We caught up with up and coming music producer WTSN to talk beats.

Firstly, why the name WTSN?

The way I got the name WTSN isn’t too crazy. Nothing like ‘it came to me in a dream’. I used to listen to this producer called Inspecta Morze. I always thought his name was quite cool. I thought of the closest thing to it. Watson from the show Sherlock was always a g, so I named myself after him.

What made you get into producing?

I’ve always had an affinity for creating music. I was addicted to GarageBand on my sister’s laptop for about a year haha when I was about 13 years old. My Uncle then bought me a keyboard and helped me to install Fruity Loops onto my laptop. That’s how I got my start really.

What’s the difference between the engineers of today to the legends of yesterday?

Today I think there are a lot of beat-makers and not enough producers. In mainstream Hip-Hop especially a lot of what we get is sort of fast-food music. The beats are simple, repetitive and all sound the same. They aren’t really crafted as much as they were compared to music from the 90s per se. However, there are really a lot of good producers out there you just have to look in the right places. I think RnB is making a resurgence. Bringing along some dope producers with it. I’m really into Afrobeats at the moment and I think the producer Juls Baby is making some really good music. He’s really crafting his beats.

How much has technology helped the new age, including producers like yourself?

If it weren’t for technology I probably would not be making music the way I would be today. It’s an integral part of my production. I would say that technology has definitely made producing easier and more accessible. There are so many tools today that can enhance your production. It’s a great time to be alive really.

Who are your role models in the game and who inspires you?

I always look up to producers like Timbaland, Swizz Beats and Pharrel, because they are still relevant today. They are good examples of sticking to your sound no matter what. They’ve never sold themselves to the latest trend and longevity is important to them. They are playing for legacy. That’s how I want to be playing the game when I am at their level.

What are the basic mechanics of beat making?

The first rule of making beats is that there are no rules. I always approach beat making as if it’s a blank canvas, depending on how I implement a melody or drums, those are the brush strokes. I never ‘start with drums’ or ‘start with the melody’. I just do whatever I’m feeling at the moment in time. Sometimes I even start with some sound design, or I listen to music or watch a YouTube video for inspiration. I feel it’s always important to feel inspired when your making music otherwise you’re just forcing it.

How do you seek inspiration for your next track?

Like I said before, I either just mess around with sounds, listen to some music or watch a movie. Inspiration usually sparks when I resonate with a sound I hear in a song or I see a scene in a movie which I think is visually dope. The anime Cowboy Bebop is a big inspiration, I feel like I’m always thinking about it whenever I’m making music or it’s just in the back of my mind whenever I’m doing something creative. It’s just so good visually, the soundtrack is equally dope.

What piece of equipment in your arsenal could you not live without?

To be completely honest I don’t use a lot of third-party VSTs (Synths) I use a lot of stock sounds so you could say I couldn’t live Logic Pro X and Ableton.

What’s the next product you’d like to add to your equipment.

The next product I’ve got my eye on is the whole Spectrasonics library, which includes Omnisphere. Once I get my hands on those I feel like it’s game over.