Composer / beatmaker with a unique experimental aesthetic specializing in video games (RPG, Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Story-rich) and film.
Pedro Gonzalez-Fernandez is a composer, songwriter, and producer based in Washington, DC. His bold experimental aesthetic is balanced by a sense of engaging melody, humor, and vulnerability. Pedro has composed for a variety of film and video game projects and is interested in collaborating with directors and developers. Most recently, he provided the score for the video game, Family Tech Support, and two episodes of the web series, People | Things. He contributes regularly to royalty-free music libraries, producing stock music and beats.
As a solo artist, Pedro has released two albums: The Ghosts of Handsome Skin (2023) and necessary stranger [songs] (2020). Both albums set the poetry/prose of contemporary writers to music.
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Credits
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Interview with PedroGFMusic
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I feel that my score for Family Tech Support sounds very unified, compositionally-speaking. Super proud of this!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am releasing a series of Lofi Beats for content creators. I have been using public domain samples from CitizenDJ, https://citizen-dj.labs.loc.gov/.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I prefer to use digital tools. Having a whole bunch of analog gear has never worked out for me because I like to keep things minimal to focus on composing/songwriting.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you write in [...] style? I am well-versed in a variety of musical styles, so I likely can help you out. My background in musicology helps me to analyze music quickly for stylistic characteristics.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: Do you know all the places in your game in which there will be music? Oftentimes people overlook the interstitial music needs of their project, such as level select music, game over, and accompaniment for cutscenes.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Do your best to figure out any sort of audio-related touchstones for your project. I am more than happy to check out references that you provide (e.g., soundtrack for another game, particular artist/composer).
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Mac laptop, mic, classical guitar, Nord Electro, Maschine Mikro 3
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started out playing in bands and then went to school for music. After getting a bachelor's degree in piano performance I went ahead to earn a master's in musicology, thinking that I may go on to be a professor of music history. Eventually I got a full-time job in a different field, and now can support my endeavors as a composer.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Melodic. Glitchy. I love a boom bappin' 808 beat.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Johnny Greenwood. How much more "mad scientist" can it get? But seriously, I think that he has a very strong understanding of how to create experimental music that retains its human core.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple, Sillypants.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Nowadays I spend the majority of my time creating lo-fi beats for royalty-free stock music sites. I will take breaks from that to compose scores for film/games or to produce experimental albums.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Collaboration. I take this very seriously and want my creative partners to know that I am fully invested in bringing their vision to life with my music. My expert-level communication skills also help me to collaborate effectively.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: A bold experimental aesthetic balanced by a sense of engaging melody, humor, and vulnerability.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I first will study the concept for the project so that I know the right sound, feeling, or direction. After that I create some "mock up" drafts for the client to review. I will work with them to select the right material, incorporate revisions, and polish the final product.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio is rather minimalist! I work mostly with my Mac, and will track using Maschine Mikro 3 and various MIDI controllers.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: J Dilla, Jukio Kallio, Johnny Greenwood, Lena Raine, Nobuo Uematsu, Hip Tanaka, Austin Wintery, Michiru Yamane, Caroline Polachek, Kate NV, Stephen Steinbrink, Radiohead, Deerhunter, Deerhoof, Jlin, Tame Impala, Panda Bear, Animal Collective, Thomas Dolby, Quincy Jones, They Might Be Giants, Beck, Haruomi Hosono, Toby Fox,
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I primarily compose original soundtracks for videogames (RPG, Action, Adventure) and make lo-fi beats using public domain samples.
- Beat MakerAverage price - $50 per song
- Film ComposerAverage price - $75 per minute
- RemixingAverage price - $50 per song
- Radiohead
- J Dilla
- Maschine Mikro Mk 3
- Nord Electro