Repko Talks Signing To Internet Money, Working With Nick Mira And More!
We got the chance to link up with one of Internet Money producers, Repko. He’s had to work alongside some of the best producers in the world like Nick Mira and Taz Taylor, he’s got knowledge to drop on you so tune in.
Where are you from and what age did you first make a connection to producing music? And how long have you been producing music?
I’m from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. It’s a small town about an hour from Philly and right beside Hershey if you know about the chocolate. I got a laptop on my 16th birthday and that’s when I first got FL, I’m 18 now so it’s a little over two years that I’ve been making music.
What's your producer tag? How did you create it? What's the importance of having a producer tag?
I used to have a tag from this one website I found. All I did was pay $35 or whatever it was and they sent one back, just says “R-R-Repko” The first one they sent back was trash so I had to go back and spend another 35 but it was cool to have a tag for a while. I’ve always had a debate about having a tag, it’s important and really effective if you’re trying to build your name up fast, but in my opinion, it just seems like it takes away from the music in some cases, I’m not sure how to describe it.
At what age did you start taking producing music seriously?
I really only started taking it seriously around a year ago. I met someone by the name of Rhys, he kind of showed me the ropes and taught me the industry side. Ever since then I’ve just been constantly trying to improve.
What's your scene? Would you rather be at the crib cooking up beats solo? Or be in the studio collaborating with other producers?
At the time of writing this, I just recently got back from a trip to LA, that was the first time I was in sessions cooking up with just producers. There are benefits to both really. At home, I could get 10x the amount of work done I feel like, just because I’m not used to the other kind of environment yet. But the best part about being in sessions with other producers is exchanging tips and secret little things we all do to make everything sound better. Sessions feel like a great place to learn, and then you can go apply it on your own.
So you're a signed producer to Internet Money Records one of the best labels a producer can be signed to. How did you end up linking with Taz Taylor?
I signed in January, and the first person from the group I met was Nick. To summarize the whole story, really I met Nick through Twitter and Xbox around July of last year. We played games for months and months just because we got along really well, and eventually he introduced me to Oktanner who is also in the group. Us three became really close friends and eventually, Nick heard what we did and invited us to the group. A tip I would give is, if something is meant to be, it’s just going to happen. I didn’t try to join Internet Money, it just happened. It’s kind of corny but everything’s going to feel really organic when it’s time for you to take the next step, just be a good person and build relationships with people you trust and get along with.
What's to like working with producers like Nick Mira and Taz Taylor guys who have multiple multi-platinum records? How have you grown and learned as a producer just being in their presence?
I’ve learned more than I could explain from not just them, but everyone in the group. Very thankful for everything, you can see from my videos or whatever you hear from me how much I have improved.
One thing you know now as a producer that you wish you knew when you first started out?
I wish I knew the importance of sound selection. To regular people, a beat is just a collection of sounds. They don’t hear a clap or a hi-hat pattern individually, so just make the whole thing fit well and sound good, that’s really it.
What inspires your creativity?
When I have a terrible beat block or can’t get anything done, the biggest couple things I do are either: watch music videos, watch a documentary on someone I look up to, or leave the house and go do something. Other than that, inspiration comes and goes with opportunity and everything else going on, just like anybody else.
What's on the horizon for your music career in 2019?
Hopefully, very big things, expect the worst but pray for the best.
Check him out
https://www.instagram.com/repko_/?hl=en
https://soundcloud.com/repkoproductions
https://wavsupply.net/?product=repko-scarlett-loop-kit