(cover photo by @barelyhispanic)
Every producer has to grapple with defining their sound. It can be hard to do so in such a collaborative discipline, where beat makers are often asked to create for certain vibes or vocal styles, even tapering their own creative impulses at times if the situation requires it. On the other end of the spectrum, beat tapes are where producers can fully explore their own intuitions to truly create something that represents their uninhibited imaginative potential. It’s clear that Moszs took full advantage of this freedom with Blue, a tape that he feels is a major step forward in his pursuit of his “sound,” the result of taking chances and exploring different techniques to test out new sonic elements and combinations.
Every track almost sounds like it could have been produced by a different person, but there’s an underlying thread that connects each track, emerging in certain patterns such as sample selection and percussive texture. Despite the connotations of the title, the tape showcases a wide range of emotions, challenging listeners to consider the feelings they associate with certain things, as well as their reasons for doing so.
We spoke with Moszs about his creative process, Blue, and what we can look out for in the future. Check out our conversation below:
What was the inspiration behind this tape?
I just wanted to explore new sounds, and different ways to tell stories. Different drum patterns, different sample chops, trying to step out of my comfort zone. It’s not all perfectly on beat, so certain parts give you this weird feeling, it’s almost like a different frequency of sorts.
So maybe it’s not as much about a specific theme, it’s more about a feeling or a process?
Yeah, I tried to create a whole mood around it, something that you could think on while you’re listening. It’s supposed to provoke ideas.
So is that something you knew before going into the project, or is that something you discovered while you were making it?
It kind of came together as I added more beats into the pool to pick from for the tape. I was just making a lot of beats and I would put them all together and listen, and eventually I started to see some patterns and ways that different songs could fit together, so those were the ones I chose. I tried to throw some chaotic elements in there too.
What do you hope people will think or feel when they listen to the tape?
I hope people feel inspired by hearing something that is a little bit different, I hope it provokes some type of creative energy. That’s really why I make music, because I love it, and being introduced to new elements, new sounds, it’s all important to the process. If I can just spark something, even for someone who doesn’t usually listen to this type of music, I hope they can find ways to connect with it in some way.
If you had to describe the project in a few words or a sentence, what would you say?
I would say, “blue.” It also has a lot of melodic elements to it, which I really need, because that’s what brings the emotion. So I would say, “blue melodic emotion.”
What should we look out for coming up?
I’ve got a couple Collaborative tapes dropping, the one with Curtis (Roach) is gonna be crazy. I got a couple shows too, Backwoods & Bonfires on 4/20, we’re doing High Times again this year, and I’ve been doing some work with the Shadow Temple Records, which I’m really excited about.
