A Conversation With Doc Brown

Doc Brown’s lifetime passion for music is both unmistakable in his productions and undeniable in his performances. Having experimented with MIDI programming and sequencing as a teenager, it wasn’t until moving to Miami–and getting his hands on his first set of 1200s–that he was able to link creating electronic music in the studio to his natural ability to rock a party.

Hey Doc Brown, welcome to Dance Rebels, how are you? Also, where are you from?Hi there, thanks for having me!  I’ve been working hard to maintain my sanity during these unusual times, but music has always been a great outlet for me…so I’ve been extremely focused & busy writing new music from my home in Miami.

What inspired you to pursue your career in the music industry? What’s the biggest sacrifice you have had to make to enable you to pursue your career too? Music has been a part of me for as long as I can remember; I have never wanted to do anything else and I’ve spent my entire life pursuing it.  In fact, in high school I was in a band and studied classical guitar in college…but was so worried about not “making it” as a musician that I ended up taking full time desk jobs in the industry rather than try.  First it was licensing, then managing recording projects and finally manufacturing & printing…all before I ever pursued an artist career.  I also don’t typically look at what I’m giving up, either—whenever I’m making what someone might look at as a “sacrifice” it’s really just me choosing music over something else, which seems very natural to me.

At what moment in life did you realise you could do music full time as a career too? Also, which track do you think also gave you your ‘big break’ in the business? I had been DJing as a hobbyist for a while, but there was a one-year period in which I won a DJ contest to play aboard the Groove Cruise, a DJ/production contest to play at EDC Orlando, and placed highly in (but didn’t win) a production contest sponsored by Stereo Productions and Club Space.  I was working a day job in the music industry at the time but figured that was all a sign to give it a go.  Also, I must admit I don’t really believe in “big breaks” (especially in underground dance music it’s about continuity and a slow build), but if there’s one thing I could reference it’s probably my track ’Totally’ on Stereo Productions in late 2018.  Things have really accelerated since then, and it was kind of a “full circle” moment going back to one of the reasons I jumped into the game in the first place.

How would you describe your typical sound when producing new tunes? On average, how long does it normally take for you to wrap up a track too? Where do you normally begin? For me, I typically start with a baseline and a kick—no other percussion to start really.  I think about the times when a really great track breaks down to just those two elements and how much I like that…and I feel if the foundation isn’t strong enough to support the idea on its own, the rest is just dressing up a half-baked idea.  Beyond that I’m really looking for a strong main hook for the track, be it a vocal or synth line.  Both those elements have to be on point for me to continue on—the bass & kick is what’s going to make the people in the club move, while the hook is what people are going to remember once they leave the club.  From that point forward, it’s about how to take all that & structure it into a complete idea via the arrangement.Experience has taught me the best ideas are the ones that come the fastest.  I can definitely get an entire idea down including a basic arrangement in a single day, but sometimes I compose the main beat and breakdown in different writing sessions depending on my studio schedule.  The fine-tuning of the arrangement, mix & master can take me anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  Some tracks are easier to finish than others!

You’ve recently released a 3-track EP via ‘Exit 32’, what was your favourite track on the EP? How did you connect with Nu Sky for the remix too? Friend? Oh man, that’s a tough one.  I really enjoyed writing the synth bits for Show Em but I think I have enjoyed playing Paradigm out a bit more.  It is one of those tracks that just seems to fit in at just about any moment—early or late—and when the rising synth hits the drop & keeps going it always gets a really good crowd reaction.  The NuSky link came via the label and that was really exciting; getting someone with a resume as strong as his on a remix is really massive.  The label was really great to work with and was actually going to bring me up to NYC for a release party with an absolutely stacked lineup including NuSky, Oscar Mula & Alex Fogo at a really cool underground spot called TBA…but unfortunately it ended up cancelled because of COVID.

What other plans do you have musically, releases wise, for the summer? If you could collab with any artist too, who would it be? I’m really excited about a new one I have called Invisible coming out on Andreas Henneberg & Beth Lydi’s amazing SNOE label.  It has dark groovy energy and it’s been one of my favorite tracks to play since I wrote it; I am hoping other DJs feel the same way!  I’m also launching my own label Unlearn:Records this summer—it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time and I’m beyond excited about it.  And, speaking of Andreas & Beth…I’ve watched a few livestreams recently that have come from inside their studio in Berlin.  It looks like an amazing place to make some music and the two of them have so much talent. 

Unfortunately the Corona Virus pandemic has hit the industry hard, no gigs ATM, how have you adjusted during this period? Once things go back to normal [touch wood], where’s the first place you want to spin tunes at? Like a lot of other DJs, I’ve gotten involved in the livestream game—firstly as a part of a few online festivals, and more recently starting my own weekly show that runs Sundays on Twitch.  It’s been a lot of fun for me—I’ve been playing some really long sets (10-12hrs) which has reminded me what DJing is all about.  Engaging with the online community via chat & testing out new IDs to get feedback in realtime has also been super cool.  It will probably be something I continue to do, at least on some level, even when things return to normal.Unfortunately for me, the first places I’d love to spin at will probably be the last to return…which are the festivals.  Not even necessarily for the sets, but one of the things I miss most is the camaraderie amongst groups of artists hanging out together.  That’s just not something that you get on a typical club night.

Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to any young artist wanting to pursue a career in the music industry as a DJ or producer, what would it be, and why? Well without getting too specific, I’d just say to keep with it.  I see a lot of talented people get in this and give up after it’s not happening for them after a few months, a year, or whatever.  I also see a lot of less-talented artists that work really hard & don’t give up do amazing things.  That’s the thing about music—it might seem like a mountain that you climb, but there is no peak.  You never get to the end of the trail; there is no point where you say to yourself, “OK, I did it.”  So…as long as you don’t give up you’re still getting there.  As long as you keep at it, you’re in the game!