Interview By Jamison Harvey
Name, Location, What You Do:
Pat Van Dyke. New Jersey. Composer, Producer, Multi-Instrumentalist.
Tell us a bit about your music history, how you got into music, the music business, and your journey up until now:
I’ve been playing music as long as I can remember. I started on piano at 5, then the drums, and eventually taught myself guitar. I’ve always loved the process of recording music. I remember recording my Casio keyboard and Yamaha drum machine on to a tape deck and using headphones as a microphone when I was a little kid - creating tapes of “bands” that were just me. Eventually, I got a Tascam Cassette 4 track and would record bands I was in. Nowadays, I record and produce all my releases - usually at home using both analog and digital technology - specifically, my Tascam 388 1/4 inch Tape machine and Ableton Live.
What's your relationship with coffee? How do you make it, where do you buy it? How do you prepare it?
Coffee is an essential in my daily routine. I usually buy Columbian whole bean from Trader Joe’s and I’ll prep it the night before so that I can start the pot the minute I wake up. Typically, I’ll drink half the pot before the rest of my family wakes up. Hot coffee with almond milk and a pinch of sugar first thing in the morning - iced and black if I drink it later in the day.
What are your thoughts on coffee's relationship to music?
I love to sit down with a cup of coffee and listen through a side of an LP. Doesn’t happen as much as I’d like it to these days.
What are you listening to these days music-wise?
-Lord Finesse’s “Motown State of Mind”
-Lianne La Havas’ new self-titled Album
Have you been doing anything else during COVID since there are not any gigs? Any other activities you have been getting into?
Loads of projects around the house, working on finishing building my new studio, and I recently finished rebuilding / restoring a 16 foot 1964 Starcraft Boat.
What's your go to coffee
Damn, I haven’t been out for coffee since March.
Last Words, anything you want:
Shout out to DJ Prestige and FMF for supporting real artists and good music. Keep an eye out for my new EP with with Fancy Colors in late September - two songs we wrote together, and Zac (Fancy Colors) sang. Really excited for this one. Also, I just dropped the 6th volume in the PVD Breaks series - 26 original royalty-free breakbeats for any producers, beat makers, or DJs out there who love open drums. Peace!
