U: Hello everyone, my name is Umu, I am ReacttotheK's channel creator.
Welcome to this interview with this K-pop producer,
when you hear his name you might think:
Oh yeah, he did Twice's 'Yes or Yes' and also 'Heart Shaker',
or maybe you thought: I know fromis_9 'Love Bomb',
but also he has produced so many other bops, like:
Oh My Girl's 'Crime Scene', B.A.P's 'Hands Up', IZ*ONE's 'Eyes', LOOΠΔ's 'Satellite'
Oooh, my paper is gonna fly away,
NCT Dream's 'Trigger the fever', Kevin's 'Ride Along', and a handful songs for SF9, and a ton of other songs as well...
Please introduce yourself and maybe tell us how long you have been in the K-pop industry.
D: Hi, my name is David Amber, I'm a producer and songwriter,
I have been working in K-pop for I would say about the past five years - uh, hardcore.
I have been kind of involved for the past eight years, just a cut here and there, but five years like super hardcore.
U: We're gonna rewind the timeline quite a bit.
(D: Okay) U: Did you know that were going to do music your whole life,
or was that something that developed later on, like throughout high school,
when you tested out producing and learning instruments and stuff?
D: Yeah, so I was, I mean I played piano since I was like four years old, and...
U: Okay, you're one of those people.
D: Yeah, it was like one of those things where I was a little baby and banging on the keys,
and so my mother was like:
All right, well he's gonna be a piano player, so let's do it.
So I played, I wasn't very good because, you know, I wasn't really into the lessons of...
you know, the kind of- what- (Umu: yeah, yeah) I think Alfred's was what it was,
it was some kind of method learning, and I wasn't really into it,
and I went through a bunch of teachers, and probably when I was like 12 years old,
I had a piano teacher that - he was a jazz player,
and I wasn't really into jazz, but he taught me how to learn songs by ear,
so, you know, finding the root note of the chord and figuring it out that way,
and once he kind of introduced me to that way of playing and learning music, that's kind of where I was like: Okay.
I started writing songs,
because I would just copy, you know, what I was hearing by ear,
then I started listening to arrangements of records and stuff that I liked, and I was like:
Ah yeah, this is the cool thing, the sound that comes out here and the guitar part that comes out there and that's like:
This is what I want to do.
I was never really interested in performing as an artist or being in bands or anything like that,
but composing and the arrangement element of songs and records,
I was into from I'd say around junior high school.
U: And so then, did you end up majoring in music as well?
Is that - or was composing always a hobby on the side as you went to college and stuff?
D: In high school I did all the stuff, I was in marching band... (U: EEYYY!!!)
D: Yeah, I was the drum major, actually, (U: Awesome, wow, congratulations!) in my senior year, somehow someway, I don't even know...
D: and I was in choir and show choir and I did all the musical theater stuff,
and anything that was music related, I was in, jazz band, and... I was into everything.
But it was all kind of music, like playing, and it wasn't anything as far as production.
So I did, when I went to school, I went to Drexel University in Philadelphia, and it had a program called 'music industry',
and it was like one of the first kind of hybrid music business - music tech programs,
I know NYU had the Clive Davis school and Drexel, I think, probably made something similar like very soon after.
My major was, Music Industry was the name, and with a focus on music production.
U: You are so well rounded! (D: I was-) You got the jazz band, you got the marching band, you got the production, you got the music business...
D: I just love music, like all aspects of not only music and theory and playing, performing, records, I love the business, too,
it's interesting to me and it's fun to engage on that level, so I mean, you know, why not learn everything I can about it?
U: Yeah, that's absolutely awesome!
Do you feel like all the experiences that you developed through music theater and jazz band
has helped you become the producer you are today, having that knowledge of like all the different kinds of music?
D: I think so, I mean I think it definitely gives me some kind of like - at least something that's different from other people,
I mean there's probably other people that have the same influence as me and... (U: [different than] the mass majority)
D: yeah, well, or just particularly producers that are making pop music today, or
you know, we are always the sum of our influences, so for me,
I am very happy with the sound and the style that I have kind of developed for myself
and I think it does give me at least some kind of uniqueness for making records and having some kind of sonic stamp.
U: Right right. When you first got into K-pop, which was quite a while ago, how did that happen?
Did someone reach out, like did you already start producing songs and putting them out there
and then a label was like: Oh we want your music, what was it, 'Up10tion', that was your first release?
D: Uh, it was actually, my first release was, man, I'm gonna say maybe it was 2012,
it was Heo Young Saeng from, he was SS501, I believe that's the name of the group,
so I mean that was the first cut but I got into K-pop - it was probably during college 2004/2005, around that time,
you know, we go to Korean noraebang sometimes and some of my friend would sing Korean ballads,
there was like, you know, they would do some of the Korean hip-hop songs like 1TYM and (U: Oh my goodness!)
D: and I think BIGBANG was kinda just coming out around that time (U: Yeah yeah yeah!)
D: so like, I was aware of K-pop (U: Okay) and I continued to kind of follow it.
I wasn't - I didn't really listen, I was like in college, I wasn't really listening to pop music,
It was like, you know, if it wasn't like underground, you know, that kind of thing,
so I kinda kept following it and then, maybe around 2009/2010, Girls' Generation, that era,
that's when I kinda started following it like seriously
and I had just started producing pop music around that time, maybe 2010/2011,
'cause I had never really written pop songs before,
it was always electronic music or just, I wrote for commercials
and when I started writing pop music I was just kind of doing it on the side, cuz I was a commercial composer
and I just started sending songs out to people, and there was somebody that heard a couple songs that they were like:
Oh, this is cool, I can shop this, this is good enough for me to pitch to labels and stuff
and then I met some other writers that were kind of involved in writing for K-pop and J-pop, specifically,
and so that's how I got my first placement,
and I started meeting some other people, other publishers, writers, labels, around maybe 2012/2013.
And then when I moved out to LA, which was like very beginning of 2016,
that's when I kind of linked up with more writers and got more heavily involved in K-pop, yeah.
U: How often do you have to travel to Korea, I know a lot of fans are curious how it works being an international producer?
D: Yeah, I try to go at least once a year, generally though like twice,
maybe, I think I've gone two or three times, three was probably the most I have gone in a year.
I try to go just to work with Korean writers, hangout with the A&R's, kinda just be around.
I definitely try to do it a couple times a year, this year has been a little bit different
U: Yeah. Why? I don't know? (*heavy sarcasm) D: but generally, yeah.
D: Yeah, I don't know, there's some stuff going on.
U: No one knows why...
U: Whenever you are traveling to Korea, or whenever groups come here, do you ever interact or get to work with artists?
I know I've seen on your Instagram, was it Hyolyn?
And I know you have done a collaboration with Wengie and I saw some pictures with SuperM...
D: The picture with SuperM, it was just a nice thing, we got to go their show when they played at the forum,
and then, you know, I just got to meet them.
U: Your hookups got you backstage? D: Yeah yeah yeah, the backstage pass...
D: No, so that was nice, but Hyolyn, yeah we got -
My friend runs a production company, he worked closely with her, so
when she came to LA to work with some writers, you know, we were able to work with her,
which was awesome, I mean that was (U: Yeah!)
cuz I always liked Sistar, I thought that was like a great K-pop girl group,
you know the songs were just fanta- (U: Iconic!) yeah, iconic, just the songs are amazing, and she's,
she's just an amazing performer, singer, it's unbelievable, like...
you know, it was almost, when we were writing with her it was weird
because we were trying to come up with some melody,
or she would come up with a melody and we're like:
Man, I don't even know if this sounds good
because everything you sing is just amazing, yeah. (U: ...sing is just awe-hahaha!)
I'm like: Let me get in there with my crappy voice
and if it still sounds okay, yeah... (U: And then we'll see if the melody is actually... yeah)
And if I go to Korea there's been opportunities for me to at least have some fun interactions with artists,
you know, I got to meet Everglow, pre-debut,
they did a little showcase with us and so we were able to kinda meet them, and that was really nice.
So there's been some opportunities and fun things like that.
U: That's, well, speaking of Everglow, literally my next question is about them.
One of your more recent songs to come out, which was Everglow's 'Gxxd Boy',
I was so curious about - or I am curious about the sounds in the track,
it sounds like you recorded some glasses clinking together,
U: and then just messed with it, is that what happened? D: Yeah, that's funny that you...
D: Yeah, so actually, and I don't think there is any issue here, the original name of the song was called 'Milkman'.
U: OOOH, that makes so much sense! D: So,
D: the idea for me was to have the blowing on the bottles and the hits with the... (U: Yeah!)
yeah, so that was, the idea of that was to kind of integrate the concept of the song with the sonics, so...
D: Yeah, that's funny that you picked up on this. U: It was so fascinating to listen to
U: because I feel like not all the time do you hear acoustic real life sounds put into a pop track with a popular group,
U: so do you actually record yourself? D: Yeah that was real, I mean that was actually me, yeah, I had like a -
D: it was, I can't remember if it was a plastic bottle or maybe it was like a Corona or something...
Yeah, sitting there, producing, drinking a Corona or something and just going *blowing*
you know, something like that, but yeah, those were real sounds.
U: Do you often record yourself making noises and put it into your tracks,
U: or was this a- D: I do!
D: For me, like me, my voice, there is a lot of me doing like breath noises
(U: *wheezes*) D: and all kind of like *breathing sounds*, you know *tongue clicking* (U: yeah yeah yeah!)
D: yeah, that kind of stuff, I do that quite a bit, just different like "ouww"
D: cuz I have this low kind of voice (U: Nice, yeah) so sometimes you can throw that in in a cool way.
U: Cuz I was wondering, when talking with some other producers,
whether you ever just walk around and record random noises to use,
or if you just go to the sample library and buy what's already recorded?
D: It's a mix of both. I have a song recently where I used some kind of car noise.
D: So I am not gonna go outside with a recorder and... U: Like: "Hey wait, slow down a little, let me just..."
D: Yeah, I am not gonna do that, so I will pull something there, but if it's something specifically,
particularly if it's some kind of body percussion or something that I can do myself - yeah, why not?
D: Cuz then it will give me - nobody else can create that, it's mine, so...
U: Right right, no copyright infringement there. D: Yeah, exactly, yeah.
U: Another song that I was really into the soundscape with, and also how the lyrics ended up matching to the soundscape
was Loona's 'Satellite', which is a song you co-produced with Ashley Alisha (D: Yeah)
and the lyrics just go so hand in hand with the soundscape, I was wondering:
Did you guys get together and you created the track from scratch together or did you already kinda have like a bass line down
and then you just worked on the concept together and it developed from there?
D: We actually were introduced by her publisher, she had, you know they had sent me some songs that she had done
and I was like: She's awesome, I gotta, you know,
I think I had just come up with an idea, like a track idea, basic,
cuz a lot of times we try to just get chords and a beat down before we do the sonic landscape
cuz I think the melody can help dictate that, and the lyrics and you know all that stuff, so...
When she came over and we did the session, she already had a lot of the melody, and it was,
it was like ahh, this is great, this is our first song and it sounds amazing! (U: Yeah)
You know, we worked it a little bit and got it to where it was, and then I think the sonics kinda were build around that.
And the track itself, it was - I wouldn't say minimal, but it's kind of minimal compared to some of the other songs that I've done,
and yeah, it kind of just, it fell together like that because it was easy for me to do the sounds once everything else was in place.
Some writers and some producers like to do a full track, it's fully done or 95% done, and then they will give it to a topliner,
but for me, I like to do something a little more bare bones, and then build it around the melody
because to me that's what everybody is really listening to anyway.
U: Yeah, that's why the experience of 'Satellite' is so visceral for me.
U: I mean of course the choreo that they made is absolutely brilliant with the, you know, everything (D: It's the whole thing)
U: But do you ever think, when you say you produce around the melody,
are the lyrics already there or is it just like "hmmhmhm", like little hum hum hum?
D: I mean ideally what I like is to, when we write the song, the lyrics and melody, record the full vocals, like harmonies, everything,
and then I'll see what needs to be done after that's done because a lot of times,
you know, you work on a track, if you do too much before you write the melody and the lyrics and you do the full vocal production,
a lot of times you'll have to take stuff out of the track because it'll just be too full when everything is in there, (U: Right)
so a lot of times, once all the vocals are in, I'll be like: Oh, this actually doesn't really need that much. (U: Yeah)
For me it's the best way to work, it doesn't always happen that way but I like that.
U: Right. Do you ever think about text painting?
Since the lyrics are already in and you're just trying to add the scenery and you think:
Oh, they're saying "up", so I am gonna go like *singing ascending scale*,
U: like does that ever cross your...? D: Sometimes,
D: with K-pop it's a little different because many times the Korean lyricist is gonna change a lot of it.
We'll try to put in phrases that we think they can keep but it's hard,
I mean that's easier to do when the song is gonna remain in English. (U: Right)
You know, the classic thing that like 10 years ago the Max Martin's and they were all doing the "Dowwn"
U: Yeah(x7)! Aha. D: Like "Down", you know, that kind of stuff,
D: yeah, that's easier to do when you know it's gonna (Both:) stay that way,
D: but yeah, if we can do that, we try.
U: Yeah, cuz with 'Satellite', I was just - all the beeps and boops, I was like: I am literally just imagining a night sky area...
D: Well you know that might have been when the lyricist got, you know, did what they were doing,
that might have been an influence on it, too, (U: gotcha) they might have heard the same thing and be like: All right, let's do that. (U: yeah)
U: 🕶️
Hello.
I have changed my concept because now we are gonna talk about fromis_9's 'Love Bomb',
and that's an emotional trip for quite a few fans, so I need to cover up my tears while I talk about it...
So, yeah, a shared reaction between the majority of fans who listened to fromis_9 'Love Bomb' for the first time was that
we are almost moved to tears when we reach the chorus, was that emotional transition a planned out thing,
did you think that fans would just burst into tears when we reach the chorus?
D: I didn't, no, of course not! I know how I felt when I wrote it but I don't know how other people are ever gonna react.
The whole point of this song was the just big explosion of a chorus, because the verses are kinda quirky,
pre-chorus is mellow, that impact of the chorus is obviously what we were going for,
and the track, those are the sounds and stuff that I just like, it's kind of a mix of J-poppy and then 80's
and like all the elements that just naturally sound good to me, (U: yeah)
and then mixed underneath is this kind of like dirty electric guitar synth thing that just drones and it's a *demonstrates*,
so I think that gives it some kind of power with the prettiness on top of all the kind of, the high synths and that kind of thing,
so when I made the track and then when we worked on the song that was, the idea was to make it very emotional.
Almost like an 80's power ballad or something, that's kind of the idea, 'Livin' on a Prayer',
or something where it's just like very... *Umu begins to sing*
D: Yeah, it's just that kind of like heart on your sleeve emotion, like this is what you are going for.
U: You said you know your emotions while you're writing it.
Was it emotions first that came to your mind, like: Okay, I want to make sure it feels this way
or was the first thing you thought about: Okay, this is the style I want to go to in the chorus of the 80's love ballad type thing.
D: No, I just think it was more like: I work it until I feel what I want to feel, right?
So I wanted to feel that euphoric big lifting feeling of like... and the chills and the whole thing, that's like what I want.
So when I'm making it, if it's not there then I'll just keep working it, and once it gets there, then I am like:
Okay, now it's at a place where it's feeling good for me, I don't know how other people are gonna feel about it but
if I feel a certain way, I can hope and think that some other people are gonna feel that way, too.
U: Right, where you surprised at all when like the comments are flooding in of like: Oh my gosh, I'm crying at the chorus!
D: I was happy! No yeah, I was super happy, like,
you know, we work hard on these songs and try to convey a certain emotion, so when that connects with people, it's...
that's the whole point, it's to have that connection of feeling and like what I felt when I made it.
If other people are feeling that way on listening to it, it's like: Mission accomplished, you know?
U: Exactly, speaking of shaking up people's hearts...
D: What a segue, wow! U: We'll move on to Twice! Thank you, thank you.