Lo-fi hip hop is all about the details. While some producers slap some reverb on a Splice sample and call it a day, others craft their sound carefully, creating a dense sonic universe that encompasses all the chill vibes and the fun feels of a summer night spend with good friends. Prime Suspect is clearly in the second camp. Following his tape Autumn Scenes, he recently released Life, a masterful patchwork of drums, pianos and found sounds that expand on his previous material. We had a chat with Prime Suspect to discuss his creative process and his influences.

How are you holding up during the quarantine?

 I’ve been doing pretty well, actually. I’m a person that enjoys time alone by nature, so this has been working out okay for me. I also have more time to work on music, which is often the biggest obstacle for me.

How did you start making music?

Well, I’ve been making music in some form or another for most of my life. I started taking piano lessons when I was 5 years old. I played saxophone in school. I dabbled around with guitar. Music has always been a big part of my life. In terms of composing and producing, I got started with that in college. I started out with an MPD and a copy of FL Studio 8 and took off from there.

Do you remember the first couple of tracks you heard that made you want to start producing music?

I was around 17 and up until that point, I was trying to start a band, but I was having trouble finding people who were as serious about it as I was. I started getting into more electronic and bass music around that time. Finally Moving by Pretty Lights, Smoke & Mirrors by RJD2, Roygbiv by Boards of Canada, Zodiac Shit by Flying Lotus - those are a few tracks that still stick out in my mind from that time.

It kind of clicked for me that I didn’t need anyone else - I could do that! I started learning everything I could about producing. A lot of my early stuff was an attempt at sounding like Blockhead or RJD2. Sampling soul records, stuff like that. I don’t know that my style really fits that as much anymore, but I still try to capture the feeling of those beats.

Where are you living in currently?

I live in the U.S. I’m originally from Wisconsin, but I’m living in Minneapolis right now. The music scene as a whole is pretty good here. There’s definitely an artistic vibe to the city and a decent number of venues. The beat scene isn’t quite as strong, but it’s there if you look for it. I’ve been able to connect with a number of local artists in the scene like slowya.roll, tech flips, somburd, and E66S.

You released the album Life last month. Can you take us through the creation of this album? What inspired you?

I’m really excited about this project. Back in November, I released an EP titled Autumn Scenes, that - at the time - really felt like my best work. It was also the first project I had released that was entirely sample-free (minus some drum one-shots and a few percussion loops). As soon as that album was released, I cranked out 4 of the 5 tracks of the Life project, probably within 2 weeks. I was just really inspired and I think riding the high of finishing Autumn Scenes and having a positive response from it.

Life, like Autumn Scenes, is basically sample free. It feels like a sequel or an extension of the previous record. I’ve made a concerted effort to utilize my background playing the piano on the past two releases and it’s really helped me develop my sound. I really feel like I’ve started to hone in on what prime suspect sounds like, which is exciting. My goal when I was creating these records was to have emotive, smooth, jazzy keys, but still, retain some of the crunchiness or crispiness in the drums that give it a lo-fi feel.

I still like the sounds and the feeling of sampled keys, so I want the listener to wonder if the piano is a sample or not. The missing piece for me, in a lot of my tracks, is guitar, so I was stoked to collaborate with my homie TyLuv. on Cabin Fever. He laid down the guitar and a few other elements and really transformed that track.

What gear do you use at the moment?

In terms of tools, my setup is pretty bare bones. I still use FL Studio. I have a MIDI keyboard that I record all my keys on. I record everything as audio. Sometimes I route sounds through my SP-555 first, for effects. I do multiple takes until I get a good one but I want it to sound like someone is actually playing it. The subtle dynamics, the timing. That’s an important part of the sound for me.

How does performing your music live compare to producing in the studio?

My setup used to be triggering clips from Ableton using a MIDI controller, but I got my hands on an SP-555 about a year ago, so the past few shows I’ve done have been entirely on the SP-555. It’s a blast! It’s awesome being able to just hook up one piece of gear and have all of those capabilities at your fingers. I’ve been lucky enough to open for a few electronic acts like Artifakts, Daily Bread, Guggenz, and play some local shows with some of the guys I mentioned earlier. That being said - I still much prefer being in the studio, haha!

A lot of my beats are tough to translate live. I’ve described my music as a soundtrack for people’s daily lives. I make music imagining people will listen to it when they are trying to wind down and relax. That doesn’t translate as well to a live environment.

You released a lot of music in the past 2 years. What’s your process when you start a new track?

I usually start with a chord progression and a sound I like. I at least try to decide a key I’m going to work in. Then I just kind of see where it takes me, layering on sounds until it starts to take shape. Sometimes it will get to the point where I have a great foundation but can’t think of what to add. In that case, I’ll kick it over to a friend and see if they can come up with something. 

My advice to stay creative and avoid beat block is to simply walk away from it. Take breaks from making music. I sometimes won’t work on music for weeks or even months at a time. Then when I come back I’ll have all these ideas. I’m a firm believer that true art is something you can’t force. It has to come from someplace organic. If I want to work on music but have no inspiration I’ll do other non-creative things to stay productive - organize my drum sounds, practice the piano, clean up folders, etc.

Who are some of the artists that inspire you at the moment?

Man, there’s so many. I’ve been listening to a lot of Tycho lately and I really like the way he captures emotions in his music. In the chillhop / lo-fi scene, artists like chief., Blue Wednesday, Ian Ewing, and No Spirit have been killing it lately. It also might be a kind of corny answer but I’ve been listening to The Beatles a lot lately and learning some of their songs on the piano and I really think it’s helped me grow as a composer. 

What are the things you're the proudest of in your music career so far?

I have so many goals I still want to reach, so it's hard sometimes to look back and think on it. I would say the past two albums and the response I've gotten from them. Knowing people from all over the world are hearing and enjoying what you created - it's a great feeling.

What’s coming up for Prime Suspect?

Planning another release for early this summer. The project is probably 75% finished at this point. The release date isn’t set yet but look for it within the next 2 months. Besides that, I've been doing more collaborations and working with some other talented artists in the scene. I’m really excited for those tracks to be released.

Follow Prime Suspect

SoundCloud | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp | Spotify