Capture the heart, move the feet - House music with a meaning. Rich vocals and groovy arrangements are it! I’m new at producing music professionally but I’ve been doing it for 10 years. All my releases are with staple labels and I think I’ve got something going for me.
Have you ever felt, when listening to a great track, “I can do that” or even “I could do this better”?
Hi, my name is Tenobi and I’m a House music producer and DJ. Born in Mauritius, now living in Perth, Australia, I have a burning passion for House music. I started making music as a hobby in 2013 using an iPad and free apps and people liked it, my tracks were being played on radio and at gigs. I decided to go professional in 2021, invested and educated myself to further my passion. I released 5 tracks in 6 months, all signed by staple labels and all earmarked in Traxsource / Beatport charts, including a no.2 ranking on the Soulful House Top 100. I’ve got the passion, I know what captures the heart and what makes the feet move. House music - I make it, play it and dance to it. If you are a vocalist specialising in House or R&B, let’s get working and let’s create some magic.
I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.
Interview with Tenobi
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: My second release, called Sublime, is a soulful House track. I approached one of the industry’s all time greats, Sandy Rivera (Kings of Tomorrow) feeling that he would like the track. He did and signed it under his label Deepvisionz Recordings. The track went No.2 on the Traxsource Soulful House chart and No.22 overall House chart.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: An Afro/Brazilian House track.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: No
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital so we can build bridges across space and time
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: If I make a House track for / with you: you’ll dance to it and you’ll remember it.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: It’s a passion, it doesn’t feel like a job creating music.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How long does it take to create a track? Answer: anywhere between one day to 3 months!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That I put pre-existing samples together like building a Lego toy. No, I cut each Lego brick to custom shape first!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your favourite House or dance track?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Be open to different genres
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Laptop, headphones, Speaker, satellite internet hub and chargers!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I’m a part time producer and full time engineer. I started making music in 2013 as a hobby.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Dancing, soulful, moving House music
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Gregory Porter, hands down. The most soulful voice that exists at the moment.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Use a reference track!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: House music
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Sound selection and arrangement
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: My tracks are about House music that creates emotion and makes you want to dance. I’m a part-time DJ and I love to dance myself. So I know what it takes to create something that works.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I usually start by setting an objective for the track I want to make. This usually consists of choosing an existing track that has a similar sound and feel to what I want to achieve. I then create a 20-30 second loop of the main elements of the track I want to create. Once I am happy with the sound contents of that initial loop, I then create a complete arrangement which includes audio effects. The final stage is adjusting levels and cleaning up sound elements to bring out the best overall sound.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: All my work revolves around my Ableton production station which includes monitor speakers and headphones and a MIDI keyboard.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Producers who inspire me include David Penn, Sebb Junior, Roger Sanchez and Dr Packer, just to name a few.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I produce complete tracks, using samples and keyed in instruments. The finished product is equalised (EQ’ed) and mixed to a standard suitable for a demo submission to a label. If required, I also have the demo professionally mastered.