Any favorite DAWs, software or hardware in your arsenal?
My favorite DAW is Ableton.
What tips can you share for other producers, any favorite hacks or techniques?
A tip I can share with other producers is to not think too heavily into what you’re creating. Less thinking and more playing is how I usually make my music, and it seems to work out well for me. Obviously everyone is different, but I study the people I look up to and there tends to be a pattern of simplicity in a lot of great music that I’m into.
What do you see as the future of music in 2019?
I see the future of music in 2019 as being a collective of sounds crossing a lot of different genres, which we already are starting to witness with the likes of Lil Peep and The 1975, etc…
Will you continue making tracks like this one – is this a style that’s true to your artistic vision, or a happy surprise that you made it?
I will continue making tracks that are probably similar to this one but not because I try to, rather it’s because I tend to gravitate toward creating more emotionally charged tunes with some hard drums underneath to balance the mood out.
What would be a dream goal for you as a musician?
A dream goal for me as a musician would be to become a successful singer, song-writer, and producer not only for myself but tons of talented artists spanning the globe.
