Interview with FS

First of all " Who is FS-Green" ?

Is this already a question? If so:
I'm a 18 year old beatmaker from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I started creating beats in a serious way around 3 years ago. In 2006 I did my first project together with another beatmaker from around here, Hayzee Daze. We made a remix (yeah #2143 or something) of Jay-Z's Black album and dropped that, "The Blackest Album", on the internet. After that I got in contact with a few Dutch artist and did some work for several albums/EP's.

What is the main piece of gear you use and why ?

The M-Audio Axiom 25 midi-controller is my main tool that I use to produce, together with Fruity Loops as sequencer. Sometimes I use my old Yamaha keyboard, it's not a midi keyboard but is does has some cool 80's synths. I use the Axiom a lot cause it's a compact keyboard with drumpads on it, which is quite handy. I'm still thinking about buying myself a drumcomputer one day, but for now I'm good with what I've got.

"Sample based" beats vs. "played from scratch" beats ... where do you stand ?

Both. Most of my beats are sample based, and have sounds in it that I played myself. Just like my contest beat has. I do have beats that just where in my mind and I had to make them, without using any samples. I know some producers that play everything from scratch have problems with sample based beats, and vice versa. But I think both is dope, its just what you make of it.

Why do you think yours was the top winning beat of BB004?

A lot of beats in the contest are dope, but I think mine won because I'm one of the few that didn't stick to just taking a piece, chop that or loop, and add drums and a bass. I tried to put something extra instruments in it, and that worked out.

Whose beat of BB004 would you see win the contest? What were your top 3 picks?

'm feeling the Bluntmosphere beat, it definitely got that Detroit swing, nice chops and ill baseline. The funky sort of bleep thingy and the Rhodes are really adding more dopeness to the track. I also like the laid back vibes in the beats of Par Yen and Emanowiec. My top 3 would be:
# 1. Bluntmosphere
# 2. Par Yen
# 3. Emanowiec

How much time do you spend on your music, how many beats per week/day do you make ?

It use to be a lot, but since I'm working four days a week my time has reduced so much. But it still depends on how the day goes. I have days I make 2 or 3 beats, but sometimes I make 1 in a week. Still I use a lot of time trying to make every element in the beat sounds proper. So one beat usually takes me a couple of hours.

When did your production start to happen ?

The first program I made a beat in was probably Hip-Hop E-Jay or Magix Musicmaker. That was when I was 11, 12 or something. I just thought that was the way to make music. After being bored with the sounds from those programs I remember me recording melodies from my keyboard with a microphone and use that with the drums out of E-Jay. In 2004 someone gave me Fruity Loops and I started practicing with that. I wanted to be on a certain level, before I made a website, or Soundclick or whatever, so I just made beats for myself for about a year and a half. In 2006, after I remixed Jay-Z's album I did my first track on an EP for an emcee. Shortly after that two rappers from Amsterdam asked me if I could do some work for their album, "Counterpoise", which you could download for free on the internet. I did 4 tracks on that one.

What are you working on presently ?
Now I'm working on several projects, not that much. But just some people here doing albums, or EP's. A couple months ago I started with instrumental Hip Hop, just beats that don't need artists rhyming, or singing over it.

What is more important : diggin skills or the chopping skills?

Must be chopping skills. If you have digging skills but you can't chop a record proper, you just have that skill for nothing. When you're real good in chopping a record up, you basically can make a banging beat out of every sample.


	First of all " Who is FS-Green" ? Is this already a question? If so: I'm a 18 year old beatmaker from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I started creating beats in a serious way around 3 years ago. In 2006 I did my first project together with another beatmaker from around here, Hayzee Daze. We made a remix (yeah #2143 or something) of Jay-Z's Black album and dropped that, "The Blackest Album", on the internet. After that I got in contact with a few Dutch artist and did some work for several albums/EP's. What is the main piece of gear you use and why ? The M-Audio Axiom 25 midi-controller is my main tool that I use to produce, together with Fruity Loops as sequencer. Sometimes I use my old Yamaha keyboard, it's not a midi keyboard but is does has some cool 80's synths. I use the Axiom a lot cause it's a compact keyboard with drumpads on it, which is quite handy. I'm still thinking about buying myself a drumcomputer one day, but for now I'm good with what I've got. "Sample based" beats vs. "played from scratch" beats ... where do you stand ? Both. Most of my beats are sample based, and have sounds in it that I played myself. Just like my contest beat has. I do have beats that just where in my mind and I had to make them, without using any samples. I know some producers that play everything from scratch have problems with sample based beats, and vice versa. But I think both is dope, its just what you make of it. Why do you think yours was the top winning beat of BB004? A lot of beats in the contest are dope, but I think mine won because I'm one of the few that didn't stick to just taking a piece, chop that or loop, and add drums and a bass. I tried to put something extra instruments in it, and that worked out. Whose beat of BB004 would you see win the contest? What were your top 3 picks? 'm feeling the Bluntmosphere beat, it definitely got that Detroit swing, nice chops and ill baseline. The funky sort of bleep thingy and the Rhodes are really adding more dopeness to the track. I also like the laid back vibes in the beats of Par Yen and Emanowiec. My top 3 would be: # 1. Bluntmosphere # 2. Par Yen # 3. Emanowiec How much time do you spend on your music, how many beats per week/day do you make ? It use to be a lot, but since I'm working four days a week my time has reduced so much. But it still depends on how the day goes. I have days I make 2 or 3 beats, but sometimes I make 1 in a week. Still I use a lot of time trying to make every element in the beat sounds proper. So one beat usually takes me a couple of hours. When did your production start to happen ? The first program I made a beat in was probably Hip-Hop E-Jay or Magix Musicmaker. That was when I was 11, 12 or something. I just thought that was the way to make music. After being bored with the sounds from those programs I remember me recording melodies from my keyboard with a microphone and use that with the drums out of E-Jay. In 2004 someone gave me Fruity Loops and I started practicing with that. I wanted to be on a certain level, before I made a website, or Soundclick or whatever, so I just made beats for myself for about a year and a half. In 2006, after I remixed Jay-Z's album I did my first track on an EP for an emcee. Shortly after that two rappers from Amsterdam asked me if I could do some work for their album, "Counterpoise", which you could download for free on the internet. I did 4 tracks on that one. What are you working on presently ? Now I'm working on several projects, not that much. But just some people here doing albums, or EP's. A couple months ago I started with instrumental Hip Hop, just beats that don't need artists rhyming, or singing over it. What is more important : diggin skills or the chopping skills? Must be chopping skills. If you have digging skills but you can't chop a record proper, you just have that skill for nothing. When you're real good in chopping a record up, you basically can make a banging beat out of every sample.
	Check out FS_Green : http://myspace.com/fsgreen
	Sixteen Pads talk with FS_Green . June 7, 2007