Artist, Producer, Composer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I think the most gratifying project I've worked on is a Christmas show I did last year called Light In The City. (You can actually watch the whole show on YouTube). It was special compared to other shows because first off, it was done in my hometown. We went in with literally no budget but just figured it out along the way. A lot of people were out of work and we just kinda gathered together and put on a super warm Christmas show and it was live streamed online as well. We wanted to give back and so we started a fundraiser and managed to raise over RM5000 for our beneficiaries. So to do it at home with my friends and to see what we can accomplish when we come united was truly something special.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now I'm working on my own singles and am releasing one end of May so look out for my instagram @mknkofficial and my spotify under MKNK for that. Besides that, I'm working on a couple of albums and producing some artists.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Yes. I've actually been introduce to SoundBetter by Phoebe Tsen from Avery Fos. Her music is awesome and she has a great work ethic so I'd definitely reccomend her to anyone I know.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love the analog sound but I grew up in a digital era. I think the difference is truly audible to a professional but a normal person might not be able to tell the difference. So I would say just choose whatever feels more comfortable for you to work with. And of course that fits your budget.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: That with every job I do, I put my full attention into it and try to make it the best that it can sound. More importantly, to deliver the emotion through the song.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That I can just do music all day. It's literally what's sustaining me right now and I love it. I do admit that sometimes I need a break from it and I need to kinda getaway a bit to refresh my creativity. But to do this as my career is truly a blessing.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Most of the time they ask me what they think about their track. And for me, I don't just look at how the demo sounds but what it could potentially sound like. And I'd usually tell them what I envision the song to be like and what we could potentially add to bring the song to life.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That I only do a specific type of genre. I love to experiment and am always trying to look for new ideas and techniques to include into my repertoire.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the story behind the song and how do you want your listeners to feel when they hear it.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Just be willing to open up to share the story of the song. Especially if it's something that comes from a place that you might sometimes not wanna go back into. I think it's important to try to tap back to that place when we record the vocals for the song or any instruments for that matter and just try to translate that to the song. Be as real as you can be and know that you're in a safe space.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My laptop, a unlimited supply or power to charge it, my keyboard, guitar and mic. I'll figure out how to work without an interface afterwards.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've always wanted to be an artist. I'm blessed to be able to have a career in music. My goal is to perform in big stages headlining events and connecting with the audience through my songs. Hopefully winning some grammys along the way. haha. I'm been writing songs since I was 13 and I just turned 29 in February. So that would make it about 16 years. But professionally, I've been in the industry for 10 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I like to incorporate different rhythms and grooves and top lining it with unique melodies. Sometimes I go hard and create head bopping beats and sometimes I like to produce super chilled tracks. The type you listen to with your eyes closed and take your mind on a ride.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: This is a big question for me. I think there are two. Firstly it'd be Tyler The Creator because I really love the way he tells his stories through his music. His production is always an eye opener for me and I've learned a great deal just by analysing his songs. Secondly, it'd be J Cole, the way he flows and delivers his rhymes always brings me to a journey and being able to make a track with him would be a definite bucket list check off.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overthink. Just record down any and every idea you have. Trust your gut. Cause once you start to question yourself, you expose yourself to a chance of going into a creative block. In other words, go with the flow.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I love producing R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop and anything chill and kinda takes you on a journey. Besides that, I've also produced rock songs, hard hitting beats, radio pop friendly tracks and indie music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: It's probably just finding out what the song needs and bringing that to life. I can work relatively fast and create a beat and finish up a whole song in a couple of hours. Once I catch the message of the song, my ideas flow in and I just go into a trance and before I know it, I have a track.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I think for me personally, I've been listening to different genres from punk rock to Jazz and everything in between. I've tried my hand in producing multiple genres as well. So when I approach a song, I bring in different ideas and grooves to try to make the song stand out.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Honestly it differs from each project. But what I like to do is to take time to know the song first. I believe that every song is already written in its fullest form. It's just up to us to put the pieces together. And that itself is exciting because sometimes you might find different pieces to the puzzle.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My setup is relatively simple. I grew up in a digital era and I've been accustomed to working out of my laptop. Right now, I've just build my studio from ground up and have some acoustic panels all around to have a better treated room, my setup comprises of my mac mini, the usual audio interface, monitor station, my Kali Audio speakers, a couple of midi keyboards and guitars and my Nord electro 3.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: I'm inspired by people who constantly push themselves to try to achieve a new sound or incorporate different kinds of genres and create something fresh. I feel that music is constantly evolving and it's exciting to see what other people come up with and how they tell their story.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I'm mostly hired to complete songs written by artists or songwriters. Be it whether is just a guitar and vocal arrangement or a near finished track, I come in to help bring their songs to life and get it as close as possible to what they had in mind. Besides that, I also compose music for documentaries, commercials, and documentaries. I usually work closely with the director to see how we can enhance the film by adding the right music for each section of the picture.