FNT Premiere: White Cliffs Remixes Abby Diamond’s “Good”

Posted by on June 23, 2016

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White Cliffs is definitely someone to keep on your radar in 2016. After climbing up the HypeM charts with his remix of Alex Care’s “Too Close,” and making his festival DJ debut at EDC New York and Mysteryland, Brooklyn based producer White Cliffs presents his newest project, a flawless melodic / bass crossover remix of Abby Diamond’s “Good”. Having played jazz guitar and piano before getting involved in producing, White Cliffs is able to put a unique touch on his original music using these elements to his advantage. We were able to sit down with him after he rocked the Silent Disco at Mysteryland and speak on his evolving sound, creative process and pre-show rituals. Expect a lot of exciting projects coming from White Cliffs in the near future!

When did you start making music?

I’ve been playing piano and guitar since I was really young but I didn’t discover producing electronic music until mid high school, probably 16.  After hearing “Strobe” I realized there was this whole world of dance music that I knew nothing about and I just wanted to start making some fun things with Ableton.

Musically, who are some names you look up to?

In no particular order, I absolutely love Kaytranada, Flume, Jimi Hendrix, Mura Masa, Tame Impala, Chet Faker, Disclosure, RUFUS DU SOL, A Tribe Called Quest, Led Zeppelin, The Chili Peppers/John Frusciante, What So Not, and Khruangbin(Look them up they’re sick!)

What’s your favorite part about being a musician?

My favorite part is that the entire journey is an unfair amount of fun. Even if you don’t leave the studio with something you’re satisfied with, you still get to sit in a room with your best friends playing with a bunch of awesome creative tools and musical instruments. It’s all worth it when that powerful feeling of inspiration hits you out of nowhere and sends your creative output in a new direction.

What are some struggles you’ve had to face on the up come of your music career? What are some high points?

The hard stuff for me falls on both the creative and industrial sides of things.  Making music can be really frustrating when you’re in between creative surges and feel like you don’t know where to go next or whether continuing to try is even worth it. It’s important to stick around long enough for that next hint to show itself and keep you going.  On the industry side, it’s just working on maintaining a calm head and staying patient; today there are so many musicians with so many ways to share their art, so it just takes a little time to float through the clutter.

If you could pick one of your compositions or collaborations to illustrate your sound, what would it be?

I would choose the remix premiering with you guys! It’s my own take on a tune by Abby Diamond, and does a good job of showing my love for pianos, vocal editing, and lots of fun melodic low end. A little White Cliffs starter pack if you will.

What is your creative process like for creating a song? Is it a long thought out process or can you bust out three songs in a day?

It all depends on the nature of the vocal and the style of the instrumental.  For example, my remix of “It’s Strange” by Louis The Child took me 12 hours, solely because the vocals they wrote with K.Flay immediately hit me with fun bouncy vibes and I came up with chords quickly.  But other tracks, like my remix for Kamau or my original “Comfortable” took much longer since I can be very critical of myself sometimes.

How do you feel your sound has evolved since you started making music?

My sound has fractured into a million directions within the last year.  I finally started to feel as though my work was ready to share about two years ago, and since then I’ve been so excited about many different styles- so lately I just want to make everything.  For example, my upcoming releases over the next few months span a VERY wide spectrum of audiences.

If you could collab with any artist, who would it be and why?

I would collaborate with Kevin Parker. I really relate to how passionate he is about every aspect of the Tame Impala records and can’t get enough of his chord progressions and melodies.  I also think that we both value evoking positive emotions with our music.

Are there any upcoming releases we should keep our eyes open for?

Yeah there are a couple singles that I’m really excited about coming around the corner, and I plan on releasing a debut solo project late this year.

Aside from making music, what is your favorite thing to do?

I love to eat great food!  I also really enjoy skateboarding around Manhattan and Brooklyn.  But my favorite thing to do is make music. I know that’s against the rules but it’s just how I feel.

*BONUS QUESTION*

If you could pick two artists to be your parents, who would they be and why?

I would go with Dillon Francis and Rihanna.  They could teach me a thing or two about being a top level artist while also helping me learn how to avoid unnecessary distractions.

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