It’s been a minute my fellow yappers, but with good reason. Meet HAILE, artist, world-builder, and the mind behind the Kepler universe.

What does HAILE mean?

Bro's name, Haile means power, strength, & resilience. He’s named after the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie (his dad kinda ate with that).

He also goes by K442b, an alias inspired by the EXO Planet naming system.

If you didn’t know, exoplanets are primarily named using the host star’s name followed by a lowercase letter, starting with ‘b’ for the first planet discovered, and continuing alphabetically for subsequent discoveries. Here’s an example from NASA: “Let’s use HD 189733 b (a blue-ish planet where it may rain glass sideways) as an example. The first part of the name is usually the telescope or survey that found it. In this case, “HD” stands for the “Henry Draper Catalogue,” a widely used star catalog. The number 189733 is the order in which the star was catalogued by position (the 189,733rd star added to the catalog). The lowercase letter “b” stands for the planet, in the order in which the planet was found. The first planet found is always named b, with ensuing planets named c, d, e, f, and so on. The star that the exoplanet orbits is usually the undeclared “A” of the system, which can be useful if the system contains multiple stars, which themselves may be designated B, C. (Stars are designated with capital letters; planets receive lowercase designations.) If a bunch of exoplanets around the same star are found at once, the planet closest to its star is named b, with more distant planets named c, d, e, and so on.

That’s a lot, but um here’s a brief explanation of his cinematic universe:

The Kepler Universe

• Kepler & Avery (the protagonists from his first album, We Love It Here)

• The upcoming album “Call Me Kepler” follows Kepler

  • Their world, a flooded planet, is paired with a rag-tag group of space pirates touring the galaxy. He utilizes music as a world-building engine, incorporating animation, story, and sound, all tied together.

How did you get into music?

HAILE says he’s always been surrounded by music since birth. His parents played a lot of jazz, & when he was in the car as a wee lad he’d be in the backseat predicting melodies and guessing the next note like a game.

He first realized he could sing when he was playing the Jackson 5 Wii game with his brother & dad. The pitch detector within the game caught his voice, and from there, both his brother, dad, & mom encouraged him to keep singing.

As for his production origin story, his big brother, WHYZMAN (Omar Wiseman), is his main inspiration. Omar began producing around the age of 15, and Haile started picking it up at 12. He recalls that in middle school, he would create music and share it with his friends. His first beats were actually made in GarageBand, which lacked a snap-to-grid feature when he would try to chop up samples. From there, he purchased a Focusrite and created his first project, "We Love It Here," on GarageBand, which he later reworked into Ableton.

In high school, he created a label called They Love It There Records, which initially began as Side Quest Studios, a DIY music video channel with some high school friends.

But that was the blueprint for what he has now. He’s been animating and filmmaking his whole life, which is why his music feels like a soundtrack because it literally is.

*Cue vine boom sound*

His First-Ever Song:

• sweet spot (Soundcloud)

Favorite Plugins Right Now

Surprisingly, he told me he doesn’t really use any plugins and just mainly uses the Ableton stock audio effects and VSTs. He uses his own vocal chain he created through the stock effects in Ableton, but for guitar textures & effects he uses the Chroma Console Pedal - “all you'd ever need in one box”.

What’s your fav thing to yap about?

As for the things he likes to talk about, he enjoys discussing the universe, spirituality & the meaning of happiness with his family and friends. He actually claimed he has a growing physical media DVD collection of 90% animation and films that are “stacked to half his height”.

Where to find HAILE:

You can find his music on Apple Music, Instagram, & on the THEY LOVE IT THERE! YouTube channel. If nothing else, you can reach out to him here on his LinkTree as well. He’ll will have some in-person shows around LA & hosting a release party for his album soon, so be on the lookout for updates on his socials!

The Stu Sesh:

The Sample:

The Finished Beat:

3 Artists & song recs:

• $4PAIN by HAILE:

• WHYZMAN: cosmic introspection

• We Got It Made by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band

What we were listening to during the interview:

• Feel It All Around by Washed Out

• Insane by Flume

• Courtship Dating by Crystal Castles

Welcome back to another yap sesh. Today I’m yapping with Scout, one of my friends who I’ve known for about 4 years now (absolutely insane - time isn’t real).

When I asked if she still had the first song she ever made, she didn’t even hesitate to share it with me. Fun fact, it was actually for a senior project in high school.

Now, I get that might sound anticlimactic until you find out she spent an entire month of May learning the drums for credit. The commitment is crazy.

Someone from her high school Bo Staloch, a year younger actually had that same project, and ended up releasing it (and as you see below he blew up).

The Yap Sesh

How did you first get into music?

Scout actually started off in the classical music space, taking guitar lessons but she really got into making music during the pandemic (sorry trigger warning). She was trapped in a room going feral like the rest of us and decided to exercise her creative brain on GarageBand.

Here’s the first song she ever made:

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music

Like damn near every musical person I ask this question, Scout mentioned she’d have to find another creative outlet. Those musicians sure can’t get enough of those quarter notes. She said she’d probably just get into painting or drawing because its such a good emotional outlet or just listening to music.

Is there a project you’re currently working on rn that you’d like to share - musical or not?

Scout’s currently working on her senior thesis documentary which is an observational piece following the women’s basketball team at Chapman University throughout their season. She’s thinking about scoring it herself, but she’s not sure yet since “Music’s something I do when I go home - it helps me take my mind off school.”

Who are your musical influences?

“All over the place,” she laughs. Scout grew up listening to Top 100 pop, but this past summer she fell into her pop-country era (Morgan Wallen).

Production-wise, she’s obsessed with Tate McRae - especially the way her songs are structured and how she’s carving out her own sonic space in modern pop.

What’s your fav thing to yap about?

If you couldn’t guess from the title, it’s Basketball. Specifically, women’s basketball obvi. “I’m way more invested in the college teams,” she says. “It’s also fun having friends who are just as into it as I am.”

Her current faves? Texas Women’s Basketball and UCONN of courseee.

Do you plan on ever releasing music?

Scout says she’s not particularly opposed to releasing music in the future but that she (her words) struggles with professionalism. She emphasized that it’s more or less a thought, but she never finishes songs. It’s more of a hobby where she can sit down and do it for as long as she needs/wants to.

The Stu Sesh:

The finished song she made on the spot:

3 artists & songs she recommends:

• Run by COIN or you and me time

• Bruise by BETWEENFRIENDS

• Wait it out by Bow

What we were listening to during the interview & while editing:

• Bright Nights by Koop

• Circles by wev

• Time Apart by Lincoln Jesser

*Mic taps*

Hear yee hear yee, I have come forth with yet another yap sesh.

This time featuring a local college band named Jujube, pronounced (joo-joo-bay) & they’re gonna bring the house deeowwn (this was what they said verbatim & you have to say it exactly how it reads).

Band Bio

Jujube formed in 2023 during the start of their college years in Orange CA, making music to lull your inner child to sleep. Though they branch into more somber themes of nostalgia, escapism, and hiraeth, their upbeat sound will elate your senses and make you dance.

When I asked what the name meant, they laughed - apparently it’s an Asian fruit but they just decided collectively to say it a different way.

I got the chance to chat with Elise (bass, guitar, lyrics), & Julian (drums, lyrics, production) but that’s only 50% of the band. The others, Ash (vocals, guitar, bass), and Dylan (on lead guitar & comes up with the craziest riffs known to mankind) unfortunately couldn’t make it, but they were here in spirit. Together they make up this dreamy/soundscapy quartet that sounds like what happens when Men I Trust meets Smashing Pumpkins (the best).

How They Met

It all started when Elise made a Scott Pilgrim poster asking if anyone wanted to be in a band. On it was a QR code that led to a Google Form with questions which got 50 responses. Elise and Ash actually realized they knew each other from Japanese class. About two summers ago, once Dylan, Elise, & Ash had started figuring out their sound, a mutual friend sent Julian the band’s story post (they were looking for a new drummer at the time). Once he joined Jujube officially was ready to go.

Their Influences

As I briefly mentioned above, their sound pulls inspo from bands/artists like the Smashing Pumpkins (they recently covered their song Mayonnaise). Some honorable mentions they gave were: The Beatles & Radiohead.

Fav Band Memory

They told me a bunch honestly, but specifically this past summer they played a house show at UCLA that turned into something awesome. The whole thing was vlogged by Elise and they mentioned it was one of those nights where “everything clicked and they just kept building off of each other until they couldn’t anymore”. During their song Body Keeps Score, they built it up and just popped off. Elise & Julian called it one of the best performances they’ve ever done.

Upcoming Projects

There is in fact a couple new songs on the way. As of now there isn’t a title but they shared this insane riff that Dylan created. They mentioned it plays on the nostalgia about being a kid & that weird safety you feel around your parents, when everything still felt okay. That’s all they’ll say for now; we’ll just have to wait and enjoy the full piece once it comes out. For now, here’s a bit of the guitar lick/vibe they were so kind to share with me:

What They Yap About & Behind the Stu

Just brain rot. Also something along the lines of 67 (hehe - I’m sorry). Anyways, Jujube primarily makes their music on Logic (most recently their song gas station milk), Ableton, and Pro Tools. Basically if it exists they’ve touched it.

The Stu Sesh

After the interview they immediately jammed out. I gave him a random sample from my songs to be sampled playlist which was Feather by Little Dragon & recorded them sampling it.

(Watch more stu sesh processes here: [Yaps on Record: Jujube]

The first draft of the track:

Where To Find Jujube

You can find their music on all streaming platforms and catch some of their live sets on their YouTube Channel. My personal song rec for you to check out of theirs is Gas Station Milk.

4 Song & artist recs:

1. lazim alshams by nabeel

2. Sill by EDEN

3. Temporary Secretary by Paul McCartney

4. Add up my love by Clairo

What we listened to during the interview:

• Gas Station Milk by Jujube

• The Downtown Lights by The Blue Nile

• Romeo + Rachel Chinouriri by PinkPantheress

• Feather by Little Dragon

• Arrow Through Me by Wings

Ok BYEEEEEEE have a nice day :D

Welcome back to another yap sesh where I interview fellow creatives and challenge them with an unsampleable sample (Ik that’s not a word just pretend it is).

I introduce to you, my friend Loosh. He’s been making music for over 5 and a half years and that’s all the bio you’re gonna get for now so let’s get into the actual yap sesh.

*Loosh takes the mic*

The Yap Sesh

How did you first get into music?

Loosh has loved music his whole life. He got into it more seriously in middle school listening to rap and indie rock starting with Nirvana, Travis Scott, and all the mainstream stuff. When he was at home, his parents had him listening to Irish folk and Al Green. By high school he mentions it was impossible to not make music. “If you love something enough, you’ll eventually become part of it.” He later then got deep into Memphis rap & “evil-sounding” stuff like Three 6 Mafia, Dj Paul, Dj Screw who are huge influences on how he chops and manipulates sounds.

The earliest song he still has is from his Ghost Tapes era (rip to the laptop he had that died).

Here’s one of his early beats below:

Who is the best music producer working in the industry today, in your opinion?

He noted one of the best producer’s out right now is wegonebeok - “He’s hella versatile, and the way his beats hit your ear sonically is wild.”

He also shouted out:

• Fakemink’s self-produced tracks

• Lilfittedcap & smokedope2016 for reviving the cloud rap sound

• Salem = “important for music in general; made trap sound orchestral, artistic, and beautiful”

• Sopranx = bringing back glow trap from the Chief Keef era

• Cranes & Mag = key to the jerk trap/hood trap wave coming back

Here’s Loosh’s fav plugins right now:

• Mo-Ma (Analog Obsession) = go-to soft clipper

• ShaperBox 3 = for stutters and scratches

• Mouth of Sorrow = chorus & voice mod (free)

• Halo 3D Pan = “makes stuff sound like it’s behind you”

• Serum or Vital (free) = synths

• Purity ($50) = “worth it for keys & good keyboard sounds”

• Maim (free) = for gritty, bit-crushed drums

• RC-20 = to make anything sound sampled; adds vinyl flutter, dropouts, and tape noise

  (I may have missed a few because I type a lil too slow)
  

What do you enjoy and hate most about being a producer?

He describes it as “the pocket”. That moment when everything clicks & you love what you’re making and it just flows. Loosh says lately we’re seeing a lot of callbacks to earlier eras like Jerseyhouse, jerk, all that but what matters most is sharing what you love about music. “People are just doing weird shit and I love it. Making music not to send a message, but to have fun and people can hear that joy when they listen.”

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start making music?

He recommends to watch a lot of Youtube. “Listen to your favorite songs with the lights off and pick out instruments in the mix like where they sit, how they’re layered, where they are spatially. Then compare that to your own mixes and experiment from there.” He also recommended to check out Analog Princess on YouTube for great beginner to intermediate production tips that go beyond basic tutorials. (The vids are a bit overstimulating but think of it like Subway Surfers playing while also listening to a lecture with wild graphics).

The Studio Sesh

After the interview he opened up Ableton & got to work. I gave him a random sample from my songs to be sampled playlist which was Gabby by The Internet & recorded him making a beat with it. He also of course yapped his way through his process as he created the beat.

The full stu sesh process is here: Yaps on Record: Loosh

The first draft of the track:

3 Artists & Songs Recommended by Loosh:

• XxX_TALLER_XxX by DJmegan23

• Chore Boy by Shlohmo

• New Cash by tana

3 Artists/Songs I’ve been listening to this month (so far):

• Persian Rugs by Galimatias

• Nailgun by Sinjin Hawke

• SPACE INVADER by Kaytranada

(October’s playlist in progress)

And of course to be fair, I gave myself the same challenge. Here’s a very ROUGH flip I did of the same sample:

What we were listening to during the interview:

• Harm in Change (Instrumental) by Toro y Moi

• Music and Me by FakeMink

• Celebrity Deathmatch by FakeMink

• LV Sandals by EsDeeKid

Listen to more of Loosh’s music here!

Ok BYEEEEEEE have a nice day :D

Welcome back to another yap sesh. We’ve made it to spooktober and instead of me just word-vomiting about artists/songs I’m obsessed with, I want to actually have conversations with other producers & creatives about their journey with music and their overall process. Basically me just being a lil nosy but in a way that hopefully feels fun and not annoying.

So for the first one, I thought why not start with my friend who’s just begun really focusing on his craft: Pace Stryder

The Yap Sesh

How did you first get into music?

When I asked how he first got into music, he told me about being ten years old and living with his sister. A friend of hers just so happened to make & sell beats on FL Studio. Pace wasn’t really allowed to mess with it on his own but he’d really just watch the friend produce and occasionally make some with them. He eventually became super into it and made his very first song called Metro Mechanic by Buddha Boy (his alias at the time).

*Here’s Metro Mechanic below.

By 3rd grade he had already filled a ton of composition notebooks with lyrics. He was also always on early 2000s YouTube where he’d watch production tutorials and launchpad reviews. As time went on, he was really into both computers & music. He mentioned disregarding music because the friend never really made it making beats and overall, making music has never been really “accepted by society”; if the world had to accept one, computer science was always more steady and reliable than making songs (he’s a comp sci major now).

Creative Process and Inspiration

When it comes to writing, he described it as being therapeutic (as most would agree - myself included). “My writing process is really me just trying to figure myself out — A lot of my inspiration comes from God and the idea of truth. Language is the best tool we have to get closer to truth. Maybe you wake up in a different mood and you’ll have a different perspective of what truth is. That always comes out in the lyrics.”

When I asked him about collaborating with others he told me, “Every collab is an out-of-body experience. It’s like tapping into a different person, almost like sharing a body. Like church.” One of his favorite moments was when I pushed him to sing more when I noticed he could hold a tune and I felt it added a different feeling to the beat at the time. (Thank you for the slight ego boost but unfortunately I can only humble men).

“You think you’re open-minded, but then someone else sees the hole in the box and pulls you through.”

When I asked about if there are certain themes or messages he tries to communicate through his music he mentioned that with everything he makes is to just “let things be without restriction” so that he can really figure out who he is and just explore that “I”. If he had to label his sound right now, he’d more generically put it under rap and hip hop, but he doesn’t like the box. “Unorthodox,” he said. “The more I get into it, the more I’ll discover my style.” Ahh classic artíste.

His Influences

When asked whom his biggest artistic influences were: “Kendrick Lamar — because he always spoke about stuff that mattered, and as a kid it helped me see someone who saw life the way I did. And Joey Bada$$ — because he was young and talented and had this vitality I wanted to find in myself.”

When I attempted to delve into what he enjoys most about being a musician, his answer didn’t shock me whatsoever: “I’m nothing,” he said. But not in a sad way (he’s just built different JKJKJK). “It makes me more whole, less alone. It forces me to become more of myself, more of an individual.”

When it comes to the qualities he admires in such artists: originality, courageousness, & people who are curious came to mind. Pace mentioned that it’s difficult to make something new and be original but in my humble opinion, I only think it’s hard if you choose not to embrace who you really are. But then again, it’s easy to just get complacent.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

*Bro laughs*

His advice for anyone trying to follow the same path? “Do whatever your art feels called to do. If it feels dumb, do it anyway because it’ll be a lesson. Don’t let someone’s advice scare you from learning the lesson you’re supposed to learn.”

After the interview we got into a mini stu sesh. I gave him a random sample from my songs to be sampled playlist (Silver Thread Golden Needle by A.G. Cook) and recorded him making a beat with it. He yapped his way through some of the decisions as he created the beat.

The full stu sesh is here: [vid will be out soon]

For future Yaps on Record, I don’t know if I’ll always throw people a random sample to flip or if we’ll just build something from scratch together or on their own. Either way, I love ending these yaps with some actual music being made 🤭

3 Artists Recommended by Pace Stryder:

• Slow Down by LUCKI

• Black Magic by Roam Streetz

• MUTE THE WORLD by OliXL

The Stu Sesh

3 Artists/Songs I’ve been listening to this month (so far):

• The National Anthem by Radiohead

• Ls2 by ICYTWAT

• Ataraxia by Team Sleep

October’s playlist in progress

What I was listening to during the interview & writing:

• Carborante by 9 Lazy 9

• Go (Xtayalive 2) by Kanii

• God in Me by Mary Mary

• God’s Letter by Pace Stryder (Audio Only)

• Dirge by Death In Vegas

• The Morning by The Weeknd

To be nice, since I revealed Pace’s first ever song I thought it’s only fair to show the 1st beat I ever made & posted through the novation app on an old iPad 10 years ago 😀

🥂 To young creatives am I right?

That’s it BYEEEEE have a nice day :)

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