Hi there. First off, congrats to the Cleveland Cavs for pulling off that incredible comeback. I’m sure many of you don’t care about sports but, as a basketball guy, that shit was amazing to watch. My condolences to all my bay area fam and friends…but you guys sucked the last three games.
Anywayyyy, this is Answers for Questions! you ask! I answer! I’m always in need of new questions so how bout you put your thinking cap on and send me some? Send questions to phatfriendblog@gmail.com or leave the questions in the comment section below. Be creative and be weird. It makes it better for both of us. Let’s see what we got going this week…

How old were you when you used the internet for the first time and which sites do you remember visiting?

I first used the internet when I was 17. I was a freshman in college and , prior to that, didn’t have a computer in my house. I remember getting my first email address and the only other people who had email addresses that I knew were other college students. Funny enough, I still sent letters to people. Like, literal handwritten letters. So, clearly, email wasn’t a big thing at that point.
As for sites, I didn’t really look too far. It was so early there was no word of mouth on what there was out there so I didn’t look. Like, even porn would have been difficult. It was also only dial up and anything with a picture took forever to load. I would frequent newsgroups/chat rooms and mostly I was up in hip hop related things. Alt.music.rap was the first thing I ever got really involved in and that later changed to rec.music.hip.hop ,which was a small community of like minded hip hop nerds who would trade tapes and talk about music. I was a pretty big part of that for a while. It was also where I sold Aesop’s first album. Like THAT one place was the beginning of how word spread outside of NYC on the internet about Aesop.

Could you, nay, will you make an EP of a handful of songs made with samples of cereal commercial jingles of the late 80s/early 90s? Don’t do it for you. Do it for us!
I mean, I’m sure I could. Problem is I don’t have any of those songs and I’m not so intrigued by the idea that I’mmma go seek them out. But, if someone wants to compile a bunch for me, I’d consider it.

Have you ever publicly gone through your process of creating a tune in depth (à la Song Exploder podcast)? Most straightforwardly I wonder where you find some of the samples - I guess just listening to everything ever recorded. But I also just wonder about your process of putting the beats and instrumentals and everything together. It seems like most songs have some verses with the same tune and a chorus sprinkled in a few times, but your stuff follows an arc. Do you have any idea where a track is going from the start, or do you just kind of follow the inspiration?

I’ve explained my process on here a few times but I’ve never broken it down in an interview. It’s a long process though so that would take a while. I can short hand it here though.
I make a bunch of beats. I don’t sit down and make songs off the bat. I more just try and accumulate as many beats as I can. The process of how I make those beats is basically me sitting down going through songs to sample. I have an organized catalogue of samples on my computer. They’re organized by instrument(s) so i can scroll through that play list and be like “hmm…I need a guitar here…let’s see what i have”. It’s all very trial and error. I tend to start with a sample that I just build off of. I might throw some percussion in there early but i generally do the drums last. After the main loops, after the bassline and after the additional layered samples. My finished beats tend to have many parts. Changes and all that. To be honest, they could mostly stand on their own as songs if I wanted them to but I try to expand beyond that one beat when making full songs.
So, once I’ve made a bunch of beats, various things can happen to them. A rapper might use them. i might make a remix with them. If i’m feeling like it’s time to make an album, then I collect all the beats I have that I could see working as a stand alone track and arrange them by BPM. The idea here is to find 2 or 3 beats that are close in bpm , work together tonally and make sense in how the mood strikes. That’s more trial and error. Some things work and some don’t. Once I’ve gotten 12-15 groups of tracks that could potentially work together, I start to pair them up. i see what parts of those separate beats work. Scrap some parts, maybe add something that’s missing. This is the beginning of a song for me. I just amass as much content per song as I can then start stripping away the unneeded parts. Once that’s done, it becomes an equation. How do I take these different beats and blend them together to make one song. I pretty much have to map out where the song will start, the middle and the end. I want that to move as fluidly as possible and, in a way, tell a story. At least on my last 3 albums, that’s been how i work on solo stuff. Earlier, i used a more predictable style of “verse/chorus/verse/chorus” with my songs. Music by Cavelight and downtown science were FAR more simplistic albums in every way. But from “The music scene” and on…this has been how I go about it. I can’t say I know exactly how a track is going to start or end when I begin it but I have an idea of how I want it to flow. But, in general, after the initial beats are made, my process is all about arranging and utilizing all the parts the best way I see fit.

BH, what is the most glorious part of being single again and having your place all to yourself?

Well..having my place to myself is amazing. As someone who thrives at “just chilling” it’s been wonderful. Another part is just the general freedom. Not having to have responsibilities outside your own is incredible. I realize this is totally selfish and I’m way too old to live like that but, fuck it, it’s my life. If you reach a point in your life where you find yourself doing things you’d rather not do, unless those things pay your bills, what’s the point? You’re gonna die one day and be like “Man…I wasted a lot of time on bullshit…”.
This is in no way disrespect to my ex, she’s great and we’re still friends, I’m speaking far more generally. Waking up and not having to worry about anyone but yourself is a very calming feelings. Cause, then, when you do have personal problems, you can focus in on them easily. Basically, the bachelor life is a selfish one but unless you’re really bout that coupled up life, it’s not a bad way to be.

Are you a fan of Record Store Day? Have you ever participated as a patron or an artist?

I think the idea is cool and it’s definitely fun that all those artists make special records for that day. Personally, I’ve never participated in either way. I’m not a big record collector anymore (as far as i was aware, this didn’t exist when i used to buy lots of records) so i don’t really pay it much mind. I also don’t have the hook up where i can just quickly press up a few hundred 7″ records out of nowhere. That takes time and organization. But, hey, who knows? Maybe one day.

You know those (creepy/extreme) pop-up ads that appear when you’re watching porn? Are you able to fully ignore them or do they ever turn you off what you’re streaming at that moment?

Dude…those fucking things are the worst. There’s a granny porn one that ruins my fucking day every time I see it. I can’t say they turn me off so much that I stop what I’m doing (I’m a man who finishes what i start) but they more just briefly wash me over with a feeling of disgust that goes away quickly. The worst ones are the dick growth pill ads cause you’re just literally looking at a pic of a meaty dong and nothing else. But, yeah, the people who make those ads and pop ups in general are terrible human beings.

Hi there! Welcome to “Answers for questions”. A few days delayed cause I had jury duty but your boy escaped that without having to be on a trial. Always a small victory.
Anyway, I’m back and this is very simple. You ask me stuff…i answer. I ALWAYS need more questions so why don’t you come at me, bro? send questions to phatfriendblog@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below. Get weird. Get creative. It makes it more interesting for all parties involved.
Let’s check this weeks batch…

If you had $1 in your pocket and you couldn’t go home, what would you buy to eat?
A dollar doesn’t go very far nowadays. I couldn’t even get a buttered roll for that in NYC. Because I have a sweet tooth, I’d probably go the “bang for my buck” route and by $1 worth of loose candies. Like Hershey’s kisses and little caramels. It might be terrible for me but , at least, I’d be getting more crap in my stomach. Also, if one of those super cheap dollar pizza places was around, I’d do that as well…even though they generally taste like Elio’s microwave garbage.

You’ve said you’re a foodie - can you do your foodie take on your neighborhood? Do you enjoy eating at restaurants with famous chefs? Do you follow any famous chefs?
Have you ever been a line cook? Sometimes I think music culture and restaurant culture do hand in hand, both are up late, and the art is about visceral pleasures. Do you see any similarities?

I love food. It’s literally one of the only things I will blindly spend money on (even more than a dollar!). You will never hear me say “Oh, that place is too expensive!”. if the food is good, I’ll shell out money for it no problem. Living in NYC, there is amazing food everywhere. I could eat at a different , awesome place every day for a year with ease (If i wasn’t so lazy). My neighborhood is no different. It’s walking distance from anything you’d ever need.
As for famous chefs, I’ve been to a few of those places. They’re generally very good but I don’t REALLY care about all that. I certainly don’t invest my time into knowing more about them or following their social media. I love food but pics of food do me no service. It’s like going to the strip club. I’d rather just have sex. So seeing pics of amazing food just makes me wanna go eat.
I’ve never been a line cook and I honestly can’t cook at all. As much as I love food, I’m impatient and preparing things is not my bag. Also, nyc is the delivery capital of the world. I’ve been” ordering meals since i could afford it. No need for me to cook anything beyond a toasted english muffin with butter and honey. That’s what I “cook”…and it’s delicious.

I know alot of a person’s personality comes out in their music. And i know from your beats and interviews that your a pretty chill, goofy, funny guy. We all get sad sometimes, and i knew a few songs you’ve produced that mirror that. my question is, What about Mad Block? has the Hyde to your Jekyll ever come out and expressed pure gangsta rage on a track? One example that comes to mind is Tomorrow Morning, i cant think of others. Anything in the works that has a bit more of your human aggression in it?

Well…”Tomorrow morning” isn’t one of my songs so that might explain that one. Unless you got the title wrong…it wasn’t me.
To be honest, I’m not an angry person. I can’t remember the last time I was actually mad. At best, i get annoyed. I realize, the tone of this blog itself reads as I’m a highly agitated, snarky motherfucker…and while I’ll cop to the snark, the reality of it is I don’t REALLY give a fuck about much. Like, the things I make fun of or shine a light on, it’s not anger. It’s just venting. I actually feel writing this shit out helps me move on from really even being bothered by things. So, no, there is no mad version of me that will make an angry beat. I can make an angry beat (“Good block, bad block” comes to mind) but it’s not inspired by real rage. It’s just a musical mood I’m trying to capture. My personality and my music, in general, don’t match up. I’m even keeled, happy and relaxed. I just happen to make music that is more emotional sounding in scope. No clue why. I tend to think it’s just a personal taste. I like melody. I like listening to that blue feeling in music. But my real life , everyday existence isn’t bout that at all.

What are your thoughts on “natural” products? Do you use things like organic hippie deodorant. toothpaste (like Tom’s brand etc.), or do you say fuck it and dig into the chemical life?

I think, in theory, that stuff is a good idea but in reality, they suck as products. Like toms toothpaste? You might as well brush your teeth with trident gum with sand in it. And those hippie deodorants…if you wonder why so many hippies stink it’s cause rubbing a rock on your fetid armpit will not keep it from smelling awful. I’m sure there are some natural products that work great (and, now, I’m sure people will be all up in my comments telling me about them at length…just a heads up, I don’t care so save your time and don’t even bother) but I don’t seek out things like that in general. If they happen to come into my life naturally, then they do. But I’m not out here going to the co-op and reading the backs of boxes for ingredients in my mouthwash.

What makes you choose cute animal pictures for these posts? I guess it makes me click on them though so whatever it is, you’re doing it right. Also, what was going through your head when you named your tracks on The Music Scene? I mean, did you think of pretty sea slugs while you were producing that song? Thanks for the great tunes 🙂
a) i pick those pics cause they’re cute…and it’s a running theme I’ve been doing here since I started. i don’t know what spawned it but I always like cute animal pics and , as this is generally a post i start the week with, I figure we should all start the week with a pic of a cute animal.
b)My song titles are pretty random. Some are inside jokes. some are based on a feeling of the song. Some come from a feeling, then get spun into something totally different. Like “Which one of you jerks drank my arnold palmer?” had a summery feel to it…somehow, that got extrapolated into me imagining someone drinking an Arnold Palmer I had wanted…perhaps on a porch somewhere in the country. It makes no sense but, when I was naming the songs, that just kinda landed there.