Essa Diallo on SoundBetter

I'm a freelance music producer and engineer with 10+ years of experience. I specialise in contemporary Rap and RnB music, helping clients finish existing demos and ideas. I've worked with people all around the world and offer fast turnarounds and release-ready tracks.

From my in-person work with a multitude of singers and rappers, I know how valuable the artist-producer relationship truly is. I prioritise clear communication, quick turnarounds and accommodating your requests, even if they're unusual or abstract.

I specialise in helping artists finish demos or rough concepts, whether it's producing an instrumental for existing lyrics or creating a basic idea from the ground up. I usually offer complete packages, including production, mixing and mastering, with no additional fees.

I can also advise on promotion and content creation, having achieved over 65 million views on Instagram and over 750,000 streams on my personal Spotify page.

Tracks produced by me have received airtime on BBC Radio 1 and many other local radio stations, been performed at the biggest UK festivals and have received significant online attention.

I speak English, French, Italian and am currently learning Spanish so happy to communicate in your native language.

I look forward to helping you with your project.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

Languages

English
French
Italian
Spanish

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Interview with Essa Diallo

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I was proud of producing a DnB song, with UK mcs Kasha and Harry Shotta. It was an unusual genre for me, but I believe I did a good job and was proud with the result.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Weekly (free) sample packs for producers. Working on beats for Yeat and other big trap artists.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Not yet, but I look forward to meeting people here.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both! Can't beat analogue sound but digital makes life a bit easier.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will deliver exactly as promised, and revise until you're happy.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Meeting new people and getting to travel.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How can I grow my music career? I say: By being consistent, not being afraid to experiment and try new things.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: It being an "easy" job. A lot of hard work goes into it.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: How long have you been making music for? Where do you want to go with your career and how can I help? Who are your biggest influences?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Stay consistent with your music, your time will come!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Macbook, MIDI Keyboard, Prophet 10, FL Studio, Kontakt
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started making beats and selling them in 2019. Since 2023 I've been working freelance in the UK for private clients and companies.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Contemporary but influenced from all of music history,
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Rae Sremmurd, they were my the artists that got me into music production in 2016.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Mix your bass in key. Boosting the fundamental closest to 400hz makes a huge difference on smaller speakers.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Trap / RnB
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Getting my beats to hit hard and loud without clipping or distortion.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring a unique outlook to my tracks as I have a wide taste in music and appreciate how everything is connected. I take inspiration from different genres even when sticking within one style.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I usually start with a phone call / message conversation with the artist, to understand exactly what they're looking for. I ask for a few reference tracks if possible and begin work, usually starting on the instrumental first. I like to start with melodies, either playing something on my synth or using a sample library. I keep the client updated as I go, usually wait for them to be happy before mixing.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I am in the process of building a new studio at the moment with a focus on analogue gear, I currently have an SSL console, Arturia 88 key midi keyboard, Focal Monitors and 2 analogue synths.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My network of producer friends and artists, film composers and major label artists such as Gunna.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Full production packages: Producing, Mixing and Mastering