For this week's Happy Hour we had the privilege to sit down and interview Dummy Splash, a Brazilian music producer from San Francisco who specializes in organic dance music. We got to talk to him about the cultural influences in his music, production techniques, and more. Read on to learn about what's going on with Dummy Splash and to listen to his Happy Hour Mix.
Hello NS fam! Yes, that’s right. I was born in Brazil and moved to San Francisco when I was six. Later on in my childhood I moved to a hippy town called Fairfax, which is also in the SF Bay Area.
I would say the music I make is my continuous attempt to blend the organic and unique elements from many genres of Brazilian music with the slow and often melancholic aesthetic of the R&B I listen(ed) to coming up in the Bay Area. Later on I discovered house music when my now wife, Sierra, started taking me to raves in The Bay. Those three things make up my artistic vision and have always inspired the music I make.
I’ll also mention that growing up in The Bay during the Hyphy Movement showed me that you can have swagger while embracing the weird and not conforming. If you know me, you know I’ve really internalized that…at least the weird non-conforming part haha.
Listen to Dummy Splash's remix of Weir and mxxnwatchers "Bday Boomers" below.
I still believe my first record signing with Inward Records in April 2022 has been the most impactful milestone for me. Proving to myself that I can actually produce and mix at a professional level really validated my efforts and inspired me to continue seeking what else is possible in music. I’m an ambitious dude so why can’t that be me and my homies working hard, manifesting audacious goals and dreams?
I started producing in October of 2019 and immediately became obsessed with it. What specifically inspires a given production session varies greatly…it could be a melody, another song, a kick drum sample, a wind chime, a vibe, an abstract thought, really anything. But, the overarching theme is that every time I sit down I am genuinely attempting to make the best and most authentic music I possibly can. Sometimes that means actually finishing a song, but it can also mean tinkering, or experimenting with new production techniques.
The first things that come to mind are resampling and automation. Take something you like and make a bunch of other stuff with it…process it, freeze it, delay it, pitch it down, whatever. I love taking something simple and making it interesting over a long periods of time. Resampling and automation techniques are the most effective and fun ways I know of to help you achieve that.
On March 10th I have an EP coming out on WAYU Records, which includes a remix from one of the most talented producers I know, Snowedin. There are other exciting things coming down the pike, so more on those very soon ;-)
Don't forget to listen to Dummy Splash's Happy Hour Mix
