What Every Producer Should Learn From Dead Horse Beats

Being from ‘nowhere’ means nothing when it comes to good music.

I first met Patrick Wade, A.K.A. Dead Horse Beats, after we both moved to Montreal from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Us East-coast Canadians tend to stick together, so we were fast friends as soon as we met.

The scene in our hometown (Population: 149,000) has always been small, but vibrant. We’ve had our fair share of Canadian indie rock legends – The Joel Plaskett Emergency, North of America and Wintersleep all come to mind.

But despite its urban heritage, the hip-hop and electronic scene in Halifax has often been defined by one or two names. Nova Scotia has rarely been considered a hotbed of emerging electronic genres and talent…

Until Dead Horse Beats.

Patrick Wade has set a new standard for thoughtful, innovative hip-hop production in Eastern Canada. We’re humbled to call him part of the LANDR Community.

I met with him at his home in Montreal’s bustling Mile End to talk coming-of-age, producing for live shows, Windows Movie Maker, and making music by yourself in the middle of fucking nowhere.

We were also lucky enough to have him come play a live set at the LANDR office. Check the video below.

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Andrew is a writer, musician and provider of rare services. Based in Montreal, with a predilection for rap music from below the Mason-Dixon line.

@Andrew Cross