$INI$TA finds the formula
UWI final-year chemistry major, $INI$TA is gradually testing his formula in the dancehall.
His latest creation, the Chancellor Cypher rhythm, was made in his dorm and named after the hall which he resides at the Mona Campus in St Andrew.
$INI$TA, whose given name is Dwayne Austin Reynolds, explained how he made the rhythm.
“The first part has a nice sounding piano. I used a programme called FL Studio. I then used one of the plug-ins, cut out piano and reversed it… played around with it and found a nice sound. I sample sounds from different genre of music,” said the 21-year-old.
“The hardest part is coming up with a name for the rhythm,” he continued.
The St Elizabeth native and former Munro College School’s Challenge Quiz team member plays the piano, saxophone and acoustic guitar.
The aspiring neurosurgeon said he believes his love for music came out of curiosity.
“I wanted to find out how and which notes make a particular sound; listening to natural sounds trying to figure it out,” he said.
He fondly recounted an incident while attempting to perfect his craft.
“We [my brother and I] used daddy laptop and mash it up. Daddy said: ‘unnuh soak up me laptop’.”
However, he subsequently launched the label The Kennel and Blue Strap Music Group from his bedroom in 2012.
He admitted that it is difficult to balance his school work and producing tracks.
“I always practice no matter the workload,” he said.
He plans to to study medicine in China or any European country. However, before that, he has another immediate one.
“I want to buy turntables… the old school one with a central mixer. Then I can combine DJ and producing live pon spot,” he said.
His creations include Mad A Road, Super Lion and Double Dose Riddim.
— Racquel Porter