Anno Domini - July Featured Artist Of The Month

Name: Anno Domini Beats
Type: Hip-Hop
Website: www.Annodominibeats.net
Record Label: Anno Domini Records
Label Type: Indie

Anno Domini's Sawed Off Pt. 3 in our Demar Derozan Mix (the beat used for the dunks section)


Anno Domini Secret Archives Vol. 1

Purchase CD HERE

Interview With Anno Domini:

Can you give us a little bio about yourself before we begin the interview?

Ok Well I'm 23 years old, originally from Munich in Germany, but currently living and going to university in Nottingham, UK. I've been making beats since 2004 under the guise of Anno Domini Beats, producing tracks for people such as Jedi Mind Tricks, AOTP, Kool G Rap, Immortal Technique, Sabac Red and many others. The ADB website (www.annodominibeats.net) has gathered over 12 million song plays and 2 million visits to date making us one of the most popular beat-pages on the web. Following the release of my debut producer album, "Secret Archives", in 2006, I'm currently working on the release of Vol. 2, scheduled for late 2008, including guest spots by several well-known Hip Hop veterans... keep your eyes open!"

1 - First we wanna just start off by thanking you for doing this interview, and congradulate you on being the artist of the month.
Right back at you, I appreciate the opportunity!

2 - What influence took an effect on you to start doing beats?

- I've been listening to Hip Hop as far back as I can remember, the first album I ever bough with my own money was Wu-Tang's 36 Chambers... I grew up with that grimey East Coast sound, and I think it shows in the beats I make today. Making beats didn't occur to me until much later though, I downloaded a free beat-making software off the web and got hooked. I published my work on the net and when people started complimenting me on the beats and asking to buy them I knew I had a talent for it. I've stuck with it ever since and love every minute of it.

3 - Your beats are said to be somewhat grimey, how did you come about with your specific type of style?

I try to make the kind of music I would want to listen to myself. That early 90s New York sound... anything from Wu-Tang to Mobb Deep, Blahzay Blahzay or even DMX when he was still doing it underground. Of course with an Anno Domini twist! Everyone seems to be buying in to that whole minimalist club sound now, but I think a lot of people still have a lot of love for that old school vibe. When I'm sampling I usually dig around for obscure, interesting sounds and lace them with a heavy drum line. I sometimes spend hours just getting the right punch to a snare, I really think the right drums can make or break a beat. There's no real science to it, it's 80% experimentation.

4 - If you had to compare your style with anyone mainstream right now, who would that be?

To compare myself to the people I look up to would be somewhat disrespectful, but I suppose there's a bit of the RZA, Havoc and 9th Wonder in my style.

5 - In making music many of us consider it an art form, but some critics like to say hip hop itself is not art, but just a place for misfits to think they are making music. How do you respond to that?

Hip Hop is, in my eyes, the most creative and boundary-pushing vehicle for music today. Alone the fact that it has become completely immersed in popular culture proves its significance. The charts are dominated by Hip Hop music! Now I'm not saying this is necessarily all good music or particularly clever music, but Hip Hop is diverse and I think there's a lot of ingenious artists out there. Good lyrics are akin to poetry in their complexity and a good beat has sonic diversity that puts the garbage the pop industry usually creates to shame - whether it is composed or breathes life into old music through a well-arranged sample beat.

6 - In that being said, do you consider yourself an artist or just a beatmaker?

I believe anyone who is creative and demonstrates passion and imagination has the right to call himself an artist.

7 - When you do make a beat, how do you do it? Do you need to be secluded? Do you need to be in the mode? How long does it take until your like, fine, this one is good. And how long before your like, crap, how the hell did I do that?

I've never made a beat with someone looking over my shoulder. I definitely prefer to be alone and try to shut out any distractions around me. Sometimes I'll already have an idea in my head or I'll hear a piece of music that gets my creative juices flowing. Other times I just sit down and get stuck in and play around until I find something that sounds good. Usually it takes me around 2-3 hours to make a beat, start to finish, if it takes any longer than that I'm probably over-doing it so I leave it and start from the beginning the next day.

8 - Let’s get into some basketball, who are some of your favorite players and what are some of your favorite teams?

Being from Germany I'm a huge Dirk (Nowitzki) fan of course! He might not be the most flashy player but he's one of the most efficient and consistent in the league and I wish my jumper was as clean as his haha. Unfortunately there's not much NBA or any basketball for that matter on TV in Europe, but I always manage to catch a few live games when I'm out in the US.

9 - How do you think Hip-Hop and basketball influence each other?

The two go hand-in-hand, and I don't just mean rappers referencing basketball players and basketball players rapping (though this is often to amusing effect) – I'm talking about how they both embody the urban youth culture of today, and provide a means of direction, aspiration, but also sometimes escapism and support. Basketball is to physical energy what Hip Hop is to mental energy.

10 - I just personally wanted to say, that by having your beats on our dvd, it elevated the quality of the dvd itself, especially that beat on the demar derozan section in the beginning. My question I guess is, how did having your beats on our dvd, and a lot of videos we do on our website, help you in the process? If it did at all?

I'm really stoked with how the dvd turned out, you guys really did an amazing job with it! It's been a great opportunity for me to showcase my work and open it up to a wider audience and hopefully if people like my beats they'll swing by the website!

11 - Any last things you would like to say?

A big thank you to anyone who's ever nodded their head to an Anno Domini beat and of course to everyone at Ballislife.com! Life is like basketball, you can't play it alone...

Thanks to Anno Domini for taking his time and doing the interview.

Anno Domini On Ballislife Videos:
- Exile & KD: 2 Of The Best Dunkers In The World -
- The Official Demar Derozan 07- 08 Season Mix
- Jordan Hamilton Mix
- Demar Derozan POSTERIZES his Defender