A young producer based out of Boston was making good ol' traditional R&B and hip-hop beats before he transitioned to something new, something we've come to recognize as the future R&B sound. SevnthWonder is that producer and he claims paternal rights to coining the name of the new genre. SW fluidly blends new and old styles together for a distinctive electronic sound that he rocks.
Masterfully sampling, concisely distorting, and completely altering the productions, SeventhWonder's remixes rework the originals entirely making them in his own style. We've recently featured the remix of Drake's "Language", his remix of Tinashe's "2 On", and more. As the sound of electronic music continues to expand and push boundaries, SW has no problem making his own path to go down. We caught up with SW when he was last in New York to chat about Drake, about the music scene in Boston, and about his upcoming ventures abroad. Although he is frequently found performing behind his signature tiger bandana, SW let down the mask for just a little bit to talk with us. Read what he had to say below.
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EARMILK: How did you become dubbed "SoundCloud's friendliest tiger?"
Sevnth Wonder: I made my account back in April 2013. But before that I was making R&B and hip-hop beats. I decided that I wanted to get in on remixes because I wanted to challenge myself to take an original vocal track and make it better.
EM: You've been categorized in the Future R&B style.
SW: Yeah. I was the first person to start using that phrase to identify my sound. Some might call me the pioneer of Future R&B. It's a really nice blend of classic 90's R&B and these infusions of modern club sounds.
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EM: Who are your influences right now?
SW: In no particular order, I listen to a lot of Kaytranada, Full Crate, J Lewis, and the dudes on Soulection. I could list a thousand artists that I'm into right now.
EM: Alright, how about we try a different approach. What are the top songs in your personal playlists right now?
SW: AbJo, Blackbear – I just did a remix for him, C. Justice, and some Dr. Fresch. I played some of these guys tonight. I actually played a lot of unreleased Louis Futon stuff tonight. We're good buds and they send me a lot of their exclusive stuff to play at shows and what not. I may have actually played like five or six of their songs just tonight.
EM: Who is next on your list of collaborations?
SW: My dream collaboration would be with Drake. But realistically, I'm trying to collaborate with Manila Killa. I'm actually trying to meet him tonight. We've been talking about collab-ing for a while. I think we both have a really interesting sound and it would be great if we got together.
EM: So you've seen a lot of momentum in the music career recently, what are your next moves?
SW: It's been kinda quiet, but I'm working on a U.K. show, an Australia show, and a few Canadian shows right now. All three of them would be mini-tours in each respective country. We're just hashing out the details for that. That should be within the next 3-6 months or so. It is going to be incredibly exciting.
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EM: So you're located outside of Boston, right?
SW: Yep. About thirty minutes outside of Boston.
EM: You're originally from Texas, why the move?
SW: Mostly because of family. I was ready for a change of pace and a change of scenery too.
EM: How would you describe the music scene in Boston? Is it receptive to your sound?
SW: Well, if you define Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and that kind of music as the music scene, then it's good. It's really awesome (laughs). Unfortunately, I feel like the indie scene is hard to find there. It's hard to get enough people to come together. I'd say give it a couple of years and Boston will get enough momentum going again for indie musicians. I think all it takes is one person or one group to bring everyone together, because there is so much talent there.
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EM: So you've been doing some work with – and a handful of shows with Soulection recently, including tonight's show. Do you guys just have a good working relationship, or is there a future for you there?
SW; I love Soulection. They know it, everyone knows it. I've taken a lot of influences from their roster and the music they've put out. I would say that I'm good friends with a lot of them too. I'm not sure what the future holds for me and Soulection, but it is exciting enough to do shows with their artists.
EM: Dope. Do you have any last closing remarks for EARMILK readers?
SW: You know, EARMILK has been a big supporter of me. I'm stoked that I got to interview with you guys. I'd hope to keep seeing support from EARMILK readers. I appreciate everyone who comes to the shows, comes to hangout, and who listens to my music.
This tiger is just getting going. He's got some moves up his sleeve you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for.
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