Lance Skiiiwalker: I Love the Sounds

You grew up in Chicago?

Yeah.

There’s a crazy history of house music, jazz, R&B, blues, and more. What else was getting into your ears?

Definitely the ones you mentioned. Also, some classical score music, punk rock, and a little metal. If the chords and the melody felt good, I would listen. That’s the kind of person I am with music. I love the sounds, and the sounds can bring me in. It's always whatever I enjoy, sound-wise.

Do you find it’s different being in L.A.?

Yeah, just with the people and the personalities; it’s something I still have to try to get used to in a lot of ways. I love the scenery though.

What was growing up in Chicago like?

I didn’t finish high school. Junior year was when I dropped out. Honestly, school was always a problem for me since the beginning. I was in special classes in most of my school years.

Was it attention and focusing issues?

Exactly, that’s what it was. Focusing on what they were trying to teach. My brain wasn’t interested. You can’t force that. You know what I’m saying? They weren’t teaching music, or if they were it probably wasn’t the type of music I understood or would have been into. I hadn’t figured that out myself. My brain didn’t find it interesting, so there was nothing I could do with that.

Were you learning how to build tracks and record when you were a teenager?

Around 17 that started, with putting down sounds on a computer.

Do you like to teach yourself?

Yeah, I love it. I don’t even know how to read music. When I play the piano, I don’t know what I’m playing. I’m just finding sounds with my ears. It’s fun that way, and I enjoy it.

Do you keep a process in place for yourself to generate music every day?

I do. Four times a week I get on my upright piano and play to myself to work on chords and build those out. I just play the piano; not recording anything. I’ll do that and work on production a lot. I'm trying to figure those things out. Then, when people do come with ideas they want me to be a part of, that’ll fall into the rotation.

What projects are you in the middle of now?

One of the guys from the group BTS wanted some production. It’s not K-pop production. He’s looking for more soul and that world, so he reached out. I’m working on tracks for him by myself.

Is that type of work is coming through the Kendrick Lamar connection?

I would say that it definitely helped in ways. Other work was from me putting tracks out and people seeing where I’m at with the music. The label helps. Keaton helps a lot in that world, and in making those relationships. It's a mixture of all those things.

Do your solo albums and EPs work for you like calling cards? Like, "Look, here’s some of what I can do"?

Yeah, you know what? That’s definitely a way I look at it. Another way I look at it is I grew up listening to a lot of different songs. It wasn’t one set genre. It was so many different genres I hopped around with. I love to display that in my work as well.

How does collaborating work for you these days?

A lot of times they’ll take what they have in their world and send it to me, and then I’ll work on it at home. I love to be in my space. I talk to myself a lot, and sometimes I just want to get the idea straightened out. Setting up times with other artists can sometimes interfere with ideas. They’ll send it to me in a lot of ways.

Are there certain ideas you’ve thrown out that aren’t getting used? Do you recycle them?

Good one. I don’t really work with a lot of people. To me, it has to make sense; and when it makes sense, it’s them knowing my style. Sometimes I have to send a couple things, but not a lot with the people I work with, because they get it in a lot of ways. But I do recycle them sometimes and take them elsewhere.

KS: Sometimes the opposite will happen. You’ll have created something on your own, and then Schoolboy Q will ask, "Do you have anything?"

Oh yeah. That takes place as well. If we're in the same city, I’ll offer some time. We’ll go to the TDE studio. The TDE office is right down the street from my house, so I can get my hands on a bigger studio when I need to. If they’re not in the same city, then we’ll do email.

Do you find it’s easier to work in person?

It’s easier to work alone for me, but if I’m working with somebody I do want to see and hear their perspectives. It’ll make the collaboration easier in a lot of ways. But I will never stop enjoying and loving working by myself. That’ll always be a passion for me.

KS: With your own music, 90 percent of the process will be done by yourself, and then for that last 10 percent you bring it to the studio.

I like to push it and give all my ideas first. I like to put everything in it and then see how I can take it further with some help. For sure.

Do you find yourself doing a lot of iterations once you’ve settled on the core elements?

Like version one, version two of the mixing? For sure. That happens every time. When I mix, I take a break. Then I come back, and I’ll think, "Oh, I don’t like where I took this mix. Let me restructure it." That happens a lot.

Your records remind me of studio experimentation time. Always just messing around, trying to do things, and see what they do.

Yeah, that’s every day for me, man. You hit it right on the nail.

Are you working in [Apple] Logic or [Avid] Pro Tools?

Most of my time is in Logic. I have a bunch of cool software and some keyboards. I go back and forth with those.

Are you using virtual instruments for starting tracks?

Oh yeah. It’s all by MIDI controller keys. I have an 1843 upright piano at home, and I’ll create chords on that. I love the sound that it brings out. If it’s not that, I’ll use a few keyboard controllers, while still playing. Roland has a subscription where I can access a lot of their keyboard sounds.

Right, I’ve seen that.

It feels good. The way I like to produce is I love to have everything easy. If I’ve got a bunch of keyboards, I can’t take those everywhere. It’s a process of plugging it all in. It’s beautiful, but if I can get a shortcut to get the keyboards that I want, I’m going to take it.

Everything’s got to be accessible to stay creative too.

Exactly. Sometimes I just want to get straight to the music. I don’t want to go through the chords to figure things out. I want to get straight to the sounds. Arturia has another subscription plan, iZotope as well, and other companies are starting to do that more. I really enjoy it. I don’t want to compare it to the actual keyboard, but it’s strong. I can create beautiful sounds. Then with my mix and other sounds I can take it elsewhere.

Right. Do you find yourself ever replacing sample-based parts, like using a real Wurlitzer or Rhodes?

To be honest with you, not really. If it’s giving me a strong sound, it’s like why not? I do have access to those. Sometimes I’ll mess with it, but like I said, bouncing back with this upright piano, a couple of other things, and with the software, it makes a beautiful family.

Where do you work from?

I work a lot at home. I have a setup in my kitchen, and I’m working out of my house. I will go to Top Dawg a lot. They help with mixing when I’m further in that world, but I’m really producing at home. Having kids, and them seeing that too, is a beautiful feeling.

And you don’t have to be away from them as much.

Exactly. It’s all right there. I have monitors, speakers, an interface, a record player, a bunch of records, bongos, my piano, and a glockenspiel.

What are you using for microphones?

I have this Aston Origin for a microphone. I love the sound of my voice through it. It’s definitely better than my last one.

And you’ve got the stove right there if you need the music to cook. [laughter]

I cook both ways!