Discovered by Kendrick Lamar and signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, Lance Skiiiwalker boasts an intergalactic origin story. The genre-smashing producer creates wildly eclectic music that incorporates multiple genres and feels, often within the same song. “Sample Talk,” from his sophomore release Audiodidactic, is a jazzy jam topped by a discourse on sampling by the artist and guest rapper Isaiah Rashad. The young Skiiiwalker opens up about his production process, a frightening influence, and how the JUNO-60 helped shape “Sample Talk.”
Time to Experiment
“Sample Talk” is a wild sonic ride. With its 5/4 groove, reggae-style guitar stabs, and organ, the track is unlike anything else happening in contemporary hip-hop. For Skiiiwalker, unique creations like this develop best with time to ferment.
“It was a couple of years of working on my craft by myself,” he explains. “Experimentation with different plug-ins and hardware, getting better at engineering, and a lot of trial and error. I feel like the sounds came out of that.”
To Sample or Not to Sample
At its heart, “Sample Talk” addresses the tension between creating one’s own sounds and sampling. So which approach does Skiiiwalker lean on? “I would say more from scratch than samples for me,” he admits. “But I do love going to record shops and surfing for records with random strange sounds because they make great white noise too.”
Not that “Sample Talk” is utterly devoid of sampling. In fact, acclaimed pianist Amaire Johnson dropped in an improvised scratching track created in real-time on Skiiiwalker’s lo-fi record player.
"It was a couple of years of working on my craft by myself. Experimentation with different plug-ins and hardware, getting better at engineering, and a lot of trial and error."
Bass Therapy
Much like Skiiiwalker’s sound, the lyrics are literal and surreal. At one point, guest artist Isaiah Rashad intones, “Follow the bass. It’s therapeutic.” Skiiiwalker shares the genesis of those words. “That came from Isaiah,” he reveals. “I believe when he first heard the production, that helped him. It started with those words. They had him understanding the beat more and got him into the world I gave him.”
It Takes a Community
Being part of the Top Dawg roster has given Skiiiwalker career opportunities and a sense of community. Most of all, he credits the label with understanding him. “It’s very dope. I appreciate them giving me time in the lab to experiment.”
As a result, the years between 2016’s Introverted Intuition and Audiodidactic were absolutely essential. Again, Skiiiwalker acknowledges that his process benefits from simmering time. “Most places, it’s like a speed race or something. I don’t know—it’s not a patient game.”
His hermetic nature is a throughline in the Lance Skiiiwalker story. “I never chased wanting to do shows or tours,” he insists. “What excited me was staying home and experimenting, searching for what plug-ins and equipment I could add and put into my music.”
"I never chased wanting to do shows or tours. What excited me was staying home and experimenting."
Inspiration is Everywhere
Now based in Los Angeles, Skiiiwalker still credits his hometown Chicago with shaping him. “I’m a very introverted person, and in Chicago, the weather is so cold that it’s easy to stay inside. Also, there is so much architecture and uniqueness—that inspired me as well.”
Always seeking fresh inspiration, the artist reveals one influence far outside the musical sphere. “One creative I enjoy is R.L. Stine. Goosebumps inspired me a lot, even the theme music.” For Skiiiwalker, it was always about creating his self-styled galaxy. “They played in their own world, and that inspired me to tell my story and live in that world.”
Roland Roundup
The Roland gear on "Sample Talk"
JUNO-60 and JUNO-60 Chorus
“The lower bass on ‘Sample Talk’ is one I found on the Roland JUNO-60. I really just tweaked it and gave it that dirtiness of a bass sound. I started that with the JUNO-60—with that low end. The JUNO-60 Chorus helped a lot too. Even in my mixing, what I use is the JUNO Chorus. I didn’t realize Roland went crazy in the engineering world, too. I love it.”
"The lower bass on 'Sample Talk' I found on the JUNO-60. I tweaked it and gave it that dirtiness of a bass sound."
