Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
A new member to IllMuzik, Kaeci Miller recently won the Warzone Beat Battle and did so with a super smooth beat. With a background in playing instruments and focusing on composing melodies, I wanted to know what else Kaeci had going on...
Sup! Tell us about yourself.
What's up Fade! Thanks for reaching out. Well, I'm originally from Chicago but I'm just south of Kansas City now. I only recently decided to go full time working on my music but I've been making beats on and off for about 12 years (I'm 27). I play drums, bass and keyboard. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to meet up with Stanley Sheldon who just happens to live right down the road from me. Stanley is the bassist for Peter Frampton and essentially taught me everything I know about bass guitar. Other than that, I'm just out here trying to find my place in the music world.
You recently won the Warzone beat battle and yet you just became a member of IllMuzik. How does it feel?
It's extremely refreshing. It's refreshing to know that my style resonates and is relevant to listeners. There were some really nice beats I heard during the battle so each round was pretty exciting.
How did you find out about IllMuzik?
I did a little searching for different Hip Hop forums I could join. IllMuzik really stood out to me. I had never done any beat battles before either so I figured I'd give that a shot.
You only submitted one beat for the battle but yet it was strong enough to make it through four rounds. How did you put that beat together?
Yeah, I was a little anxious going in. The beat I sent in wasn't exactly complete and the mixing was expedited. But it all started with the chord progression, I'm terribly fond of piano. From there I just played around with different drums and basslines; the drums in particular took some time. I didn't record live drums on that beat, but I still wanted them to feel live so I really got detailed creating flams, paradiddles, and different fills. The electric guitar was the last element I added. I took the title 'Electric Angel' from the 1978 lyrics of "Bye Bye Love" by The Cars.
After listening to some of your other beats, you definitely have a smooth vibe. Who or what are some of your inspirations?
Oh man, that would make a long list. My biggest influences are definitely groups and acts from the 50's, 60's, and 70's; from Zeppelin all the way to Stevie Wonder. I would say out of the 95% of time I'm listening to music, it's not Hip Hop I'm listening to. I find a lot of inspiration in Classic Rock, Jazz, Oldies Pop, Motown, and Blues. For a little more specificity, the groups that have inspired me most are the session groups The Funk Brothers and The Wrecking Crew, I don't think most people are familiar with those names but it's almost a guarantee they've heard some of the music before. I also listen to a lot of Classical music and film scores.
Do you always make smooth beats?
Usually, but not always. I like to venture out a lot, I've put together pure Hard Rock tracks and just plain hard hitting Hip Hop beats in the past and I'm sure I will at some point in the future as well.
Are you working without samples? Because I noticed some of your licensing terms on your website.
Yes, I don't sample. I won't even use loops that I didn't compose. I really dig sampled music and I used to sample things quite often, but eventually I became really fond of the idea of not re-purposing someone else's work. It's more fulfilling for me as an artist to create something that is purely mine. It's also nice being able to bypass all the legalities that come with sampling.
True indeed! How do you normally go about creating a beat?
I always seem to come up with a beat when I'm away from my studio. I'll start humming something and I'll grab my phone to either record the melody or lay something down in the Garageband App to use later as a reference. When I'm finally able to start the recording process, it usually comes in the form of a chord progression. I always try to create music that is dynamic, complete with bridges and breakdowns; all the stuff you might hear listening to a live group. So, it's not unusual for me to spend hours working on just one element of a beat. When I get all the main components of the beat put together I go back adding minor embellishments wherever I see fit. after that I just try my best to not spend a decade on the mixing and mastering.
What's in your studio? And what's your main piece of recording gear?
Roland Fantom, Axiom MIDI controller, Akai MPC, Squier J-Bass guitar with a Fender Rumble 200 Combo, I also have a set of Pearl drums that unfortunately I don't have the proper gear to record but hopefully I can set something up soon. I record my keyboard and bass guitar with the Apogee Duet, and Logic is my primary DAW but in rare instances I do use Pro Tools and Reason. Fostex monitors and a pair of Beyerdynamic 880's are my monitoring companions. My main piece of equipment is definitely the Fantom, that's just what I'm working with most of the time.
What's your main goal when it comes to music?
My main goal is to be at the forefront of the music within my culture that is actually leading us in a positive direction.
If you could do one thing over again when it comes to learning how to make beats, what would it be?
That's a great question. If I could do it over I would have started developing myself earlier as a musician, in terms of learning to play bass, drums, keyboard, guitar, as well learning more about musical theory. When I first began making beats I relied too much on sampling. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sampling, I would just prefer to build a brand that is completely void of sample-based material.
What can we expect from you in the near future?
More soul and consistency. Doesn't matter what you're trying to do, in order to be a success you'll inevitably have to practice simple disciplines on a consistent basis. That's the biggest thing I aim to do, remain consistent. You may also see me release a couple piano ballads, I'm pretty interested in composing film scores. Maybe another beat battle entry but with more than one beat haha.
Thanks for doing the interview. Any shoutouts you'd like to give?
You're more than welcome, thank you for taking the time to interview me. Absolutely, shoutout to the IllMuzik talents of NONONSENSEBEATS, D.Money, Mike Free Music, Lee Beatzz, Toryhooks, INDS, Mickimoore, River Cruz, and Spuntastic.
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