Terrence Parker

Have you ever considered leaving Detroit like so many others have? What keeps you there? What makes it so special and homely to you when others see desolation and degeneration?

I did leave Detroit for approximately one year to live in Las Vegas. I may eventually move somewhere else – perhaps Berlin or Budapest, only God knows. As for Detroit, it’s a beautiful place. Sure, Detroit has its problems, but no other city could produce the quality of creative people. The people here are strong, and hard working. We’re considered underdogs, yet Detroit is relevant to the world because we do have a lot of decay here but we’re still moving forward. We haven’t given up. We keep going. We have faith. We have hope. That’s what we represent to the world.

To shift the focus to production, am I right in thinking you’re producing most of your music in software now? As someone who began producing when the only option was hardware, what made you make the change?

It was the natural progression in technology. It was a practical decision. It’s like having a mobile phone from 1994 versus a 2014 mobile phone. There’s nothing wrong with a [hardware-based] MIDI studio – I love them – however in order to record in a modern way and get the best use of sounds, I use a virtual studio.

Some of the younger producers reading this might not understand the different challenge involved in using hardware. Do you find it a lot easier to get the results you’re looking for with software?

Yes. However at the end of the day there are so many choices out here for people to use in recording music. One has to use what works best for them.

If we could take a look back at one of your older tracks briefly, ‘Love’s Got Me High’ is one of our favourite examples of an artist sampling an unlikely source and turning it into something completely different. For those that don’t know the story of that track, can you explain where you first heard the sample? Did you immediately realise it was something you could work into one of your tracks?

I was watching a Jamie Foxx comedy special on HBO. Towards the end of the show he sits down at the piano and begins to play and sing. I was taken by surprised because I had no idea this guy could play and sing so incredibly well. But when I heard it I immediately got the idea to sample it and make a track from it.

How did you go about building the track? What kind of production tools were you working with back then and what was involved in sampling and editing the vocal, cutting it up and layering the rest of the track around it?

I don’t want to give away all of my tricks! However I will say I recorded the entire song using a Roland workstation – they were very popular back in the day. Back then, before DVDs, I recorded the TV special on VHS tape using the highest speed to get the best quality, then sampled the parts from the VHS tape directly into the workstation. I created a basic drum track, arranged the samples, and played a melody around it. The rest, as they say, is history.

How much has the writing and production process changed from then to now? Is there a track on the new album which you’d pick out as being a good example of the way you make music today?

There isn’t much of a difference – at least not for me. I approach recording vocal tracks and instrumentals the same way I always have. However I will say technology has allowed me to work with vocalists like Reno Ka in Vienna and Coco Street in Los Angeles while I’m based in Detroit. For example, with ‘Finally (Baby Be Mine)’ I sent an MP3 of the instrumental to Reno Ka by email. She wrote lyrics, sang, and recorded the song in a studio near her home. She then emailed the song’s vocals to me. I then recorded and arranged the vocals in my studio to make the finished product as you hear it on the album.

You’re also famed for your DJing – how would you describe your approach?

I like taking music you’ve heard many times before and presenting it in a different way. I started out as a hip-hop DJ. I taught myself how to mix records and was inspired by DJs like Grand Master Flash and Jam Master Jay.

Do you think the true art of DJing has been lost?

Technology has made it easier for some to conquer the basic techniques of mixing music. However things like dancefloor knowledge and how to read a crowd cannot be mastered in a computer file.

I also have to ask about the telephone headset, where did you get that idea from originally and why do you like it so much?

Back in the early 1980s one of my friends went to Chicago and came back with the telephone headset. When I saw him DJing with it I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. He showed me how he made his and I went home and immediately made my own. I like using it because it’s very durable and it doesn’t get in my way like the cords of traditional headphones. The sound coming out of the telephone allows me to clearly hear the hi-hats which is the centre of my focus when I mix music together. It has a very practical use for me while at the same time being a very cool prop. I’ve been using the same phone headset for years.

So what’s next for you? Where do you go from here?

I am working on projects with a new artist from Detroit named Merachka. It’s really amazing music. I am also working with artists DJ Mo Reese, and Tamara Debor. As for me, I am ready to go wherever God takes me!

Terrence Parker’s Life On The Back 9 is out now on Planet E. Find him on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.