Interview with Yashlinn, winner of the 2016 Instros Only Producer Showcase

We first came across Yashlinn when he came to one of our Producer Huddles. This super creative, talented and humble guy told us he hadn't been producing for very long, and of course all levels of musician is welcome at our events... but when this guy played his tracks, Pino and I were blown away. His sense of unity and encouragement really stood out for us too as we strive for all of our Huddle members to feel uplifted and motivated when they leave one of our events. Luckily for us, he took a chance on us and himself and entered our competition and look where it got him; rubbing shoulders with some of the industries finest in L.A at istandard's Beast of the Beast competition! He won this prize through Instros Only, and we followed him on his journey out there. We will be posting a vlog with Yash soon telling us about his experience but for now you can get to know the guy we love working with, we highly respect and genuinely couldn't be more proud of.

Yashlinn: Hey guys! First off I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Instros Only for the amazing opportunity. What you guys are doing for the UK producer-scene is a blessing. Hats off guys!

Denise: How and when did you get into music production?
Yashlinn: In my first year of university I started playing keyboards at church in South Africa. The keyboard I used was an M1-Korg and it had a sequencer. I knew that if I could figure out how to sequence on it I could make music like Timbaland (I was a huge fan at the time). After finally figuring out how to use the sequencer I realised it was a very limited platform but later that year I got introduced to Reason v 1.0. This was where I really started to develop as a producer.
 
Denise: Who are your biggest musical influences (production-wise and in general)?
Yashlinn: There were 2 bands in my family growing up, The Salem trio & Salt of the Earth. Their songs were filled with rich chords and vocal harmonies which shaped my musical ear. I also listened to a lot of gospel artists and the ones that really impacted me were Fred Hammond & Commissioned, The Winans & John P Kee.
Production-wise I was influenced heavily by Teddy Riley, Timbaland, The Neptunes and Babyface. The Gap Band, George Clinton, Stevie Wonder, Toto & The Police, to mention a few, were also on heavy rotation on my cd player. 
But I have to say Michael Jackson gets a category on his own. He's probably the artist who influenced me the most.  
 
Denise: What software/hardware do you use to make music?
Yashlinn: I’m a Reason-head, since version 1.0. I use Logic sometimes as well but I’m just super comfortable on Reason. And my hardware kit consists of a Novation SL MKii 61, Focusrite Saffire Pro 24, BLUE Bluebird Condenser Microphone, AKG K-77 headphones and of course my MACbook Pro.
 
Denise: What artists have you worked with/are currently working with? 
Yashlinn: You can hear my most recent production on the Call of the Wild mixtape by rapper Alexander Vanguard (@alexandervanguard). On the mixtape you'll also hear spoken-word artist “Mr. K” (@mrkpoetry) and singers Jenae Mills (@jenae_mills) and Thomas Seyah (@thomasseyah). That project really kicked things into gear for me. Recently I did a remix for hiphop artists Krash X Elements (@krashxelements) which will drop before the end of this year. I've also had the opportunity of working on a song for R&B/Soul singer Ruth Ellen (@itsruthellen) which will feature on her project out in December. And lastly I’ll be doing a collaborative instrumental EP with Jeriah Nadesan (@jeriahnadesan) focusing more on arrangement and composition about June next year.

Denise: Do you actively attend music workshops/industry events? If so, what benefit do you think they bring, if any? 
Yashlinn: The Producer Huddle is the first music industry event that I've attended and then of course the Instros Only showcase. In terms of benefit. It's MASSIVE!!! I mean, I'm going to LA! :) But really speaking as producers we tend to be guarded and pretty sensitive about critique to our music. Sometimes that can lead to the music not leaving our laptops. But events like the Producer Huddle & Instros Only Showcase gives producers a real chance to have their music heard & critiqued by industry professionals but in a way that builds and motivates us to master our craft. 

Denise: Where can people hear your music?
Yashlinn: Soundcloud and Instagram but I'll be posting most of my music on my website where artists will be able to purchase music for promotional or exclusive use. 
 
Denise: What does the future hold for you (what are your career plans)?
Yashlinn: I believe that I am called to do music. For me it’s on a soul level. I’m a person of faith and my music is guided in this manner. There are quite a few artists I want to work with and to achieve this, my plan is to have my home studio completed in course of next year. I also sing and compose so next year I want incorporate more of those elements into my music. After the competition in LA you'll find my Beast of the Beats set on my Instagram, as well as my first solo EP (probably around mid 2017) and a Soundkit for producers to chop up :) 
You'll find all of this on my website (yashlinn.com) which I plan to launch in February 2017. So look out for that! 
In the long term I want to open a record label through which I would be able to develop talent and promote up and coming artists/producers.​
Blessings.
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Follow Yashlinn on Instagram, Twitter and Soundcloud: @yashlinn
Click below to hear some of that FIRE Yashlinn entered the competition with...