Worldwide Dance: Tony Seltzer

Where does your love of music come from? What inspired you to take this path in life? Is your family musical at all?

My father is a DJ, he plays mostly old school R&B, funk, doo wop and soul, but from birth there was always all types of music on in my house. My parents always encouraged us to play a musical instrument, both my siblings and I started piano lessons at a very early age, but I gave up piano quickly for drums.

Is it true you were a dedicated drummer from the age of 8? Did you play any other instruments? How did this lead on to you producing beats?

I started drum lessons at 8, but didn't get serious about practicing until I was in middle school, which is when I got into death metal. Listening to drummers with advanced technical abilities was inspiring and made me want to be able to reach that level. I never took any other lessons for instruments, but I went to high school at a performing arts school so I learned general theory. High school is when I started making beats, and I can definitely say it was J Dilla who inspired that. I always loved and listened to hip hop, and had favorite producers growing up like DJ Premier, 9th Wonder and Pharrell, but it wasn't until listening to J Dilla beat tapes that I really fell in love with production and the art of sampling.

What music you grew up listening to still influences you now?

I feel very nostalgic often, so honestly I spend the majority of my music listening time replaying albums and artists I loved growing up. I will find random influence in anything, whether its crazy chords and melodies or production and mixing that I didn't necessarily pay attention to when I was younger.

You play a key role in New York’s rap scene and there must be tons of producers wanting to work for you. How do you make time to work with everyone you think you should be?

It's difficult to be honest. There are so many people from New York making cool new innovative music, I'm inspired constantly by stuff friends show me. I do my best to reach out and work with everyone who I listen to, but often it is hard to make time. Especially because I'm not very good at sending stuff back and forth on the internet, I really like to be in the studio with another artist or producer.

You’ve produced for some big names - Princess Nokia, Jay Critch, Rich The Kid, French Montana and Smokepurpp, with Rihanna recently using ‘Cherrybomb,’ the Slim Poppins track you produced, in her ad! Could anyone top this list?

I feel very blessed to be able to have made music that so many people will hear, and am even more blessed that I thoroughly enjoy working with all of the big name artists who I do. But I will always make the time in my life for the underground artists who don't necessarily have the budget or may be too experimental to reach into the mainstream, if I enjoy your music I don't care about the stats.

Tell us about the lineup you curated for the Boiler Room show in NYC. Why did you pick those artists? What do they represent? Why do you think they should be platformed?

Vinny Fanta is one of my best friends and long time collaborator. We went to high school together and he was one of the first people I really started recording and making songs with. We definitely developed a sound together and he has influenced me on this whole journey as a producer.

Laron is my homie and a producer I work with frequently. He is extremely versatile, whether it's Jay Critch or Mike, he's got a beat for anyone. I think his production really represents the sound of the youth in New York.

Hawa is one of my favorite artists to work with. She's extremely musically talented but also has an inexplicable sauce that everyone is drawn to. Literally everyone I show her music to freaks out.

TrippJones is a LES legend, enough said. We have some CRAZY music on the way.

Finally, Wifigawd, the only non New Yorker, is an underground artist I really think deserves more shine. He's been a known name in the underground for a long time, and a lot of people have definitely been influenced by him without even knowing it sometimes.

And finally, any rising stars in the New York rap scene you think we should watch out for this year?

I honestly hate making lists, cus no matter how hard I think, I will always leave someone out and regret it later. All I can say is watch out for who I work with and the people they work with, cus there is so much amazing music to be found.

Interview by Alice Tilley

Boiler Room NYC: Curated by Tony Seltzer will be broadcasted on Mon 12th Aug. Head here for the full stream.