ryzenn AKA taiko!

Interview

About Daniel AKA taiko!

Hello! My name is Daniel! I go by ryzenn, or taiko! As most of you know me by! I am from Virginia, lived here all of my life and I honestly love VA. I am 19, currently studying in college for my Cybersecurity degree. I have a really strong passion for music and music production, and I am really into audio. I love technology and I have a deep passion for computers and tech. I am also really into photography, and videography, and I used to be a camera operator for a live broadcasting team for a church!

Describe the style of music you produce

The type of music that I produce is mainly subgenres of hip hop and trap. I have also been trying to bring reggaeton into audiotool! Some of the subgenres that I make or have made include sigilkore, maplekore, reggaeton, hip hop, trap, wave, new jazz, jazz fusion phonk, phonk, and more!

What is your musical background and when did you start making music?

I grew up in a family of musicians, guitarists, pianists, and drummers. My dad was one of the drummers at our church. In 2016, I joined my middle school's band class and started playing drums and percussion. By 2018, I was constantly listening to trap and hip-hop. One day in my Algebra class, I was looking for a clean version of a Fortnite soundtrack I liked but couldn't find one. That's when I thought, "What if I remake it myself?" I started searching for free music software on my school Chromebook and stumbled upon Audiotool. When COVID lockdowns hit, I spent most of my time slowly starting to learn on AT. Senior year, I even used audiotool to make a gymnastics floor music mix for a good friend of mine, and that floor mix made it to a national competition, and is still used to this day!

How long have you been using Audiotool, and how did you discover it?

I have been using audiotool for about 4-5 years, and I first discovered it through a Google search back in 2018 on my school Chromebook, when I was looking around for free music softwares to make beats and make music.

What is your favorite Audiotool device and why?

My favorite device has to be the Machiniste, because its insane the amount of stuff you can do with it, and it's the heart and soul for drums. Not just drums but you can load anything into it, and manipulate it in a sort of way and create something completely new out of it.

What is your favourite trick in AT/What technique do you always use?

One of my favorite tricks on audiotool has to be M/S EQ. It's very cool and it allows me to clean up the stereo image of a mix. For my master on AT, I make a M/S EQ, and I modify the side signal by putting a HPF at a slope of 48dB cutting around 30-50Hz, and enabling a shelf, boosting around 7kHz to make the mix sound cleaner and wider.

Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?

A few things that have helped me: sometimes it's best to grab random sounds and not think too much. Listening to other songs for inspiration helps too. Sometimes it's best to step out of your comfort zone. I also like to produce in different places, like on campus or in a library — a change of environment helps.

What has helped you the most on Audiotool to improve and widen your musical horizon?

What helped me a lot was how accessible audiotool is. I can use it anywhere and on any computer, which is just insane to me. And the community, that gave feedback and even showed me some tricks! Shout out to Cal Lycus and Client!

What do you like most about Audiotool? Is there anything you would like to suggest?

One of the main things that I love about audiotool has to be the community, because I have made some really great friends and I have met some of the most talented people on audiotool. Audiotool is like a home to me.

Your message to the community:

Keep pushing, keep creating, and keep growing. Don't be afraid to try new things, and never stop learning. The community here is amazing, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it. Thank you all so much for the support!