Decap is the man behind the drums behind your favorite song
Decap is the man behind the drums behind your favorite song
Decap：你最爱歌曲中鼓点背后的男人
Producer and sound designer Decap’s ‘Drums That Knock’ are all over some of the biggest hits of the last 10 years. 制作人兼声音设计师 Decap 的“Drums That Knock”系列采样包出现在过去十年中许多最热门的歌曲里。
I don’t think I’m going to hurt anyone’s feelings by pointing out that Decap doesn’t have the name recognition of Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, or Charli XCX. But his fingerprints are all over tracks from them, as well as many other artists, including Freddie Gibbs, Bad Bunny, Mac Miller, BTS, and even Ludwig Göransson’s score for Oppenheimer. 我想指出 Decap 的知名度不如 Kendrick Lamar、Olivia Rodrigo 或 Charli XCX，这应该不会伤害到任何人。但他的“指纹”遍布这些艺人以及许多其他音乐人的作品中，包括 Freddie Gibbs、Bad Bunny、Mac Miller、BTS，甚至 Ludwig Göransson 为《奥本海默》创作的配乐。
Nicholas Piantedosi, better known as Decap, is a record producer, but perhaps more importantly, he’s the man behind Drums That Knock, a series of sample packs that have found their way onto countless records across genres. The line is so successful that, after debuting in 2016, it’s now on its 11th installment. Kenneth Blume, formerly known as Kenny Beats, the producer behind hits from Denzel Curry, Vince Staples, Rico Nasty, Idles, and FKA Twigs, said that Decap “changed a million lives with a single snare.” Nicholas Piantedosi（更为人熟知的名字是 Decap）是一位唱片制作人，但更重要的是，他是“Drums That Knock”背后的男人。这是一系列采样包，已出现在跨越各种流派的无数唱片中。该系列非常成功，自 2016 年首次亮相以来，目前已推出第 11 部作品。曾以 Kenny Beats 之名制作过 Denzel Curry、Vince Staples、Rico Nasty、Idles 和 FKA Twigs 等人热门歌曲的 Kenneth Blume 曾评价说，Decap “用一个军鼓改变了数百万人的生活”。
Unsurprisingly for a man so obsessed with low-end, he’s got a real beef to pick with phone speakers. And even with all the modern tools at his disposal in his digital audio workstation of choice, Ableton Live, he still can’t give up his trusty Boss SP-202 Dr. Sample from 1998. 对于一个如此痴迷于低音的人来说，他对手机扬声器有很大意见也就不足为奇了。尽管他可以随意使用自己首选的数字音频工作站 Ableton Live 中的所有现代工具，但他仍然无法放弃他那台 1998 年产的、值得信赖的 Boss SP-202 Dr. Sample 采样器。
What is your most indispensable tool? 你最不可或缺的工具是什么？
Ableton Live. It’s how I get my ideas out. Ableton Live。这是我表达创意的方式。
Which is the most underappreciated? 哪一个最被低估？
The clipper. A soft clipper can give your drums that warm analog sound, or it can make them hit super hard. It’s the tool that changed my music. 削波器（Clipper）。软削波器可以让你的鼓声拥有温暖的模拟质感，或者让它们听起来极具冲击力。它是改变我音乐的工具。
What is one thing you wish you could change about your phone? 你希望改变手机的哪一点？
The speaker. I wish I could hear a fat 808 on my phone. A raw 808 with no processing is basically inaudible on a phone speaker. So many people listen to music all day on their phone without ever truly feeling the low end. If I can make my drums knock on a phone anyway, I’m doing something right. 扬声器。我希望能在手机上听到饱满的 808 低音。未经处理的原始 808 在手机扬声器上几乎听不见。很多人整天用手机听音乐，却从未真正感受到低音。如果我能让我的鼓点在手机上依然震撼，那说明我做对了。
What is your favorite gadget you’ve ever owned? 你拥有过的最喜欢的电子产品是什么？
My Boss SP-202 sampler. It’s the first sampler I ever had, back in junior high when I first started making beats. I chopped my first samples on it, and it was the start of everything I’m doing now. 我的 Boss SP-202 采样器。这是我初中刚开始制作节拍时拥有的第一台采样器。我在上面完成了第一次采样剪辑，那是我现在所做一切的起点。
Which tech trend do you wish would go away? 你希望哪种科技趋势消失？
Gatekeeping over gear. This idea that you’re not a real producer unless you use hardware, or unless you use this DAW or that one. It’s not true. If you’ve got a computer, you already have everything you need. The dopest producer might be a kid in North Africa with Skullcandy headphones. The only thing I care about is if you’re dope or not. 关于设备的“守门人”心态。那种认为“除非你使用硬件，或者使用特定的 DAW（数字音频工作站），否则你就不是真正的制作人”的想法。这不是真的。如果你有一台电脑，你就拥有了所需的一切。最厉害的制作人可能只是北非一个戴着 Skullcandy 耳机的孩子。我唯一关心的是你是否有实力。
What is one thing you wish you had created? 有什么东西是你希望自己创造出来的吗？
My honest answer is nothing. I’m happy making the music I make, because it’s meaningful to me and it’s my expression. I don’t need to make anyone else’s. 老实说，没有。我很高兴能创作自己的音乐，因为它对我来说很有意义，也是我的表达方式。我不需要去创作别人的东西。
What creation are you most proud of? 你最引以为傲的作品是什么？
Creating a hard-hitting sound that I love and watching it make its way across genres. 创造出我所钟爱的、极具冲击力的声音，并看着它在各种音乐流派中流行开来。
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 你收到过最好的建议是什么？
From my dad. No matter what, make a decision and put a stake in the ground. But remember what a stake is. You can always pull it up and move it. 来自我父亲。无论发生什么，都要做出决定并立下立场。但要记住什么是“桩子”——你随时可以把它拔起来移走。
What do you do when you need to focus? 当你需要专注时会做什么？
I meditate. It aligns my mind and my body, and when those two are lined up I can focus way more clearly. If the mind isn’t right, everything will always be a little off. 我冥想。它能让我的身心保持一致，当两者对齐时，我能更清晰地专注。如果心态不对，一切都会显得有些不对劲。
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck? 当你感到卡壳时会做什么？
The 3M technique: make it, mix it down, move on. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s about staying in the action of creation, because that’s where the magic happens. “3M”技巧：制作（Make it）、混音（Mix it down）、继续前进（Move on）。它不必完美。关键在于保持创作的状态，因为魔法就在那里发生。
What do you think is worth splurging on? 你认为什么值得挥霍？
Really good food. Living in Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of incredible restaurants, and I love going out for a nice dinner. 真正好的食物。住在洛杉矶，这里不缺令人惊叹的餐厅，我喜欢出去享用一顿美餐。
What would the tagline for your biopic be? 如果拍一部关于你的传记片，标语会是什么？
“This all started with not wanting a real job” “这一切都始于不想找一份正经工作。”