Since the announcement of TNGHT’s hiatus in December, Montreal’s finest connoisseur of instrumental hip-hop inspired beats has been busy plotting a full-length and globetrotting with a frenetic live show.
Having started producing in the early 00s after hearing the Fruity Loops trickery of rap producer 9th Wonder, Lunice has released through numerous imprints over the years, ranging from solo releases on LuckyMe to a production credit on Maybach Music Group. His non-stop work ethic and inimitable stage presence has won him a legion of fans spanning across the underground heads of the dance world and the loyal disciples of hiphop’s top table. Having coerced him into shouting out the mag for our Instagram page, we sat down with the buoyant producer at Primavera Sound to talk about dance practice, his upcoming full-length and the age-old importance of getting to know your clientele.
Do you change your sets depending on what festivals you’re playing?
Say if I were to play a big festival in LA, I wouldn’t change my set, but I might play one big tune that they might be able to relate to. As long as they don’t know what song it is, that’s the main thing. It’s not like it’s a song they know that they’ll get hyped about, but it’s something that they still like but they’re like “How do I know that I like this!?”.
Have you ever played anything that’s just absolutely bombed?
Never ever no. I think it’s ‘cause of my energy on stage, it helps a lot. It changes the vibe, the fact they see me genuinely feeling it on stage, they just want to be part of it. It comes to a point where it’s not even about the music anymore.
In terms of your stage presence and your motivation to put so much energy in to it, is that just your natural reaction to being on stage?
Exactly. It’s exactly a natural reaction. Out of breakdancing and doing shows and choreography and stuff. From my first gig, I just didn’t know what to do. But while I was playing, they were wiling out, so I was wiling out with them. Next thing you know, I was in front of the stage dancing with my friends and it became a thing. I just started building it up from there and being more aware of how I am on stage now, and expressing it more. I even practice moves! In front of the mirror, just to see how stuff looks. That’s what a lot of people don’t do, they’re too embarrassed. It’s in the same way as people are too embarrassed to hear their own voice on a recording. For me, not seeing myself perform is losing an opportunity to improve myself. Its like when boxers watch themselves and go “Damn I messed up this time and I’m gonna do that thing better next time”.
Since TNGHT happened, do you feel like you’ve got a load of new fans who’re primarily into rap?
Definitely. Ever since the TNGHT project happened, there’s been a huge group of fans that weren’t part of the group originally. A lot of artists would have been like “You’re not the fans from day one”, but I don’t consider that. You can literally be a fan at any point in time as long as you are aware of why you’re a fan. If you’re not aware, that’s fine. I’ll teach you, I’ll share my knowledge to the point where you understand. I’ll never push away anybody that doesn’t understand my stuff. If they are naive? Perfect – I’m the best person to teach you. I accommodate everybody, I just want to make sure they are well aware of what I’m trying to do.
When you’re making a beat intentionally for a rapper’s vocals, how does that work for you?
It works especially well if the vocalist or rapper and you are on the same page. Deniro Farrar, for example, is completely on the right page. He’s one of the rare rappers. I’m not saying other rappers are distracted, but they need to understand what you are trying to push and have ideas on top of that. With most vocalists and rappers, I build a connection with them first. Say if I bring in an artist to my studio, we never work on something the first night. Ever. It’s talk; catch up on a few things, philosophies on a few things. Real life stuff before we get to the creative part of it. I can’t be creative if I haven’t had real life experience first.
Do you think that method is considered old fashioned?
I never thought of that, but that’s true though! I guess it is an old fashioned way of working. People now just pump a lot of tracks out and do it kind of quick. There’s certain things and traditions that really keep everything tight. It’s so effective to be in the studio with a person for live feedback. It’s dynamic, it’s happening. It’s better if you tell me right now rather than waiting for an email or a critique.
Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about what rappers might sound good on your tracks?
I keep a rapper’s flow in mind. Not a rapper exactly that I want on the track, but a rapper’s flow. I don’t rap but I do help in terms of rap flows in the studio from time to time. That’s what I do some times, I’ll put a track on loop and freestyle some mumbling words with a flow and a tone, and from there I build up the song.
Are there certain rappers that you know work well with your beats? I know Angel Haze collab worked well, I can imagine you guys getting on.
That was crazy. That was a beat I made on the spot in the studio in London. I arrived an hour earlier and started the beat, she arrived an hour later and she started writing. That was an on-the-spot kind of vibe and that’s rare. She’s spontaneous in the same way I’m spontaneous. We’re both spontaneous people and positive people. I’ve got great common sense and so does she. So it just worked.
Fans are definitely pretty hungry for either an EP for a full length project, any news?
Yeah I’m working on a full length right now and it’s gonna be a full LuckyMe release. I’m pretty excited. I started the project two years ago and it’s the kind of thing where I start a song or two and then I left it for two years or so. Just so I could gain more knowledge out of touring and out of different people. It paid off though, the Maserati song that some people heard today – that’s gonna be on the album and I started that song years ago then left it. I ended up playing it to Kanye West and he helped me on some tips, like chopping it in a certain way. I took advantage of that and now the song sounds completely different to how it started.
I’m a really patient guy and I love to wait, which is fucked up. I work on a song, and I wait in case of anything that might happen that might move the track forward. That’s where I’m at with the album- most of the songs are almost done. I’m not gonna get too deep on that right now but let the people know, it’s gonna be a bit different. I’m approaching features differently, I’m not gonna make like a big rap song. It’s gonna be revolving around me and how I produce music. They are gonna have to see how I approach vocalists on it.
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