Talon Unmasked: From Producer to Label Owner
Talon Unmasked: From Producer to Label Owner
Talon, a Los Angeles established producer and DJ, started listening to various bass music over a decade ago. Bass was his casual music, but his interest in music production began when he accidentally stumbled upon hardstyle. Talon soon took his hobby as a focal point and eventually brought him to form his music label! Let's discover how Talon pioneers such diversity within the hard dance scene.
FUN FACT: Talon's name comes from no other than his real name! Under his Spotify bio and confirmed through conversation, Talon Ravensong goes by “TALON” as a unique figure who wears a mask and scenic suit for his stage act. He wears the mask for creative uniqueness, a fun way to express himself. Talon is simply an original name that compliments his newest label, 'RAVE'N,' which we'll get to later! ;)
"Was there any specific inspiration [with hardstyle] that made you want to produce?"
Talon shares, "I had a few favorite artists that I respected for different reasons like Noisecontrollers [and] Audiofreq. I liked how all their sound design was very interesting, and not every track felt [the same]." This influence gravitated him towards uniqueness and diversity. "So, I had always had an interest in the hybrid stuff where I can incorporate hard dance music with something that feels like a bass drop or D&B (drum & bass)," he says. One can take note of the success in his hybrid tracks like “What We Do”, “Galaxies Collide” w/Sephyx, and “Bootyclap" w/ NTXC. They incorporate bass drops, drum & bass, and dubstep, all while incorporating hardstyle! Talon proclaims that doing something different each opportunity he gets aligns with the distinctiveness of his favorite artists, which keeps it fun and creative.
Talon touches on a former time of hardstyle where dubstep and hardstyle blends were trending:
He says, "It's a fun way to keep your tracks unique, and something that appealed to me with that kind of motif is that . . . I can kind of make music for myself and then build the community." He adds, "It never stays stale, and I can kind of keep people on their toes with every track not really sounding samey." Even though artists like Noisecontrollers and Audiofreq experimented with hybrid tracks during a more “purist” era of hardstyle (2010-2013), Talon developed his unique sound signature around this formula of energetic hybrid tracks. It gives him the musical freedom that any artist can ask for.
"Do you remember the first track introducing you to the genre?"
He can't touch on any exact track that directly led him to hardstyle. Still, he always remembers the iconics like Headhunterz - Make It Loud. Albums like Audiology by Audiofreaq and E=NC^2 by Noisecontrollers were also some of his go-to's.
"Have you played an instrument in high school or have any background in music?"
Talon mentions he's played the trumpet and a bit of guitar a long time ago, but never stuck with it for more than a few years. He says, "My dad actually makes guitars, and he plays guitars." He admits that his dad had more instrumental inclinations; however, Talon found his musical flavor through the electronic world. He adds, "What I like about production is you're not stuck to playing the one instrument. . . . You're making instruments that people have never heard before."
"Have you learned music theory along the way?"
He says, "I think I brute forced it." Talon strived through consistent practice, trial and error, and perseverance. He states, "I know some [motifs] now but never really through any direct, intentional training. It was more experimentation and failure."
"What is your approach to creating a track?"
Talon describes, "I think it comes from usually one of two things. . . . I hear another track, and something in that inspires a certain idea [or] I key in on, like, a specific motif, like a certain sound [that] inspires the rest of the track." Sometimes, Talon will start with a core progression or the mid-intro of the track and see what kind of vibe that brings. After he latches on to a specific key point of the track, he freestyles the rest and lets his creativity flow. He tends to look for vocals after an established idea.
He tells us how he created one of his more recent tracks, 'Ravens Of The Night,' with a nostalgic and generational vocalist. He describes, "The vocalist in that is Jeff Steitzer. . . . Jeff Steitzer is the multiplayer voice announcer from the hit franchise 'Halo.'" Talon contacted him and collaborated with his voiceover for 'Ravens Of The Night' lyrics! Produced by TALON and Aerolite under Talon's newest label, RAVE'N, this track exemplifies much of Talon's musical innovation, energy, and hybrid originality. Check it out here: Ravens Of The Night
"Can you explain how you got started with your label, RAVE'N?"
Talon tells us, "This label was an idea that came out of what I felt like was something that we didn't have in the community, specifically in America." He continues, "I didn't feel like we had a great platform that highlighted specifically, like, American artists." He mentions that the closest thing we might have to fit that description is Basscon Records, but it isn't exclusively for American artists, it’s just based here. Talon also releases under Dirty Workz and other labels. This keeps for a wider exposure.
"Do you also release under Wolf Clan?"
He explains that Wolf Clan is a sub-label of Dirty Workz, and they were initially their urban hybrid platform of trap and hard dance. Talon mentions, "I pulled up and started doing a lot of dubstep, drum & bass, and other stuff infused with hardstyle, and it made sense to go on Wolf Clan as opposed to the other pure hardstyle labels." Eventually, only TALON and Teknoclash were releasing tracks back and forth on the platform. After Teknoclash branched off to release elsewhere, TALON was the last artist releasing on Wolf Clan before Wolf Clan eventually went quiet (as Talon was busy cooking up RAVE’N).
Talon pivoted ways and continued growing in a new direction. He discloses, "Talking with people like other producers and being involved in the community kind of left me in a spot where I realized we don't have sort of a centralized hub for, like, the best hardstyle that we [America] have to offer, so I wanted to make that platform happen." His mission with RAVE'N is to keep high-quality releases that bridge the gap for talented American artists. "We wanted to set a precedent for quality, and for giving the artists the freedom to kind of do whatever they want so nobody's boxed into a specific label's sound," he asserts.
"Are you thinking about making any events with RAVE'N?"
Talon conveys, "Yea! Funny you mention that. I've been talking with people. People who have actually come to me showing more interest, which I had hoped that someday we would get to that point. But I hadn't reached out to anybody about it yet. And then people have instead reached out to me about . . . using RAVE'N as a repository for artists to come out and play shows." Whether it might be a label takeover or supporting headliners from RAVE'N, there is now a fresh American label to catapult artists to the forefront stages. Suppose you're an American hard dance producer putting in that work. In that case, you have a new source of quality opportunity through RAVE'N! Submit Demos Here!
"Other than achieving your new label, are there any other accomplishments or memorable moments you've had along your career?"
Talon thrillingly states, "Oh yeah, this is just my humble bragging segment? Perfect!" We all laughed. He continues, "It's been cool. There [have] been a couple defining moments. . . . So, I remember my first kind of setup was pretty janky. . . . I was in, like, kind of a rough spot in my life too. . . . I had, like, a really crappy studio little set up on an old vintage vanity drawer with, like, some $60 speakers and some bad headphones, and the first release that I put out on this TALON project was 'Primal Source'. . . . That track got played twice at EDC, so I was like Boom!" Both Keiji and Darksiderz played this, leaving Talon with the ambitious drive to ask what else could come out of this. He mentions that even Noisecontrollers dropped his and Sephyx's track, 'Galaxies Collide' at Decibel and Defqon.1! These were two validating moments, inspiring him to grow further with his artistic project with a consistent mindset.
"What kind of tips do you have for all the aspiring DJs and producers, including those who might be starting to lose hope?"
"Oh, just give up! It's really hard. It's stressful," he banters, and we all laugh. He quotes, "To quote Bob Ross, 'talent is just a pursued interest.'" Foremost, he advises keeping it fun, keeping it fresh, and not overthinking the social media and outsourcing part when it seems too stressful. He says, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."
"Do you think having expectations is a good or bad thing in terms of music creativity?"
"I always have the mindset of having expectations in general is a bad thing," Talon insinuates. "The only expectation you should have of yourself is, like, really put the time into it, keep working on it, and you can't force yourself to be motivated, so do what you can. Try to stay active, keep doing it, and don't stop doing it," he assures. Talon believes the best thing comes from trying something new if you leave your comfort zone.
"If you aren't motivated to keep going, should you still keep working?"
He believes in pushing through in the long-term approach, keeping your mental health in good condition, and, most importantly, if you feel like the thing that you love is hurting you more than it is helping you, then take a break. This belief speaks volumes about the potential struggles behind an artist and the music industry's growth. Talon stresses the importance of focusing on your health first before pushing detrimental boundaries, and it will be just fine as Talon encourages.
We continued with casual conversation and agreed on the importance of mental health and the support of your friends in following your dreams.
Check out the entire interview here! TALON's Interview on our YouTube
If you want to listen to or know about TALON, check him out at:
Instagram: TALON
Spotify: TALON
Soundcloud: TALON
Facebook: TALON
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Marcus is one of the leaders of San Diego Hardstylerz. As a kid, he listened to house, trance, Eurodance, and freestyle. After a friend showed him hardstyle in 2010, Marcus became passionate about the scene and music. He hopes to help the hardstyle scene throughout the states to the best of his ability.
Writer: Marcus
Co-writer: Ivan
Editor: Linda
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LinkTree: SDHZ
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