I don’t think I’m going to hurt anyone’s feelings by pointing out that Decap doesn’t have the name recognition of Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, or Charli XCX. But his fingerprints are all over tracks from them, as well as many other artists, including Freddie Gibbs, Bad Bunny, Mac Miller, BTS, and even Ludwig Göransson’s score for Oppenheimer.
Nicholas Piantedosi, better known as Decap, is a record producer, but perhaps more importantly, he’s the man behind Drums That Knock, a series of sample packs that have found their way onto countless records across genres. The line is so successful that, after debuting in 2016, it’s now on its 11th installment. Kenneth Blume, formerly known as Kenny Beats, the producer behind hits from Denzel Curry, Vince Staples, Rico Nasty, Idles, and FKA Twigs, said that Decap “changed a million lives with a single snare.”
Unsurprisingly for a man so obsessed with low-end, he’s got a real beef to pick with phone speakers. And even with all the modern tools at his disposal in his digital audio workstation of choice, Ableton Live, he still can’t give up his trusty Boss SP-202 Dr. Sample from 1998.
What is your most indispensable tool?
Ableton Live. It’s how I get my ideas out.
Which is the most underappreciated?
The clipper. A soft clipper can give your drums that warm analog sound, or it can make them hit super hard. It’s the tool that changed my music.
What is one thing you wish you could change about your phone?
The speaker. I wish I could hear a fat 808 on my phone. A raw 808 with no processing is basically inaudible on a phone speaker. So many people listen to music all day on their phone without ever truly feeling the low end. If I can make my drums knock on a phone anyway, I’m doing something right.
What is your favorite gadget you’ve ever owned?
My Boss SP-202 sampler. It’s the first sampler I ever had, back in junior high when I first started making beats. I chopped my first samples on it, and it was the start of everything I’m doing now.
Which tech trend do you wish would go away?
Gatekeeping over gear. This idea that you’re not a real producer unless you use hardware, or unless you use this DAW or that one. It’s not true. If you’ve got a computer, you already have everything you need. The dopest producer might be a kid in North Africa with Skullcandy headphones. The only thing I care about is if you’re dope or not.
What is one thing you wish you had created?
My honest answer is nothing. I’m happy making the music I make, because it’s meaningful to me and it’s my expression. I don’t need to make anyone else’s.
What creation are you most proud of?
Creating a hard-hitting sound that I love and watching it make its way across genres.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
From my dad. No matter what, make a decision and put a stake in the ground. But remember what a stake is. You can always pull it up and move it.
What do you do when you need to focus?
I meditate. It aligns my mind and my body, and when those two are lined up I can focus way more clearly. If the mind isn’t right, everything will always be a little off.
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck?
The 3M technique: make it, mix it down, move on. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s about staying in the action of creation, because that’s where the magic happens.
What do you think is worth splurging on?
Really good food. Living in Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of incredible restaurants, and I love going out for a nice dinner.
What would the tagline for your biopic be?
“This all started with not wanting a real job”
What’s the last GIF or meme you used?
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