With local hip hop shifting gears in a major way over the last few years, we caught up with some of our favourite upcoming producers, elevating local rappers and pushing the boundaries of the Australian scene.
Australian hip hop has undergone a huge metamorphosis in look, sound, style and subject matter these last few years, with countless new artists emerging from all over the country with rap hotspots in Inner and Western Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and even Ipswitch — the new generation of rappers, singers and producers don’t subscribe to a singular ‘Aussie Hip Hop Sound” with their influences as diverse as their backgrounds, and the quality of the music is constantly levelling up. With that in mind, we decided to catch up some of the young music producers driving some of the new sounds in the Aus rap renaissance, getting some insight to the processes, influences and trade secrets of some of our favourite Australian rap producers right now.
01. Korky Buchek (Sydney)
How did you first start making music together? We were 15 years old. Tom was pursuing a career in rap and Peter was keen to figure out how to record. That didn’t last very long but 10 years later we still make music together so something worked.
Who are some of the Australian artists you’ve produced for? Lil Spacely, Liyah Knight, Lauren., Smak, Nerve, Gibrillah, Raj Mahal, Dante Knows, Big Skeez.
How did you first get into production, what were some of the biggest challenges in the beginning?
We got into it as kids who wanted to make ratchet dance music and DJ. The biggest challenge, in the beginning, was to get anything to sound good.
What is some hardware you swear by?
We don’t use hardware. We’re not dinosaurs 😂😂😂. Nah jokes Tom loves his glockenspiel.
What is something about production you wish you’d known earlier?
Tom: Music theory Peter: Less is more. Less is WAY more.
Do you have any favourite plugins? Tom: Anything from Sound Toys or U-he. Peter: Ableton stock plugins go hard and Waves Real-Time Tune.
What is one bad production habit you wish you didn’t have? The only thing we don’t like is probably starting to many tracks and not finishing enough but is that even a bad thing.
Who are some of your favourite producers out there? Domba, Tasker and whoever produces for Bangs (Take U To Da Movies).
Who are some dream artists to work with?
Pa Salieu, Kid Cudi, Rick James, M.I.A, Die Antwoord. Preferably all on the same track.
What sounds have you been experimenting with lately?
We’ve been trying to mash different genres like Afro with Drill, Hip-Hop and House. Tom reckons Peter has been writing heaps of horn sections. Also we’ve created a new genre called dildo electronica.
What excites you most about the Australian hip hop scene? Slowly it is achieving big things. Everyone has a bigger platform and a higher ceiling to climb. Lots of solid teams and artists doing good work. Shoutout Bodega Collective.
Favourite track you’ve made this year? Tom: SOJU – Lil Spacely. Really anything with Space is a good time. Peter: We an unreleased track with madame empress that’s a full-on banger. Keen for that one to come out
Who are some of the Australian artists you’ve produced for? I’ve worked with Stan Walker, Allday and Drapht to name a few, plus a ton of new and up-and-coming artists that I’m really excited about like Pania, Hancoq, Sopihya and more.
How did you first get into production, what were some of the biggest challenges in the beginning? I’ve been dabbling with music production since I was 14. I think a big early challenge for me was getting past the learning curve. There was no Youtube then and a lot of the information on hip hop production available at the time was geared more towards hardware users. So a lot of my early development was trial and error and basically teaching myself.
What software works best with your production style, any favourite features? I like to get my initial ideas down quickly and Ableton has always been great for that, if I’m spending too much time fine-tuning things I tend to lose the inspiration. I love the built-in Echo effect, and the new Capture MIDI feature in Ableton 10 – I never have to deal with the heartbreaking realisation that I’ve forgotten to hit record when I’m jamming ideas now so that’s been a life saver!
What is some hardware you swear by? I’m not big on using a lot of hardware these days but I love all of my Universal Audio Apollo gear for recording vocals and using their plugins with no latency. I’d love to get an Ableton Push at some point as well – had a jam on a friend’s Push recently and I definitely feel like it would compliment my workflow.
What is something about the production you wish you’d known earlier? I wish I had known that I didn’t need to fill every space in a track with different sounds, and kept more room in the mix for a vocalist. 9 times out of 10 a track doesn’t really need too much, simplicity is key!
Do you have any favourite plugins? I love all of the UAD stuff, Soundtoys, Waves, D16. I’ve definitely been using the RC-20 a lot since I got it as well. My go-to synth plugins are Massive, Serum and M-Tron Pro.
What is some advice you’d give to someone who is just getting into production? One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is that some of the best ideas are the happy accidents and experimental stuff. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box regardless of what everyone else is doing.
What is one bad production habit you wish you didn’t have? I’m terrible with organising my sessions and labelling tracks! And finishing beats, but I think every producer has that problem.
Who are some of your favourite producers out there? One of my favourites in the last couple of years is definitely Hit-Boy, he’s been killing it consistently for a long time without a lot of fanfare so it’s great to see he’s starting to get recognised again. In Australia, I’d have to say Iamsolo, M-Phazes, Joy. and the bro Hugh Lake.
Who are some dream artists to work with? I’d love to work with everyone at TDE haha. Ari Lennox, Octavian, 6lack, RMR, Ariana Grande. I definitely don’t want to stick to one genre or style of production so I’m always excited to work with artists who like to think outside the box as well.
What sounds have you been experimenting with lately? Right now I’m experimenting a lot with taking elements from different genres and fusing them together and just trying to use different instrumentation and samples in new ways. Listening to a lot of music from the UK at the moment and that’s definitely fueling a lot of my experimentation.
What excites you most about the Australian hip hop scene? I’m excited that Australian hip hop is becoming so much bigger and diverse. Artists aren’t afraid to try new things and it’s paying off. There’s going to be more and more talent from here going global in the coming years for sure.
Who are some of the Australian artists you’ve produced for? I’ve done both production and mix work for Becca Hatch, CG Fez, SPVRROW, Latifa Tee and Section60. I’ve also got unreleased work with Jessica Jade, Jaecy, Ms. Thandi and Elijah Yo.
How did you first get into production, what were some of the biggest challenges in the beginning? When I was younger I used to muck around with Audacity and take Mobb Deep acapellas and put them over MF DOOM beats, that type of shit. Eventually, I got interested in making the beats themselves, started off remaking songs I liked (attempting to) and it just sprouted from there.
What is something about production you wish you knew earlier? Definitely how important arrangement is – only recently I’ve picked up on this. Something as simple as little tweaks to a repeating eight-bar loop so it doesn’t sound the same every time is what separates a real song to just a beat.
Do you have any favourite plugins? Logic stock expander. Not gonna explain why.
What is one bad production habit you wish you didn’t have? I’m so indecisive. I jump around sounds a lot before settling on an idea, or I’ll linger on an idea for way too long before ever committing it to the DAW.
What’s a production trend you’d like to see gone? When drill production goes overboard and complicates the drum programming to the point where it’s about the producer’s skill more than the music itself – sonic equivalent to those corny fast rappers!
Who are some of your favourite producers out there? Budgie!! The Panty Soakers series is hectic. DJ Quik, 808melo and Cardo are who I’ve been jamming recently too.
Who are some dream artists to work with? Prince would’ve been crazy (RIP). J Hus, I think I’d do something crazy with. Would also love to work with Drakeo the Ruler.
What sounds have you been experimenting with lately? Everything – house, techno, Bay Area bounce, drill, garage, afroswing, that classic Griselda sound – my mind’s all over the place and always will be.
What excites you most about the Australian hip hop scene? The fact that we’re seeing our own stories and experiences come to life through authentic voices. Seeing people from my area become successful and subsequently uplifting the city has been hectic to witness firsthand.
Favourite track of 2020? Either Bino Rideaux’s ‘Brand New’ or Headie One’s ‘Princess Cuts’.
Who are some of the Australian artists you’ve produced for? Nerve, Shadow, Huskii, Vinsins, JK-47, Chiggz
How did you first get into production, what were some of the biggest challenges in the beginning?
I first got into production from just listening to a lot of music really, and becoming super inspired to make my own. Some of the biggest challenges I faced, in the beginning, were definitely related to the limitations of the free version of Ableton (before upgrading to the suite) and my general knowledge of putting together a solid beat.
What software works best with your production style, any favourite features?
Definitely the workflow/layout of Ableton, Ableton blows the other DAWs out of the water when it comes to this. Audio effect racks are one of my favourite features to use in Ableton, I can create ‘go-to’ presets for specific sounds/styles I’m after.
What is some hardware you swear by? In terms of hardware, I keep it pretty simple. I’ve got a pair of Yamaha HS8 Monitors, a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, and some Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro headphones for mixing.
What is something about production you wish you’d known earlier? To keep my beats simple, I used to always try and fill my beats up with heaps of different sounds, which would leave little to no room for an artist to jump on. Creating simpler beats with less main elements leaves a more open space for artists.
Do you have any favourite plugins? RC-20, Halftime, Xfer Serum, and Omnisphere.
What is some advice you’d give to someone who is just getting into production? Practice, practice, practice.
What is one bad production habit you wish you didn’t have?
Making half a beat, then never finishing it.
Who are some of your favourite producers out there? Ronny J, Murda Beatz, and Ghosty are who I take most of my inspiration from.
Who are some dream artists to work with? I’d love to work with Night Lovell, Digga D, and Travis Scott to name a few. What sounds have you been experimenting with lately? I’ve been experimenting with some melodic drill beats, and also some UK styled drum & bass.
What excites you most about the Australian hip hop scene?
Would have to be how rapidly the scene’s expanding. Seeing heaps of really talented artists arising and it’s exciting to be able to work with a lot of them.
Favourite track you’ve made this year? Russell Coight with Shadow, Vinsins, and Huskii. Hands Down.
Who are some of the Australian artists you’ve produced for? KVKA, Maya Hirasedo, Savage the Girl, Khiarra, Baro, Nasty Mars, Manny Mula and myself.
How did you first get into production, what were some of the biggest challenges in the beginning? I always looked up to producers especially coming from the perspective of a rapper, I saw them as wizards so I gave it a crack myself and asked as many questions as I could every time I was in a session with a producer. At first, the hardest part was just finishing a beat, literally 2 years worth of starting a beat, then getting frustrated it doesn’t sound like you imagined in your head then slamming my laptop shut until finally, something worked.
What is something about production you wish you knew earlier?
Basic music theory!
Do you have any favourite plugins?
I swear by Soundtoys and Izotope as my go-to plugins.
What is some advice you’d give to someone who is just getting into production?
Less is more and stick to it, you’ll figure it out sooner or later.
Who are some of your favourite producers out there?
GXNXVS, iamsolo, Take a Daytrip, Hamley, J Rick, Jevon, Travis Scott, Nav, Wondagurl and Mike Dean
Who are some dream artists to work with?
Octavian, Ichon, T-Pain, Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Ty Dolla $ign and Burna Boy
What sounds have you been experimenting with lately? A lot of piano.
What excites you most about the Australian hip hop scene?
I’m loving how each city is starting to carve its own sound from West Sydney with drill, Brisbane’s got that melodic trap on lock and Melbourne has its eclectic soul sound.
Favourite track of 2020?
Octavian – Rari ft. Future
Who are some of the Australian artists you’ve produced for? Snoee Badman (we just released Snoee’s debut mixtape #3badman alongside an animated mini-series on Trackwork. He’s a pretty inspiring artist – we made the whole tape over a phone with Snoee inside), Lil Jaye, T-Breezy, Sevy, Bayang, MA Rated, HK x Rickk, Sky’high of Sydney Searchaz fame on Syd-based freestyle channel AVTV.
How did you first get into production, what were some of the biggest challenges in the beginning? I started playing drums/making music in death metal bands when I was like 12, then got into piano and composing later on. Throughout that time I was always dabbling with different software-based production.
I was lucky that we had a really healthy scene in Sydney when I started producing more. Tom Smith aka T Morimoto (Sumac) was a bit of a mentor who really helped me get started, and other friends all inspired me to make more like DJ Plead, and Cassius Select regularly blowing minds at shows. The main challenges were meeting rappers and singers to work with back then. Only in the last few years more rappers have been keeping up with new things happening internationally which is really exciting.
What is something about production you wish you knew earlier? MIDI haha. Coming from a background as a musician, I initially somehow went straight into working pretty much completely with audio, be it through recording hardware or just dragging percussion samples into a session to cut up. Doing that is still a big part of my approach but I think I could have really saved myself and my collaborators a lot of time earlier on lol
Do you have any favourite plugins? Nothing like a bit of Decapitator
What is some advice you’d give to someone who is just getting into production? Don’t do what you think people want to hear, do what you want to hear. Forget about gear, gadgets and purchasing new products – it’s a scam. Limitations force you to be inventive with what you have. Don’t be precious with your work, take risks. Work with local artists who inspire you to build something meaningful.
What is one bad production habit you wish you didn’t have? I don’t stand up for like 4 hours. It’s like I’m on the pokies.
What’s a production trend you’d like to see gone? Internet producer type beats.
Who are some of your favourite producers out there? WondaGurl, Kelman Duran, Wiley, Loraine James, Chop, Metro. Often it’s about how a producer and an artist form a sound together ie. Pop Smoke x 808 Melo, Tay Keith x Blocboy JB, Dre Skull x Popcaan, Carns Hill and what he made with 67.
Tony Seltzer and Alau have some really interesting projects going on in Brooklyn. Also, love how some artists who produce for themselves create something sick ie. Tommy Wright III or what Chief Keef produces for himself. Obviously the cliches too Ye, Madlib, Timbo, Mike Dean, Neptunes.
I take a lot of influence from film too. Ie. Kubrick is kind of a master sampler – instead of employing a Hollywood composer, he’d often just buy the publishing to place his favourite recordings. He heard some Ligeti and used put it in a totally new, different context.
Who are some dream artists to work with? PA Salieu + Pop Smoke & Princess Loko (RIP)
What sounds have you been experimenting with lately? Lately been mixing up different 808 samples in the same track like using slides as ornamental touches then having a different quality for the main sub. I’ve been sampling some NY minimalist stuff from the 70’s which is fun cause it’s very sparse and you can really get into the gaps of the audio to get something weird out of it. Been working with DJ Plead on some drill tracks, that use lot’s of his trademark middle eastern flute and string sounds too
What excites you most about the Australian hip hop scene? The possibilities of what we can hopefully soon grow into. I’m excited by young Koori artists like T-Breezy and Walkerboy I’ve been working with. They’re on a totally different wave. I’m excited about artists who take risks and are comfortable to not only be themselves on a track, but explore new and different sounds musically.
Favourite track of 2020? It’s got to be PA Salieu – Frontline
