Interview With David Bowes

As a long time FL Studio user myself, I'm always happy to see someone using FL Studio to make quality tracks like our next producer:  David Bowes

I ran across a video he made and posted on youtube and I was so impressed, I approached him to be interviewed for our Warbeats readers. He kindly accepted and I'm proud to bring that interview to you guys.


Here's a snippet of a David Bowes track:


and a recent remake - which is IMO better than original (no diss to Timbo).




NFX: Tell us about David Bowes. Where are you from and how long have you been producing on a serious level?

First off i want to thank you for approaching me about this interview. Im a fan of warbeats.com and the knowledge that is shared on your site.

Well, I began my path in music when i was 9 yrs old. I  found an old busted guitar in church, and i actually stole it. I figured nobody would want this piece of junk, so i took it home, and for the next 6 months, i just plucked on the strings and tried to match melodies that were familiar to me by ear. It wasnt until i was about 10 and half that i realized i was playing an out of tune guitar.lol I then picked up violin and piano and applied the same ear training technique. When i was 14 i tired out for Laguardia High School of Music and Art in NYC, and was admitted even though my technique was sloppy but my ear was on point. I started producing on keyboards at age 16, and moved to  Florida at 18 to work on my craft and further my career.

NFX: Have you had any commercial releases yet?

I have always been a hip hop producer at heart, but my first commercial releases were actually in the genre of Reggaeton. Alot of latino rappers were looking for a mixture of hiphop and reaggaeton and i was able to provide that sound at the time. Artists  include  Zion, Rakim y Keny, and Joelito y Mecia.Im currently shopping hiphop tracks to Camillionaire, lil Wayne, Corporate Thugz , and  G-unit.

NFX: What made you decide to do this music thing?
     
My philosphy is that you only live once, and if you have a talent, success and happines follows with the pursuit of that talent.Music is what makes    me get out of bed.

NFX: It's obvious you have skill on the keys. How long have you been playing and have you had formal training?
      
Around age 12, after i realized i could train my ear, I decided to apply the same techniques to the keyboard. I started playing songs this way, but after a couple of years, i realized that without training in piano technique , i would be limited in what i could actually reproduce. So i started taking lessons..but it only lasted a year, cause i hated practicing, i just wanted to play..lol

NFX: What influences have affected you most with regards to your production style?
    
I think what has most inlfuenced me was my upbringing and my enviornment growing up. My stepfather was always a big music fan. And he would blast all types of latin music. From Carlos Santana, to Gypsy Kings, from Selena to Marc Anthony. So the latin element was always there. And since i was raised in Lefrak City Queens, home of NORE, hip hop was a big influence, even though i was a lil grundge rocker during junior high.lol. My first band was actually a rock band playing marylin manson covers and nirvanaeusque power chord rock..lol but by age 17, i was director/pianist of nyc's highschool Salsa band. I think about music in much broader aspect becuase of that.

NFX: How do you start a new beat? Drums, Melody? a new interesting sound or sample?
       
There is no right way to start a beat. Sometimes ill just create a drum pattern, get it sounding real good, and ill just sit back and vibe to it. Ill go through different patches and just jam to the pattern till i impress myslef.lol. Sometimes i find inspiration just messing around on the keyboard, or listening through music of different cultures. Im not really big into digging for samples , but if i come across something that grabs my attention, ill def sample it. Its very important when you start with a drum pattern, to just listen for a while first. Drum patterns will always have a certain tone to them, and if you can match the key of your beat to the tone of the drums, youll create a much tighter groove in your track.

NFX: What instrument and effects plug-ins do you use most often?

I try to record as much live instruments as i can. Any guitar or violin or percussion that i can record, ill go ahead and do it. But I am a big fan of VSTi. One of my favorites is Sampletank 2.0. Its STRETCH feature is awesome cause it really allows you to import your own samples, layer and resample with 1 click. I also use some hardware synths. Roland V-synth is my new baby though..lol
When it comes to effects plug-ins, I use OXford , Waves , UAD , and TC ELECTRONICS.

NFX: Do you hear parts in your head before laying them down or do you just freestyle and until you get that dope sequence?

Good question. It depends really. I know this might sound crazy, but sometimes i hallucinate the entire beat in my head before i even open up Flstudio. In other words, i hear the entire beat from start to finish, all the parts and all the melodies. And i know for a fact ive never heard the beat before. Crazy ..i know..lol. But other times, i have a blank mind and wont find a melody i like till about 10 mins after i start messing around with the keys.

NFX: What would you say is the most valuable skill for the up and coming producer to develop?

Honeslty, i think the most valuable skill is relative pitch and basic music theory. Understanding chord progressions and scales really helped me understand why certian music is appealing while other types of music make us change the station.And these aspects of music help make the beat making process more of an improv jam session than just digging for samples and matching them to a drum pattern. Besides, the real money in producing is making records, not just beatmaking. And you cant make a record if you dont understand music. You can still make a hot beat though, but can you make a hit song?

NFX: You definitely have the talent to go very far. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Probably beat battling with Scott Storch..lol. Nah seriously, my goal is to be one of the top paid and most heard producers/composers in the industry. I want to compose for film, for TV and having top 10s in different genres. Eventually making David Bowes Music Group a household name.

NFX: As of today what is your favorite accomplishment in the production game?

Well honestly, im not out to ride coattails, but im very grateful to Rook of Grammy winning production team JUSTICE league. After i had won a  local beat battle in Tampa, Rook heard my beat cd, and within hours they recorded a hit with artist FAME that will be released on the FAME mix cd hosted by Bigga Rankin.He took a chance with me and im confident that many doors will be opened because of it.

NFX: Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

Aside from the FAME project, im producing some records for Nicole Sherzinger, Daddy Yankee, and Young Buck. But nothing is final yet, everything is still in the shopping phase.

NFX: Is there anything else you would like to let us know?

Just that you cant please everybody all the time. People are always going to critique your work, either cause they admire it, or cause theyre hating on it. Either way..if youve got people talking about it, youve made a mark.  Remember, we MAKE music, music doesnt MAKE us.

P.S. if anyone wants to contact me feel free to do so.

You can get in touch with and see more of David Bowes at the following places:

youtube.com/Davidbowes

myspace.com/Davidbowes

myspace.com/thesuperdaves

davidbowesmusic@gmail.com (for records/hooks)