Branchez Interview : RTT Exclusive

Fresh off the release of his debut instrumental EP “Branchez Vol. 1”, we got a chance to sit down and chat with one of our absolute favorite producers, Samuel Kopelman. This Manhattan native has been making some serious noise in the past few months, while gaining major recognition in multiple musical scenes. His soulful style is quite memorizing, and extremely unique making him one of the premier producers in the beat game. He is currently producing and working with British mc Dvnny Seth, and hopes to get a variety of notable mc’s on his other beats. Check out his debut EP Branchez Vol. 1 along with a couple of our other favorite Branchez tracks below. Read our interview and gain some insight from one of our favorite artist’s at the moment.

Branchez

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RTT: First of all I just want to say thanks for coming on Run The Trap! How are you feeling fresh off the release of Branchez Volume 1?

Branchez : It’s a positive feeling. Almost a feeling of relief. I have been anxious to get a group of instrumentals out there for the general public to vibe with and for vocalists to experiment with. It’s hard to send my babies out into the world but it was time.

RTT: Glad to hear. What’s your main focus at the moment as an artist?

Branchez : My focus is/I hope will always be on making good music. Pushing myself to produce progressive music that I still believe in. I try to never force anything. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that spreading my name is a priority as well.

RTT: Hopefully we can help with the latter. Lets talk about your musical style. How would you personally describe your sound?

Branchez : My sound is based in Hip-Hop, R&B and sampling mixed with a sort of future club approach. I consider many of my productions soul beats and I like to call some of the bassier shit Big Room Hip-Hop.

RTT : Is there a style or sound your really into at the moment?

Branchez : I’m a fan of the chopped R&B movement that’s been developing. Melodic ish like Brandy acapellas pitched down and totally transformed. It’s danceable and classy. I also like the direction I see rap going in. Both the minimal yet booming production style that’s taking over the radio and the rise of instrumentals being able to stand alone and be played out without a vocalist.

RTT : How about your influences? What are some things that have influenced you musically, both past and present?

Branchez : I grew up listening to Motown and funk. My father plays the organ and piano and leads a 15 person cover band. The melodies, layering and sheer power of soul and funk definitely affected my approach to listening at a young age. I also started studying drumset in 4th grade which opened me up to a world of rhythm. I learned how much of an influence percussion has on the overall feeling of music. I think I started to really appreciate more contemporary producers like Kanye West, Pharrell, Timbaland and Just Blaze because of their ability to maintain a live feel and soul in their beats. I tried to emulate the bounce and musicality of their productions. More recently, the experimentation by heads like Rusite has displayed the potential for modern, funky electronic composition.

RTT : Who are a few Artist’s you would love to collaborate with at the moment?

Branchez : Production wise I’d love to collab with Clams Casino. His sampling is beautiful and I think we could make some emotional, relevant music. There are many rappers I’d be pumped to work with but Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown and A$AP Rocky stand out in my mind. Concerning voice flow and lyrics they all kill it while maintaining a unique quality. I’m about to put in some work with the English homie DVNNY SETH. I’m very excited about that project.

RTT : What can we expect from Branchez? What’s your upcoming schedules looking like?

Branchez : For the most part my schedule changes day to day. It’s wild how quickly shit can evolve. I’m trying to stay open so I can jump on whatever ill opportunity comes my way. I DJ in the city weekly and just booked a few shows in Illinois and Ohio. Ideally I’d be asked to grind in the studio with a vocalist and plan a national tour. We will see.

RTT : We can’t wait to check out one of your sets. Hopefully you’ll be making your way to Chicago soon! Besides music, what are some of your favorite things to do?

Branchez : I like eating well and walking around the city. I’m an avid Knicks and Jets fan. I also like swimming and cracking jokes.

RTT : Thanks again for taking some time to chat with us!

Branchez Vol. 1 : >>>> FREE DOWNLOAD via Clubtapes <<<<