Student Stories - Isaiah Isaacs (Kidsonic)

Infusing his music with a range of genres and constantly forging new connections within the industry, Isaiah Isaacs aka Kidsonic is rapidly rising in the DnB scene. We caught up with him to celebrate his recent play on Noisia Radio and his latest release on Impact Music.  

Could you tell us a little about your journey into music production, how you first got into making music and what led to where you are now?

Music production has always been a part of my life as most of my family have been or are still a part of the music industry, e.g. singers, cellists,  acapella groups, rappers and producers. It wasn’t until my grandmother passed 8 years ago that I really started taking it seriously.

I had a rough time at school, struggling with both bullying and my visual impairment. There was a lot of anger there and I needed solace and a way to vent that anger and stress. To help cope I was given a copy of FL Studio to focus my attention on.

From then I knew that I had something, and spent countless hours watching tutorials and putting them into practise. It wasn’t until college that I properly fell in love with DnB. Beforehand, it was more Brostep and EDM based genres, but I think that it really helped with my sound design.

How did you find out about dBs and why did you choose to study with us? 

Originally, I was looking at another college which was recommended to me by Conal Dodds at Crosstown Concerts when I worked alongside him for work experience at the Summer Series 2015. He said that they’d look into scholarships at the University because of my music production skills.

By this time it was already about two to three weeks into the first term so I was late starting, but when I got there to speak to a colleague that I had also worked with, I was told that I couldn’t speak to him.

However, they pointed me in the direction of dBs and I started not even two weeks later. Since then I have never looked back as the course was more suited to my needs and also the facilities are much better.

Congratulations on having your track ‘Gunman’ recently played on Noisia Radio. How does it feel to have those guys recognise your work?

Thank you very much. It feels amazing to know that they actually acknowledge me as an artist, and to have them mention in their show that they liked all the personal flourishes and identified the inspiration I took from other genres: it made me feel amazing. 

You’re also enjoying the release of your latest single ‘Run Away/Otherside’, which came out on Impact Music. How did the partnership between you and Impact come about?

The initial partnership between us was an exchange of messages on Soundcloud. A French DJ by the name of MC Fly DJ contacted me and asked if I’d want to release with them. I said yes, and we eventually started communicating via Facebook. I sent him tracks, and ended up coming up with 'Run Away/Other Side'.

What’s the response been like to the new tracks?

The response has been huge, I never thought I’d be getting the support of people such as Kyrist, Ill Truth, Creatures, Revaux, Objectiv, Missledz, Sam Binary, Terrence & Phillip and so many others, quite a few of which I have held up as idols for quite some time now. The last few months have seen more and more support come in and I’m so grateful for the opportunities that I’ve been given.

Many people talk themselves out of getting into music production because they're intimidated by failure. What would you say to someone who may be in that situation? 

I’d say that Rome wasn’t built in a day. I was never sure of my music until I found my niche and my genre, so if it seems overwhelming at first, take the time to settle in, network with people that run events, and people that run labels and get feedback on your tracks.

It took me 6 years to do that, and to be quite honest I feel like I’ve grown so much since my first release about two and a half years ago, but it’s so satisfying knowing that you are being recognised by big names in the industry.

How has your time at dBs helped push you creatively and forge the connections that are seeing your work championed by the likes of Noisia Radio, Impact Music and Drum&BassArena?

It has helped me to do so by giving me little Avant-garde ways of working, which keep me creative, but I feel like it is more the networking and revising sound design techniques that have helped me get there.

Furthermore, dBs Has helped to push my creativity and forge connections by being non-judgmental and friendly. Most places make you feel like you are inferior to your tutors whereas dBs isn’t like that, and having the feeling that you are able to talk to tutors in a way like they are friends and not just tutors makes things a lot easier on mental health and even easier to learn new techniques that you’d have thought you wouldn’t be able to achieve. 

What one piece of advice has proved invaluable to your development as a producer and artist?

The one piece of advice that I have been given that has helped me develop most is to embrace trial and error. I have asked many producers including Skylark and even Ill Truth how they make their bass sounds and even patterns, and the one consistent answer they have all said is to experiment. Finding weird movements in basses that have been done randomly can create some crazy results that are useable in tracks. I'm still using that advice to this day.

What’s next in the pipeline for you?

Well, I have a couple of free downloads coming as a two track hopefully with Screamarts and Dedman, a collaboration with Jabaru, which I can’t say any more about until it’s announced, and a few other releases, one of which is to be put out through Boey Audio. 

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Are you a keen DnB producer, too? Check out our video masterclass with incredible Danny Byrd as he reveals the inner workings of his hit single 'Salute'.