instrumology

Spooks McGhie is a beatmaker-Producer from New Jersey. Spooks caught my attention one day while I was listening to random music on facebook and thought to myself that I’d like to interview this beatmaker. I then sent Spooks a message to his inbox about being the first featured beatmaker for my newly launched instrumology.com website. Spooks responded by saying thank you but felt that he wasn’t ready for that title of being the first to be featured so he fell back until he felt that the time was right. We kept in touch via facebook and soundcloud and during this time, I’ve watched Spooks and his production grow and ganer a huge following. His persona is like everybodies favorite party starter and his tracks are very creative. Some tracks are collaborated with his wife making this a perfect combination. Beatmakers-Producers, and Music Lovers, Meet Spooks McGhie!

INST: Let the world know who you are and where you’re from?

SPM: Hey hey young world. I am known as Spooks McGhie Coming at you from the Tri-State area, Brick City New Jersey AKA New York’s illegitimate brother.

INST: Who have you worked with & how long have been beat making or producing?

SPM: Wow. I have been composing for a long time. Always had a knack for sound, didn’t get on any equipment until I was about fifteen, so I guess it’s safe to say 11 years and counting. As far as people I have worked with, I have had some ridiculous setbacks. So I am not at the level I anticipated I would be musically by the time I was 25. But I can rattle off a couple names you may or may not recognize: ChanzizR and BlackScientist of Wi?Not Entertainment, Webbafied, Wino Willy, Badweather, D’Angelo Mack, Wil-EZ, Nzero NZ of Air Haze, Hi-Que, FranksWear, Wheredough?, Collin Moody, Dompollitt Aka Dolla Sign Dott, Gary Adams, Shannon Gillespy, Corr Kendricks, Jamaal Brooks, Droptop Harv, James Gibbs III, Black Astro, Oski of Iron Hogs, Keen Arthur, Anonimuz – you guys don’t know who the hell I’m talking about, do you? That’s okay. You will know ALL of those names soon. I only fox with the best. (HA).

INST: What equipment and or software are you using?

SPM: I use a mixture of hardware and software.  I am forced to keep it simple due to my hardships.  But before I lost all my equipment  I love love LOVED incorporating live instrumentation and organic sounds that I collect with a high quality portable audio recorder.  As far as programs, I will forever be a Fruity Loops head.  Right now I’m in the rebuilding process, so all I’m using is an SM58 and MXL 990 microphone hooked up to a windows computer through a TASCAM audio interface and an M-AUDIO Axiom-25 USB Midi controller. I also use this old ass YAMAHA PSR-47 if I want to get more keyboard action than the two octave M-Audio device.  These are things that were donated to me by fellow musicians who saw that I was struggling and didn’t want me to stop producing because they believe in my talent. If that’s not real love, I don’t know what is.

SPM: Beatboxing. In New Jersey, I had to walk and ride public transit everywhere. I would always beatbox, but I would never be able to get these beats in my head to sound the way I imagined them. I had to find a way to get people to hear what I was hearing and the beatbox wasn’t cutting it. Someone gave me a cracked copy of fruity loops and the rest is history.

INST: Do you use or prefer sampling over playing live instruments?

SPM: I said this before, I love live instruments. But I don’t have money for such things. The only reason I really got into sampling is because I didn’t have a way to record instruments the way I wanted them to sound. But because I was forced to do that, I gained a deep love and understanding with the art of sampling. Since the two mean so much to me, I would love to be able to mix the two seamlessly in the future.

INST: Who influenced your style?

SPM: WHY DO YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE!? It’s so hard for me to pick a list of people without rambling. But let’s just say the obvious, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, DangerMouse, Kanye West, Mr DJ of Outkast, Mannie Fresh Scott Storch to name a few. And the least obvious, Stevie Wonder, Freddie Mercury, Tenacious D, George Clinton, Quincy Jones, Cee Lo Green- have I confused you yet?

INST: Do you ever see yourself quitting or retiring from beat making?

SPM: No. Why would you even say such a thing?

INST: Is there a difference between being a producer and being a beat maker?

SPM: Yes. I don’t even know why we started calling ourselves producers, because the literal definition of a music producer doesn’t always imply that they compose or arrange anything. Sometimes a producer just gets everyone together and tells them how to play his vision. A beat maker is sitting in a dark room with a computer and an MPC or some other device reshaping and twisting sounds from all over to create a newer and fresher sound. A producer is a manager, a beat maker is a one man band.

INST: Any tips, tricks, or advice that you’d like to share?

SPM: If you’re really interested in being in the industry, I suggest you do two things that I have yet to do and have hindered my success and skill level. 1. Take an audio course mixing, mastering, production, Protools, sounds all that. The reason my music sounds so rough, is because I didn’t do this. YET. 2. take MUSIC courses. Pick up an instrument. Don’t just learn it, MASTER it. And don’t just learn the instrument, learn music theory in general. Dabble with other instruments even if you aren’t comfortable playing them. Learn all the instruments you can, but master one. Don’t be a slave to the synthesizer, find a way to incorporate real sounds into your music, real instruments and real drums that no one can mimic because they are yours.

INST: Where can we hear your work?

SPM: I’m on soundcloud all the doodah day. So you can definitely check me out there soundcloud.com/spooksmcghie. I also have a mixtape of beats out on Datpiff, thatcrack, hotnewhiphop (pick yourpoision) called “Beats N Shyt” So check that out. In the meantime, here are some sets I made with my favorite beats.

https://soundcloud.com/spooksmcghie/sets/instrumentals-with-samples

https://soundcloud.com/spooksmcghie/sets/instrumentals