Stay Consistent: An Interview With ohricky

1 Jul

What’s the thing that made you start making music?

I always wanted to sample. To me the art of taking music and repurposing it keeps it alive and honors those who created it. I used to work nightshift alot and I always had trouble sleeping. When you’re up late at night its nice to have something creative to fill your time.

What is your creative process?

I only sample music I like to listen to, then I use my samples to communicate emotions over my drums. I’m also obsessed with textures, so running my music through cassettes, vintage samplers, cassettes and cam corders is a way I feel intrigued by music. What can I do to make it sound dirty?

In every video you post, you always have incense burning…

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A post shared by Ricky Canez (@ohrickybeats)

What’s your favourite incense scent? And how did you get into the habit of combining it with your performances?

Man, I get a lot of questions about the incense… its actually kinda funny, I love incense because it reminds me of my grandma, but it also makes me feel at peace, and clean. I love candles too, but incense is more relaxing.

The smoke-shop next to my house has this one called dragons blood, smells wild, sandalwood second.

How do you handle creative block?

If the music isn’t fun, I just stop and put it down and go do something else. I love making beats, and if I’m not in love in the moment its not worth forcing. Go read a book, listen to another genre, go do some other creative thing. I always itch to cook up music so If I don’t feel it right at the moment, I know I will later.

A controversial question now, you make beats on lots of different equipment but what gear is your favourite and why?

My favorite piece of gear is the Pocket Operator. It doesn’t do more than any other sampler by a long shot, but Its always therapy when I use it. I can make beats on it mindlessly. These days I spend most of my time on my SP-404, I love that thing too, its been with me everywhere, in multiple countries too!

What’s an album recently which has changed the way you think about music?

Ziggy Stardust is an album I just fully heard this year and It completely blew my mind. Honestly kinda made me reconsider what I consider to be great music. It’s inspired me to learn more, I’ll always be a student in music and David Bowie makes em wanna be better, even as a beat head.

What has been the most challenging thing you’ve had to overcome as an artist?

Having to deal with rejection is hard as an artist. It takes time. I have been very blessed with people receiving my music well, I’ve been selling tapes and getting streams the past year or two but for most of the time I’ve been making beats (6 years), I haven’t had anyone interested.

Being consistent is also difficult. Sometimes you don’t wanna make a beat video, or promote your music, but thats part of the game and I take it serious because I love what I do.