Nate Kobain Shares His Dream Collab, Audio Engineer History & More
Intro:
Nate Kobain is one of the top producers & audio engineers in the eastern Pennsylvania area. He’s recorded thousands of artists and scored some huge placements during his career. Not many rappers or singers can resist the quality of mixing Kobain provides his clients. A lot of this skill comes from years of experience in the field. There’s a lot of information about him & his expertise in our interview below.
Summary:
Me: What first got you into music?
My older brother was always putting me on to new music when I was younger and when we got Tony Hawk’s pro skater for the GameCube, that shit had the most legendary soundtrack. Hella Kyle vibes. That game got me into Hip-Hop, and I was always curious how they made the beats and shit.
How would you describe your production style?
It’s random. One day I’ll be in the mood to make that hard trap shit, but the next day I’ll be cooking up that more slower melodic shit that could make anyone’s BM take their man back. I like simplicity in beats and groovy drums.
What got you into audio engineering? How long has it been now?
When I was in high school I played in a few bands, and the one time we went to a studio that was dummy official. Like, I fell in love with the whole recording process and couldn’t stop watching YouTube videos about it. We started recording ourselves (we were broke ass mfs) and I got really into it. So years later when my boy Sxum and I quit the band, we started recording hip hop music together and I would make the beats. That became an instant obsession where I put everything else behind it and just locked in
Do you prefer beat-making or audio engineering? Why?
Making beats will always be my favorite part of this whole process. Even though I love what I do as an engineer, I feel like the creativity flows more when I can just vibe and create from scratch. Nothing feels better than when you got a room full of artists & shit, and your beats slap harder than a sirloin slapping a stop sign. Makes the whole room geek. I love making beats bruh
Who are some of your favorite artists to work with?
Sxum will be top dawg for life since that is the guy who got me into making Hip-Hop first, but it’s an even vibe with my boy Big Chooch cuz he was there right around when me and Sxum started taking this seriously. We all locked in and because of that, I have the knowledge to have been blessed to work with some of my other favorites like: Lil Shipuden, Rxre, Sweetness, Oryah, Flacko Recklezz and there’s just so many more I’m honestly just blessed.
Your creative process during the pandemic?
I locked tf in! In the studio all day every day between my day job. I took zero days off in that bitch, made some of my best heaters, and met some of my favorite people.
What keeps you inspired to continue working in the music industry?
The dream actually coming to fruition where I make music and record it for a living has shown me that even more is achievable. This is only the start for me and I dream of having major placements with huge artists. That keeps me going
How has your upbringing influenced your career? Was your family always supportive of your decision?
My family always knew I wouldn’t work a regular type of career. College wasn’t for me, and they always just let me be. They probably worry if it’s a true career for me, but I keep going so I can make sure they don’t worry.
How hard is it running and managing a full-time recording studio? And how do you make time to manage music with your personal life?
It’s not hard to manage in terms of challenging, but it can be demanding and hard on the mental. Taking days off sometimes and letting the phone ring helps rejuvenate my ideas and creativity so I can bring my best work to the table every time without burning out. I always make time for friends and family.
What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of music production/engineering?
I like skating and biking. That shit keeps me happy and it’s good to go outside especially as an engineer or producer because we sit down a lot!
Who’s your dream collaboration? And who are some of your favorite artists/producers?
I’d love to make beats with Scott Storch cause he’s a fucking legend! Also, Murda Beatz & obviously I’m tryna collab with Drake. My favorite producer of all time is Butch Vig though. Shout out the goat
Any advice you would give to someone that is thinking about getting into music? What are some of the biggest mistakes you see artists make?
My biggest piece of advice I could offer to anyone starting out is to not let their friends handle the stuff they have no business handling! Your friend who watched a couple of YouTube interviews DOES NOT know SHIT about being your manager! Just because you have a friend with a new iPhone doesn’t mean they will film your videos right. Just because your boy cracked FL studio or Logic doesn’t mean they gotta be the producers. Unless there is actual raw talent in those people and the work is seriously great, leave it to the professionals or else you have a major chance at staying ground level. Unless your goal is to stay local and just do it for the fun, hire professionals!!
It’ll cost money, but without planning and getting that extra bag it’ll be impossible to level up. If your friends genuinely cannot offer you quality service, they have a better role in being the biggest supporters. That’s what half of this is all about anyway. Without support do you really have a shot? Leave the competing for roles out of it. Your friends will be with you while you work with professionals and eventually develop their own roles within your career.
Future Plans?
I hope to get some good beat placements and eventually invest into physical business assets with the music income. I want to open a school for music to be a voice and a teacher for those without these resources. And I plan on smoking a fat blunt in a few mins lmaooooo.
