From Unreleased Records, Draztik has mapped his way around this South African music industry, and in the process he’s earned the respect of his peers and gained loyal fans. Having paid his dues, it hasn’t stopped him from making the swiftest moves on this here industry chess-board. CHEKA Digital chopped it up and took the convo all the way back to the days of Cashless Society.

CHEKA Digital: We’ve come to know you from the days of Cashless Society, how much has the SA industry in terms of production changed from the days of “Hottentot Hop 1,2″?

Draztik: I would say a lot has changed in the sound. Production has evolved and expanded a great deal now. Producers are experimenting so much more with different sounds. Before most folks would just flip a sample, drop a baseline and add drums, now there’s a lot more live composition. The tempo of the music has also changed, it’s slowed down and has also sped up. When the Cashless record came out most records I was hearing were in the 87-94 bpm tempos, now you hear a lot of records at records at 72, 74 and as fast as 160bpm.

We see guys come up from a bedroom producer to a co-sign by respected artists in the game. In your own opinion, what are the dues a producer needs to pay in the industry?

Part of paying your dues is really taking your craft seriously. I spent of a lot time creating records but eventually realised I needed to spend enough time picking quality sounds, understanding what goes into a hit record, the importance of getting my productions properly mastered and creating your own signature sound that folks can identify. I also feel you need to put the time in and invest in yourself, equipment, sounds and whatever else will get your sound right, and I don’t mean you got to break your budget here but invest in a descent setup. You see if your setup is limited and you’re always struggling to compose, you most likely limiting your creativity. READ MORE ON (CHEKADIGITAL.CO.ZA).....