PushaKey
My name is Pushakey, but my friends call me Push. Music started for me at home. I'm the youngest of five children, and the only boy. As a child I spent most weekends on Long Island with my sister Maria and niece Jessica; Jessica and I are very close in age so she is really like my fifth sister. Maria was one of my life's greatest influences, especially as an artist. Early on Maria taught both my niece and I how to harmonize while she would play classic rock and folk records for us; it was all we really had to pass the time.
Soon after when my other sisters moved out on their own they left their record collection behind. There was Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Led Zeppelin; Aerosmith....the list goes on and on. These were the artists I was listening to when I got my first turntables.
Then Hip Hop came along. Hip Hop was so natural to me because it's an artistic fusion of Graffiti, B-Boying, MC'ing and DJ'ing. At age 5, I was dancing on card board in a friends garage, at eight I started drawing with markers, and by twelve I was writing on walls.
Hip Hop was the soundtrack to my life. Freestyling with my friends, writing in black books, going to parties, and dancing as we obeyed the commands of the DJ. I was hooked. I wanted more. I wanted to make the records the DJ would select to rock the party.
Growing up in Queens, a local group that had a record deal blew mind. They were called The Beatnuts. The name alone personified my life. When I met Ju Ju by chance I must've asked him a million and one questions about beats. Around the time when they produced Stone Crazy Ju Ju brought an SP 1200 to my house. My life was changed forever. Fast forward to today, I'm not much different. I'm still a kid from Queens that hums to myself and sits in front of a machine programming music all day. The only difference is instead of an SP 1200 it's a Miko. I'm married to a beautiful woman named Keila, and we have two amazing children.
My name is Pushakey, but you can call me Push.
Artist Q&A:
1.) How did you first hear about Open Labs?
I saw a Neko at Sam Ash a few years ago, and I asked the sales person what it was, and he didn't really know what to say. It wasn't even plugged in. I think it was the gen 1 or maybe gen 2, the light grey one. Anyway, I searched around the internet and I instantly knew I had to have one. It took me a while to save up and get it, but it was well worth the wait and the expense.
2.) What Production Station do you have?
I own a Miko TSE; it was one of the first ones with the core 2 quad processors. It makes me feel like I'm in the movie Tron whenever I use it.
3.) How has the gear changed your method of work?
That's an excellent question, because the Miko totally revolutionized the way I think about creating art. Before this, I used a bunch of keyboards, a drum machine, and a digital workstation. So many floppies!!! Most of the time I didn't even save my beats, I would record beats right away to tape, it took too long to format and save a beat that took 4 machines to make. Now everything is on one place, and it's so visual, I can see where I need to add parts, what I need to move around. Before, making the beat and recording it was 2 different jobs, now it's the same thing, so everything happens really fast.
4.) What is your production station's primary function, live or studio?
Right now studio, but it's going to be on stage soon.
5.) What is your favorite software on the board?
I'd have to say Reaper. Reaper is such a great DAW; I don't have to jump around from program to program to make a song. Everything starts and ends in the same place, which is great. It is just so flexible and customizable.
6.) How do you use it?
I make all my beats in reaper, then after I give it to the artist I'm working with, we do all the vocal recording it. I do all the editing and mixing in reaper as well, so I spend a lot of time in it.
7.) Which kind of equipment have you owned in the past and how do they compare to your Open Labs equipment?
I've owned an mpc3000, and asr 10, a Yamaha motif, a dave smith evolver, an alesis micron, a microkorg, an sp1200, I might be leaving stuff out, but you get the idea. It's not a fare comparison. Im still fond of the evolver, due to the fact its analog and Dave Smith helped to develop the midi protocol we all use now. I use the motif as a midi controller, the Miko replaced everything else.
8.) Has the gear changed the way you write songs?
It really streamlined things so I stay creative more than I labor. Going from the idea to a working demo takes a lot less time and thought.
9.) How different is the composition process compared to the standard computer or laptop system?
I can't really say, the Miko is my first experience in computer music.
10.) Do you think the quality of your production now would be possible with another keyboard?
Yes, another keyboard, 30 of his friends, and an SSL. Since I live in a small Brooklyn apt, none of that fits anywhere.
11.) Have you had any experience with our Tech Support and how does it rate with you?
Open Labs Tech is the best. Hands down. From the first day I opened the box, they have been exceptionally helpful. I had never used a computer to make music before, so they literally taught me the fundamentals and got me off and running. I've never been in the same room with them, but I consider Mike and his team friends. They are all welcome for dinner in my house.
12.) What is next for you and your Production Station?
Man, a lot more music, especially with Uppanotch. Expand into different genres of music. Im going to get Omnisphere, the hot rod upgrades, more goldbaby sample libraries, more hard drive space,. Upgrade my proteus x2 to emu x3. I just want to stay creative, open minded and keep having fun.
Equipment used:
Purchased MiKo TSE
Artist Link:
http://www.reverbnation.com/pushakey