New Rules NYC (#Wattys2015 Winner)

That Fragile Moment When You Share an Idea

CHAPTER 38: MASON

It's weird when you start to appreciate the warm stale breeze of an arriving L train. I put my headphones in and listened to School Boy Q's new album. The train is the usual mix of old school New Yorkers, fresh-faced hipsters and rich white folk. I go to text my brother about a recent trade the Net's had made, then abandon it I realize that there is obviously no reception under the East River.

I put on one of the rough edits of last night's tracks, turning the volume up on the headphones, I wondered if it was cool to take the tracks outside the studio, it probably wasn't, but not like this was some secret Kanye West beat or anything. Listening to each one for a minute or so, skipping between them, I was feeling ok about them. I considered how much easier I found it working with other people's tunes, remixing or editing rough beats rather then starting out from scratch, I guess that must be common in all sorts of art forms.

Back in the studio the girl on reception lets me know there is breakfast in the kitchen again. I nodded to thank her, trying to look like I always have breakfast put on for me, there is a nice shine to her lip gloss. I wondered if it made her lips stick together. Andre is on the couch with his feet up on a chair, displaying Jordans that looked fresh out of the box. He puts his laptop down, pulls his headphones down to his neck and asks me how the tracks are going, if I have any first thoughts. I tell him that I have a couple of angles on them, that they were still pretty rough but we could have a listen. He said I should take a little bit to settle in, he was going to finish something and then come down. In the studio I google him on my phone, trying to find out what other artists he has worked with but only get a bunch of shots of him at events and give up, not wanting him to walk in and see me sitting in the dark huddling over a phone with pictures of him on it.

He comes in, sits on the couch behind me."Let's do this dude" he says. I tell him that they are still rough. "I can clean them up today, but I'm just keen to get some thoughts." I add.

"All good man, I'm all about collaboration." he says, like he has said it a hundred times and I should shut up and just play them.

I tell him that I've done a round of mixes that are different but not too far away from the originals, and then a version that pushed them a bit further as the first track comes on. He gets up and sits next to me. Even though they are plenty loud enough, I turn the volume up slightly and then grab my phone from my bag, mostly to have something to do with my hands, perhaps to take some notes.

He's watching the screen and nodding his head. He says, "It's cool man, definitely fresher, takes it to a new place." We listen to the rest and he asks to hear the next round. I throw on the first one, it starts with a kind of rolling crunch. He smiles with a sort of open mouth that you would expect noise to be coming out of, and starts nodding his head which is a universally good sign.

"Dude, this is dope." he says, and stands up. "It sounds nothing like them, it's a new angle for sure. I love it. Bringing some of that LA flavor."

We listen to some more while he fires off a few emails. We agree that I'll mainly focus on finishing up the more abstract set but to get the others ready for Vince to check them out. It was all a touch anti-climactic, but what did I really expect. It was a good result. He leaves and I find him on Twitter, dude has a massive network.

* * *

About two hours later Andre comes back in with Vince. They both suck on iced coffee which I can taste and smell just by looking at it. Chunky sugar crystals roll around the bottom of Vince's cup. He wears a Givinvhy t shirt and leather pants and brown swade boots.

"So what we got here?" He asks, "This is those young guys from Jersey right? They got anything new?"

"Yeah. We got a few angles," Andre replies, "I had Mason here do a bit of an exploratory."