New Zealand’s Haz Beats is the inhouse producer for Home Brew and Team Dynamite while also working with the likes of Fat Freddy’s Drop, Araadnha, David Dallas Raiza Biza, Dialectrix to name a few. His new EP “E5” is a reflection of his time spent recently in the east of London and is a short journey through public transport fuck ups, come downs, hangovers, the good and bad people he met along the way to the 35 hours it took for him to get back to Auckland.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What are your earliest memories of music?<\/strong>
\nAnything from the East Coast although I loved the Death Row movement also but mainly Mobb Deep, Nas, Premier, Pete Rock etc.<\/p>\n

What got you into Hip Hop production?<\/strong>
\nThe fascination of how to sample music and manipulate it into your own sound.<\/p>\n

Who were your musical influences coming up?<\/strong>
\nEverything my parents, Uncles and Aunties were listening to in the garage when they partied.<\/p>\n

What equipment did you first use compared to what you are using now?<\/strong>
\nMy family’s shitty 80Gb square box having screen PC that stayed in the lounge with a bootleg Fruity Loops studio till I got PC laptop. Now I got a Macbook and I\u2019m running Maschine and Ableton Live all legit.<\/p>\n

When did you realise you could make music as you career?<\/strong>
\nAfter I quit my job with my Dad as a welder I had to make it work. Once things started flowing I met Tom, Lance and Tony and I haven\u2019t had to go back to working for anyone above me since.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=b_-gXXQfCSM<\/p>\n

Your new EP \u201cE5\u201d documents your recent trip of Europe in 5 tracks. Can you give us a breakdown on each song and what they represented on your journey?<\/strong>
\nOverground: The public transport that I preferred to used everyday coz it was cleaner than the tube.
\n55 to Shoreditch: Was the bus route to Brick Lane for a salt beef bagel and to shop for vintage Polo Sport.
\nRoadman: My representation to all the hustlers grinding on the streets day in and out of the E5.
\nPhammm: A dedication and appreciation to my girl An Pham who I stayed with in London. Love you babe!
\nHome: 35 hours and 3 airports later I was home. <\/p>\n

What is your favourite track off the EP and why?<\/strong>
\nHome. Everytime I listen to it, it reminds me to travel more coz you can always come back home and the beat just bangs.<\/p>\n

Being it was your first time what were your expectations of Europe and what are some of your memorable moments from your time there?<\/strong>
\nIt was a bit too much to take in at first but I got used to the people, the language barrier and just tried to fit in and make it not so hard on anyone trying to understand me as I was the foreigner in their country. I even learnt some Spanish LOL. I expected everything I saw in Europe, the buildings, food, the culture, it was like I had been there before in my past life and enjoyed every moment of it. I haven’t walked around that much in my entire life.<\/p>\n

You mainly spent time in the UK how would you compare the music scene there to back in New Zealand? <\/strong>
\nHere in NZ we all kind of know each other in a way that we sort of stick together where in the UK there was a lot of stuff going on I almost couldn\u2019t keep up with the play most times. Different boroughs had a different sound\/parties etc which was cool coz I got see and hear all types of UK genres but I guess it’s sort of the same but in it’s own ways and sound just on a bigger scale.<\/p>\n

What did you most learn from the trip?<\/strong>
\nThe trip really humbled me to be honest. I came back more open to ideas and saying yes to more thing instead of being a bit closed off to everyone who wanted something from me. I more open to hearing people now and giving them a chance than just blocking them. So my listening has improved a lot LOL and I learnt don\u2019t be an asshole coz there is one out there already, don\u2019t be him.<\/p>\n

What is your process in making a beat?<\/strong>
\nFind a sample, chop it up, arrange & manipulate it, add drums, get a bass player to lay a bassline, get a keyboardist to add some keys, mix it and add it to the archives that never see the light of day.<\/p>\n